To get MindWeavers to where it is today, chief executive Bruce Robinson has had to demonstrate preternatural levels of belief

Mindweavers's software exercises specific areas of the brain—one product, Mindfit, is targeted at "baby boomers" wishing to stay mentally agile into their 60s. But it's only recently that the firm's prospects have looked so bright.

The company was spun out of Oxford University in 2000 by Professor David Moore (Robinson has been CEO since 2002) just as the tech bubble was bursting. Venture capitalists were no longer, says Robinson, "throwing money at university spin outs" and he had to raise cash "by hook and by crook, relying on family, friends and early stage angel investing".

Turning scientific research into a commercially viable proposition has been another challenge. "The gestation period from early science and technology research in universities to where we are now—where it's accepted that what we have is a commercial opportunity—takes time."

Mindweavers recently secured £558,000 of new investment capital, which Robinson says will help the business to "develop new products and bring them to the marketplace". It's good timing, he says, because "there is a craze and public appetite for exercising the brain, just as you do the body."

He adds: "Opportunities are coming closer and we're matching the market pool with science. We anticipate sales for MindWorks [a product developed with Israeli partner CogniFit that aims to protect brain health in people who have been diagnosed with early stage dementia] next year of £2m and double that the year after. "

MindWeavers's "sound science" base differentiates it from competitors. Having Baroness Greenfield on board is an added bonus. "We have strong links with leading science institutions," explains Robinson, "and we leverage Susan and Dave's scientific capability. She maintains input to the science, has a passion in the field and makes a significant contribution to the company."

Thanks to a greater understanding of brain function, and "brain training" gaining increasing public acceptance, Robinson says he and his team are no longer "treading a lone furrow" and can now actively seek to build new partnerships in the UK.