by Lisa Devaney | 8 Oct, 2015 | Startup Spotlight
In the news this week here in Londontown, we have learned that the city has more multi-million-pound mansions being sold than any other city in the world, we are also hearing that our city is the most expensive place to live in the world.
So what if you are on a budget?
What if cheap eats and charity shops are more you’re style than big bling shopping and dining out for hundreds of pounds? Hey, guess what? There’s an app for that!
For Londoners on a budget, the app Frugl delivers on its promise to keep you informed about the best deals for entertainment in the expensive city. Download the app for free from the Apple App Store and begin to discover an affordable side to London. You’ll get to pick from events and happenings that are free, and up to £10, and select from categories of comedy, poetry, film and cinema, classes and courses, meetups and networking, talks and lectures, beauty, food and drink, kids and family, live music, nightlife, shopping and more. You can also book tickets through the app, and find the location of where you are headed with maps.
Frugl has gotten a good amount of press since launch happened in March 2014, including this article in Forbes. The startup received initial funding of a grant from the Technology Strategy Board (now called Innovate UK). At the helm is CEO founder Suzanne Noble, a 20-year veteran publicist and CTO co-founder Tikiri Hulugalle.
We got to catch up with both founders by joining them recently at TECHtoberfest, and had a blast of a time, all on a budget!
Suzanne let us quiz her further about Frugl, and here’s our Q&A session with her:
Suzanne Noble
Can you tell us the background of Frugl? When did it come about and why?
I’ve been a bargain hunter and a culture vulture since I was a kid growing up in London. Back in the 80s I used to run underground jazz clubs, spending every night handing out flyers, as that was the only way to get the word out. Now there’s so much going on all the time, it’s a challenge to find those under the radar events or great offers. That’s where Frugl comes in – giving event promoters and businesses a platform to publicise great value experiences for our users to discover.
So you set out to make an app for those looking to experience London on a budget. What was your interest in this low budget market?
Well, I believe that having fun shouldn’t be something that only the wealthy can afford. Anyone should be able to have a good time, to find great food/drink, clothes or events whatever their budget. I’m naturally inclined to want to save money whenever possible so Frugl reflects my own passion.
What kind of events and offerings can people find on Frugl?
From the start, I wanted to reach varied tastes and interests. Currently you can find free haircuts, meal deals, live music and comedy, workshops and much more. The basic philosophy of Frugl is that, provided it has a start/end time and there is at least one of something to be sold, it can be listed on Frugl.
Have you had many downloads of the app and can you share with us how many?
We’ve hit about 20k and, with our new marketplace on web and now iOS and Android too are looking to rev up our numbers over the next few months.
You know, there are a lot of event business models out there – can you tell us why Frugl stands apart from the competition?
We’re really trying to broaden our inventory beyond events. We know there’s a lot of apps out there but we know that when people think of Frugl, they think beyond events. That’s why we encourage businesses in the food/drink and health/beauty space to use us too.
Frugl is just for London now, but do you have plans to offer it in other cities?
Absolutely. Moving beyond London is definitely on the roadmap over the next year.
What are your top picks for Frugl things to do in London?
We love The Good Ship Comedy Club on a Monday night in Kilburn. It’s always fun and the atmosphere is great.
…
Thanks for talking with us Suzanne!
By the way, you can find Suzanne on Twitter at @FruglFounder and follow Frugl @Frugl.
by Lisa Devaney | 14 Jan, 2015 | WeAreDotDotDot
We love to share first looks at new things happening in the world and are thrilled to invite you to come along to a sneak
WeAreDotDotDot.com
preview of WeAreDotDotDot.com!
WeAreDotDotDot.com, now in beta phase, is a new platform that will connect young people in East London with digital learning programmes and job networking opportunities. The Connecting Tech City team behind this initiative aim to help East London young people prepare and find employment with the thriving businesses of London’s Tech City. See the press coverage about WeAreDotDotDot featured on TechCityinsider.net here.
Do you want to be part of the development stage in the run up to WeAreDotDotDot’s official launch in March 2015?
Sign up today to be part of a great movement at: www.wearedotdotdotdot.com
WeAreDotDotDot is particularly keen to hear from you if you are from Hackney, Islington, Newham or Tower Hamlets and aged 11-25.
Due to high demand, we will be holding the sneak previews on three days, with the first one kicking off 2015 on Wednesday, 21st January.
