GearedApp is a digital development company based in Edinburgh which specialises in cross-platform apps, websites and other bespoke solutions. GearedApp was founded by five Edinburgh Napier University graduates in 2013. The team first met SIE in 2015.
How GearedApp got started
GearedApp began with five co-founders who met whilst studying computing at Edinburgh Napier University. They worked together on a group project to develop digital apps. This led to other innovation projects with commercial clients on behalf of the university.
What happened next?
The new team had the opportunity to work on a project with the Edinburgh Capitals ice hockey team. They approached the university’s enterprise service, Bright Red Triangle, for more help on how to get started. Head of the service, Nick Fannin, helped them to get their feet of the ground and he introduced them to a number of support organisations who could help including Power of Youth and SIE.
The team applied to the Young Innovators Challenge (YIC), an annual competition run by SIE on behalf of the Scottish Government. After securing a place in the final round, they attended the YIC bootcamp in Edinburgh to progress their idea further. During the bootcamp, they received help to put together a framework and they were introduced them to hundreds of young entrepreneurs which helped to establish a peer mentoring group who they still meet with today.
The team then took time to plan the future of the company and at that time reduced to a core team of three co-founders. They began to focus on growing their portfolio and securing more clients.
Next steps for GearedApp
The team has recently employed three new members of staff. They plan to grow the team further but want to maintain a people-first approach to their business. They have future plans to become one of the leading digital development companies in the UK.
GearedApp are a great example of a team who utilised support from their university and the enterprise community to create a leading business based here in Scotland.
If you’re thinking of starting your own business, they have a key piece of advice: