RUNNING from Swindon to Liverpool is one way to get fit, but New Concept Gaming, which made the move from the South West to the North West earlier this year, has developed another method.

It has created jOG, an add-on gadget which is compatible with existing games. jOG detects when the player takes a step and projects that movement into the game while the player is jogging on the spot. But keeping still is not part of the company’s ethos. In August, Alliance Fund Managers (AFM) invested £250,000 from MSIF’s Liverpool Seed Fund to support the commercialisation of the product. It has also committed up to a further £450,000 if the company, which is now based at Liverpool Science Park, reaches certain targets.

The product is the brainchild of New Concept’s managing director Brendan Ludden. He set up the business in 2005, and now runs it with co-directors Jaison George and Patrick Slaats.

Managing director Brendan Ludden said: “It is very difficult to secure funding and quality support for early-stage businesses such as ours. AFM not only invested money through the Liverpool Seed Fund, they also secured us a games industry expert as a non-executive director whose knowledge will be invaluable to us at this critical stage in our company’s development.

“Liverpool Ventures have provided us with advice on everything from our relocation to our strategy development.”