Leeds-based businesses partner to support growing start-up community
Two Leeds-based start-up firms specialising in supporting tech firms have formed a partnership to support even more young digital businesses.
MacComms, a PR agency entering its third year in business has joined forces with LightStart Apps, digital specialists of app and website development. The firms have announced the collaboration which will see MacComms sponsor LightStart’s programme of networking events and manage the public relations of the fellow start-up firm.
With a portfolio of several tech firms on its books, MacComms manages the promotions for some of the region’s leading digital businesses including the north’s fastest growing tech firm, The Car Buying Group.
LightStart, formed in 2016 by Simon Edwards and Dan Akers, builds digital products including mobile apps, web apps and the underlying platforms that drive them. The core team has 45 years of experience building and launching digital products.
LightStart is a thought-leader at the forefront of the digital community in Yorkshire through its client projects, its LABS projects and by running regular events for the local tech and business community.
Both companies have experienced fast-growth with LightStart growing its client base to include 20 businesses from digital start-ups through to £60M turnover businesses in just fifteen months. MacComms was formed in 2015 by Ellie MacDonald and now has 13 clients on its books. Collectively both firms now employ more than a dozen employees.
The partnership was formed following the founders’ shared experience on the world’s largest business accelerator programme, Entrepreneurial Spark. The Leeds hub began as the home for LightStart’s unique programme of events, regularly attended by the MacComms team.
LightStart co-founder, Simon Edwards comments;
“We are proud to be the leading digital design house for an increasing amount of tech firms for whom we produce successful apps and websites. We knew it wasn’t enough to quietly work in the background to do this and so we launched our annual calendar of more than 50 free events to support the Leeds business community to learn and connect to each other. MacComms is the ideal partner for us to shout about these events and the further work we are doing.”
Ellie MacDonald, founder of MacComms adds:
“LightStart shares the same values as us to build successful businesses based on treating people right. Furthermore, there are many synergies including fast-growth, employing an increasing amount of local talent and gaining a strong reputation for doing things a little differently. We were therefore keen to get involved and I’m proud that MacComms is now an official sponsor of LightStart’s unique events and placed to help the company to shout about its further successes.”