Manchester tech company expands globally following Hub support
26 July 2019
An award-winning research company has gone from strength-to-strength and created eight new jobs following support from GC Business Growth Hub.
The Insights People launched in 2017 and has quickly established itself as a global leader in kids and family market intelligence. Through its Kids Insights service, the company surveys more than 1,600 different children a week (80,000 a year) across six countries, including the US, UK, France and Germany. This enables the firm to provide real-time data to its clients via its online portal, which is updated with 640,000 data points every week.
The company’s CEO, Nick Richardson, initially approached the Hub in 2017 looking for support developing both the firm’s online platform and range of client-facing products. As well as helping with this, Hub advisor Paul Halliday also acted as a sounding board for Nick as the company looked to implement its aggressive targets.
Funding support
In addition, Paul also put The Insights People in touch with the Department for International Trade (DIT) so that the company could benefit from the support of the British Government in its efforts to expand overseas. Among other assistance, the DIT team in the North West provided the company with funding support to help them attend the Kidscreen conference in Miami and the MIP Junior conference in France, both in 2018, with the trip to Miami leading directly to the launch of The Insights People’s Kids Insights US service and the opening of a US operation in New York in October 2018.
The Hub also supported the company’s entry into the 2017 Innovation Showcase Competition with its participation in the final at Venturefest Manchester 2017 leading directly to investment from Adam Kara, who is now a non-executive director of the company.
The Insights People team with Business Growth Hub advisor Paul Halliday
Eight new positions created
The Insights People now employs 15 members of staff – among the eight roles created with assistance from the Hub, a chief commercial officer, a developer and a researcher were all hired. The company boasts clients from around the globe which include the BBC, Disney, Kraft, Liverpool FC, Ofcom, SEGA, Turner and Warner Bros, and has plans to launch in Asia later this year.
The company is also currently in discussions with one of Greater Manchester’s leading universities to establish a strategic partnership to collaborate on a range of projects including the utilisation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop the next phase of ground-breaking portal developments.
Aggressive growth strategy
Nick Richardson, CEO of The Insights People, said: “Our vision has never changed, but with such an aggressive growth strategy we have needed to not only recruit a team of highly capable individuals who share our vision but have the aptitude to make it happen.
“The same can be said for the team of advisors we have supporting us, as without their commitment and support, we would not have achieved what we have done to date. Their support will also be crucial as we enter the next stage of our growth as we look to secure and finalise the next round of investment to further scale our US and European businesses and launch into Asia.”
Paul Halliday, growth advisor at the Hub, said: “It is a joy to see the success The Insights People have had since I first met them. Nick and his team are a very talented and dedicated bunch operating in what is a fascinating area of research – the thoughts and concerns of our children, including such things as their favourite brands, their media consumption and the activities that make up their everyday lives – and so, it is no surprise that such high-profile brands have signed up to receive the company’s insights.”
Nick Richardson, CEO of The Insights People
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See also:
CASE STUDY: Innovation support enables the Insights People to prosper