OmniRead secures investment to improve the reading ability of

							  OmniRead secures investment to improve the reading ability of today’s
                                    digital generation.


North East based company, Omniread Group Ltd, is in the process of developing a
unique, internet-based software solution with the ability to improve people’s reading
when using electronic screens thanks to funding secured with assistance from the
Enterprise Europe Network for North East England (EEN).


The EEN, housed at the Centre for Process Innovation since June 2008, assisted
OmniRead in securing a £91,000 Grant for Research and Development from One North
East, enabling the business to secure additional investment of £150,000 from the Three
Pillars Fund.


Using the funding, OmniRead will develop a web-based solution to enable today’s digital
generation to personalise the display properties on electronic devices to improve their
reading ability and speed; on average the improvement in people’s reading speed after
using the product is approx. 40%.


The software will enhance the user’s reading proficiency and comprehension in addition
to reducing reading fatigue and visual stress. It also has the potential to make reading
for those people living with conditions such as dyslexia, migraines, eye/neck aches and
photophobia a more productive and pleasurable experience.


Mark Kelk, OmniRead’s CEO, commented: “White is not always the optimum
background colour to maximise people’s reading performance. In developing this world-
leading ‘objective’ capability, we are offering any computer user the opportunity to tune
the background colour of their computer screens to their unique, individual
characteristics and improve their reading capability.


“The OmniRead software solution will, in many cases, reduce fatigue, increase stamina
and improve the user’s efficiency at reading from and working with electronic displays.”


Shak Gohir, Enterprise Europe Network Practice Director at CPI commented, “We are
delighted to have been of assistance to OmniRead. OmniRead is developing a product
with a clear world-wide need and one that will enable the company to grow by entering
new markets in Europe and beyond.”


The Enterprise Europe Network for North East England was launched by the Centre for
Process Innovation (CPI) during June 2008 with the key objective to help regional
businesses to secure grant finance for research and development and better exploit
opportunities offered by Europe.


It works closely with businesses to help shape their R&D project ideas, to build the
project consortium and to write compelling R&D grant applications with strong market-
led business propositions. The team has successfully helped many companies to secure
funds for their product development activities from European grant schemes such as
Framework Programme Seven (FP7) and regional finance programmes such as the One
NorthEast Grant for R&D.


For more information visit: http://een-northeast.co.uk/




Notes to editor:


For further Information please contact:
Katie Coward on 0191 222 0722, katie.coward@admiralpr.com




About Enterprise Europe Network
The Enterprise Europe Network was established during January 2008 by the European
Commission to assist businesses, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) to grasp opportunities offered by the Europe, find new business partners and
technologies and assistance for securing finance for research and development. The
Network comprises of over 500 teams across 40 European and EU associated
countries.




About CPI


The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) was established by One North East as a UK
wide resource to stimulate and drive innovation within the Process Industry. Working
with global industry partners and leading research universities CPI is committed to
delivering world-class, groundbreaking applied research and development.
www.uk-cpi.com


CPI was recently recognised in the government’s White Paper ‘Innovation Nation’ as an
example of best practice for its success in the revitalisation of the North East processing
sector (see page 84)
http://www.dius.gov.uk/docs/home/ScienceInnovation.pdf