Then the next sneak preview will be on Tuesday 17th February and finally the last one will be held Wednesday 11th March.
All events will be held 4-6pm at Central Working Whitechapel, 69-89 Mile End Road, London E1 4TT. (Entrance through Foxcroft & Ginger Café)
*Teachers and guardians also welcome to attend.
At the sneak preview you will get to:
• beta test the platform
• get to know first hand how experienced developers tackle issues around user experience, design and coding
• be the first to have access to more than 60 courses on offer on the platform, to develop your skills in tech
• find out about the latest apprenticeships available in tech
• find out about funds and grants to support you financially
• receive an invite to attend our launch event in March 2015 as a VIP guest
• know why you should help get the word out and encourage other young people to sign up to the platform
Get your ticket to attend a sneak preview here:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wearedotdotdotcom-sneak-preview-tickets-15177131208
Follow WeAreDotDotDot on Twitter:
#WeAreDotDotDot
@WeAreDotDotDot
Find WeAreDotDotDot on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/connectingtechcity
*Coming soon to Instagram!
Do you tweet? We’d love to see you on there. Here’s a few suggested tweets you can share:
Young? In East London? Want to work in Tech City? Be among the first to know about @wearedotdotdot #WeAreDotDotDot: http://www.wearedotdotdot.com
Check out @wearedotdotdot, helping East London young people prepare for jobs in Tech City. #WeAreDotDotDot Sign up here: http://www.wearedotdotdot.com
#WeAreDotDotDot launches in 2015! Helping East London young people prepare for jobs in Tech City. Sign up at: http://www.wearedotdotdot.com @wearedotdotdot
For more information, contact lisa@haimediagroup.com
by Lisa Devaney | 30 Oct, 2014 | haimediagroup
When Hai Media Group first heard about the Connecting Tech City project, to unlock the talent of youth in the area and help connect young people with learning programmes and jobs within the growing tech sector’s businesses, we applauded. Now, we’ve gotten on board to help in making this fantastic project take off here!
We think this effort ticks all the right boxes for helping East London thrive by:
- Opening up opportunities for hundreds of young people to learn, and work, in Tech City
- Giving employers better access to a pool of talent that is much needed to grow tech businesses and reduce the skills shortage
- Connecting employers and educators with young people, parents and teachers through an online platform
Please read more about Connecting Tech City below in the press release. If you are a member of the media, or just interested in hearing more about the project and coming along to one of the exciting events planned – please get in touch: lisa@haimediagroup.com
#GrowTechCity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tech City Creative Agencies Join to Combat Area’s Skills Shortage
Connecting Tech City, a collaboration across the tech industry in East London,appoints Pleo, Rosie Lee and Hai Media Group to build a new digital platform to tackle the skills shortage
London, 29th October 2014 – Responding to the widely recognised challenge among Tech City startups that there is a talent shortage holding back business growth, today Connecting Tech City announce the appointment of three leading creative tech agencies (Pleo, Rosie Lee, Hai Media Group) to develop an online platform to tackle the problem. The platform, to be revealed in the Spring of next year, will connect young people, parents, and teachers to local opportunities to learn digital skills and engage with employers.
The skills gap, London tech firms report, is most keenly felt in East London’s Tech City area, where there is the largest concentration of tech businesses in Europe. Over the last year, tech firms have come together to address the problem, through the Connecting Tech City collaboration, brokered by Centre for London.
“Many of the best Digital Learning Programmes in the UK have grown out of the East London tech cluster,” said Jess Tyrrell, Director of the Connecting Tech City programme. “But it is difficult to access these programmes unless you know where to look. We need information to be much more accessible and we need local young people to feel that these opportunities are for them.”
The platform, which is backed by many of the leading firms in Tech City, will radically scale up the number of young people accessing cutting edge digital learning.
The platform itself will be designed and developed by Pleo, a leading digital design agency producing cutting edge products that create and shape human behaviour. Creative agency Rosie Lee are developing the brand and visual identity to reach and inspire young people. Hai Media Group are providing public relations and social media support. The agencies are supporting the project with a mixture of paid and pro bono support.
“This is a really exciting opportunity to level the playing field for young people who want to get into digital” says Nic Mahlunge, junior designer at Pleo. “It has to be relevant to young people like me, who are using the best of interactive and social media tools. We’re very excited to be involved.”
