Manchester market intelligence startup set to pull in £500k turnover and expand abroad

A North West market intelligence and consumer research startup is on track to turn over £500k in 2018, despite launching less than a year ago.

Kids Insights, founded last March by entrepreneur Nick Richardson, is expecting sales to hit half a million this year thanks to new investment.

The Manchester-based company took part in a startup competition at last September’s Venturefest event, organised by Business Growth Hub.

While he fell short of winning the top prize, founder Nick managed to impress angel investor and Venturefest judge Adam Kara, securing six-figure backing to scale his venture and enter new international markets.

Kids Insights offers an online data portal that enables brands to access real-time insights into the world of kids, ‘tweens’ and teens. It provides reports into young people’s attitudes and sentiments.

Adam commented: “As an angel investor I look for start-ups with innovative products, great teams and strong leadership. Kids Insights ticks all the boxes. Nick and the team have come up with an incredible product which has the potential to scale fast and completely disrupt the market insights sector.

“Like most start-ups, Kids Insights just needs some funding to kick start their journey and personally, I’m delighted to be on board with such an exciting business and to be supporting the ever growing tech start-up scene in Manchester.”

Nick, who has since enrolled himself and his management team on a series of Business Growth Hub innovation masterclasses, said: “It’s been a phenomenal 12 months for us.

“The Hub has been with us every step of the way and, quite simply, without them we would not be in such great shape to take the business forward so rapidly, and with such confidence.”

Business Growth Hub’s Paul Halliday said: “Nick and his team are also now benefiting from our innovation programme, which links dynamic scale-ups with Greater Manchester’s universities, and our fully-funded masterclasses, which help innovative and ambitious firms to unlock the commercial potential of new ideas.”

To date, Kids Insights has created six jobs. Among its clients are publishers DC Thomson and Penguin Random House, manufacturer Finsbury Foods, media conglomerate Turner and Guinness World Records.