Myra Waiman
Infi-tex turns everyday textiles into real-time pressure sensors, helping monitor and prevent injury in healthcare, sport and defence.
Project
Infi-tex
URL
Year founded
2014
Business stage
Seed
High-growth sectors
Advanced Manufacturing
Sector
Sensors
Location
North West England
Funding
Funded Award Winner
The problem and opportunity
Pressure-related injury is hidden and costly across healthcare, sport and defence, because no one captures it as it happens. NHS pressure ulcers affect 700,000 patients a year and cost over £1.4bn annually. Coaches see outcomes, not real-time load. Soldiers carry strain that’s felt but never measured. Real-time pressure data creates the opportunity to catch harm before it happens, not after.
The solution and innovation
Infi-tex has developed smart, force-sensitive textiles that turn everyday garments, footwear and equipment into live data-collection surfaces. Rather than a lab snapshot, sensors stream real pressure data in real time during normal use, flagging build-up before it becomes harm and feeding live alerts to clinicians, coaches and personnel. The technology is now at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5-6, tested in relevant operating environments.
Market and ambition
The smart medical textile market is set to grow from $834m in 2024 to $8.9bn by 2034. Infi-tex is positioning its real-time data across NHS pressure ulcer prevention, sports and wellness performance monitoring, and dual-use defence applications, including an application to the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) Challenge.
Founder perspective
Myra Waiman is a biochemist and serial entrepreneur who founded Infi-tex to turn real-time pressure data into a tool for preventing harm, from hospital wards to sports fields to the battlefield. Her science background and track record building companies make her well placed to lead it to market.
Women in Innovation Award
Recipient of an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award 2025/26, receiving tailored business support, and access to specialist training and networks. View all winners and highly commended applicants from the Women in Innovation cohort 2025/2026.