“Young people from each of the agencies will play a big part in the design”, says Asma Nahar, 28, who is working as Community Manager for the project. “I’ll be working alongside Sami Janjer, Account Manager at Rosie Lee and social media lead Miamii Mansour from Hai Media Group, both 23. All of us are young people who know what it is like breaking into the digital industry, and therefore closer to the experience of our users.”
The platform officially launches in March 2015.
-ends-
MEDIA CONTACTS
Hai Media Group:
Lisa Devaney, lisa@haimediagroup.com | 07711 238173
Connecting Tech City:
Jess Tyrrell, jess.tyrrell@centreforlondon.org | 07779 348180
Rosie Lee:
Russell Clayton, russell@rosielees.co.uk | 020 7613 3752
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. About Connecting Tech City:
The Connecting Tech City initiative, launched in May 2014, aims to bring the Tech City community together in a new drive to help ensure London’s young people – especially those in East London, some of the Capital’s poorest – can benefit from all the opportunities that Tech City has to offer, and that Tech City benefits from a skilled local workforce. The Connecting Tech City project is being coordinated by the Centre for London, a politically independent think tank and registered charity which aims to help London build on its great strengths and meet its great challenges.
Visit: www.centreforlondon.org/connecting-tech-city
Follow @centreforlondon
2. About Pleo:
Pleo is a consultation, strategy and design studio for mobile and innovation projects. We are deeply collaborative and insight driven in everything we do and focus our energy on projects that deliver genuine impact.
Visit: www.pleo.co
3. About Rosie Lee:
Rosie Lee is a hybrid media agency. With expertise in branding, digital, retail design and advertising, Rosie Lee bring a strong creative lead and best in class project management to collaborative projects.
Visit: rosieless.co.uk, instagram.com/rosie.lees
Follow: @Rosie_Lees
4. About Hai Media Group:
We are a public relations consultancy serving tech startups.
Visit: www.haimediagroup.com
Follow @HaiMediaGroup
by Lisa Devaney | 5 Aug, 2014 | News
The summer holidays are among us, and if you’re looking for a super-cool technology exhibition interesting for parents and kids – Barbican’s Digital Revolution is the one!
Located inside the Barbican Centre, Digital Revolution is a must-see technology exhibit that celebrates past, present and future gadgets.
Upon entering you’re greeted with a blast from the past of all things electronic, anything from Nintendo’s First Generation Gameboy to the first Apple computer.
As visitors continue to move through the exhibition, they are sent on a journey through time and advanced technology.
Barbican’s Digital Revolution is an interactive exhibit, and promises to keep you entertained. Visitors can play PacMan, Playstation’s 1st Generation, and use their bodies to form shadow-computer generated imagery.
Hai Media Group’s personal favourite has to be Will.i.am’s music installation #pyramidi. Pyramidi is described as the ‘future of music’.
The Projection Mapping Visual Art Show is made up of three robotic pyramids that listens to a piece of music, and plays it back in unison. Will chose “Dreaming Of The Future” – a song that he produced – to showcase Pyramidi’s best features.
Another project that featured in Barbican’s Digital Revolution is Will.i.am’s i.am.Angel Foundation showcase (a charity that specialises in supporting children from disadvantaged backgrounds). Students presented gadgets which they created as part of the programme.
If you’d like to attend Digital Revolution, you’ve got to be quick as it concludes on 14th September
RATING: 5*
PRICES: £12.50 (standard), £8.75 (yellow membership), £8.50 (students), £10.50 (unemployed), £10.50 (senior), £5.00 (child 5-12y/o), £8.50 (young person 12-17y/o)
– Miamii Mansour
by Lisa Devaney | 30 Oct, 2009 | News
Hai Media Group is now supporting the team of
IF Communications
Clients we are collaborating on together to win mainstream media and online exposure include:
Mobango – http://www.mobango.com
Sharpcards – http://www.sharpcards.net
Smaato – http://www.smaato.com/
Flirtomatic – http://www.flirtomatic.com / http://www.handmademobile.com
Fjord – http://www.fjordnet.com/
Wellington Partners – http://www.wellington-partners.com
FD Unlimited – http://www.fdunlimited.com/Astia – http://www.astia.org/
More clients are coming on board soon.
than any other city in the world, we are also hearing that our city is the most expensive place to live in the world.
