A 25-year-old born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome is aiming to improve the experiences of hospital patients across the UK with her new brand.
Olivia Burns is behind Hypoplas, a patient wear business featuring sustainable and cost-effective hospital gowns and recovery garments.
The Manchester Metropolitan University fashion graduate has received funding from Innovate UK and won a Santander Universities UK Entrepreneur Award.
In December Olivia will pitch her idea to investors during the Global Grand Finale at the TiE Global Summit (TGS), Bangalore, India.
Olivia, from Cheshire, said: “Having been born with a congenital heart condition I was the 13th patient in the NHS to undergo lifesaving treatment. I had three open heart surgeries and several other procedures as a child.
“Later in life it dawned on me how impractical, undignified and uncomfortable the traditional hospital gowns are. It led me to a research project alongside Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust which concluded that hospital gowns were inefficient for patients and clinicians.”
Olivia also discovered that many hospitals were double gowning to preserve patient dignity, which leads to double laundry and double the carbon.
To address the problem she developed the Inversus gown and recovery wear range.
“It’s been a really interesting journey so far,” said Olivia. “What we have now is a range that preserves the modesty of patients, allows them to feel more comfortable before an operation and through to recovery.”
With a view to scaling Hypoplas nationally Olivia joined the TiE UK North before entering the TiE Women Global Program & Pitch Competition 2024.
Having won a regional final she will fly to India in December to compete in the Global Grand Finale at the TiE Global Summit.
“Winning is not the primary goal,” said Olivia, but rather the experience and the opportunity to pitch in front of everyone.
“I’m surprised at reaching this far in the competition to be honest but I’m going to embrace the experience as I’ve gained valuable connections and networking opportunities throughout this entire process.”
She added: “Soon Hypoplas’ first pilot study will be complete which will give us data on the product’s viability.
“From there we will continue to build on solid foundations before aiming for an angel round or venture capital within the next year.”
Simon Arora, TiE Charter Member and one of the TiE Women Competition Judges, TiE UK North, said: “Olivia is a natural entrepreneur with a passion for innovation and drive to make a difference.
“It’s been delightful to see the progress of Hypoplas so far and we wish her all the best for the Global Grand Finale at the TiE Global Summit on December 9.”
