Matt Rollinson, Rolley Ltd

Hey Matt. Tell us a little bit about you and your business…

My passion has always been programming. I love the fact that it’s a constantly evolving discipline and I really enjoy learning about the latest tech and software that’s pushing web development to the next level. 

That’s ultimately the reason I started Rolley. We’re a development agency that specialise in fully bespoke client-tailored software solutions, and we like to push the boundaries of what’s possible on the web. That might be a specification tool that lets you design and build a fully customised product in 3D, or an augmented reality game that helps to tell a story or drive home a message. It’s this exciting potential that gets us out of bed in a morning!

What has been Rolley’s greatest success?

It’s still early days for us so we like to think our greatest success is still to come. That said, our first year has been filled with many great moments. From establishing the office in the DMC, onboarding our first clients, hiring new staff, and delivering fun and innovative solutions – we can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been up to!

What about your greatest challenges?

I think our greatest challenges so far have been getting to grips with the business side of things. Launching a start-up for the first time hasn’t come without its moments of feeling overwhelmed and slightly daunted, but fortunately I was able to tap into the support and advice from the team at Launchpad. They were great at helping me to navigate the whole process with practical business advice and resources, as well as being a sounding board for some important decisions.

Why is IoT important to you?

We’re a firm believer that IoT products and services will have a huge positive impact on how we live our lives. They’re already becoming an established part of our daily routines, whether we realise it or not! As a small tech start-up ourselves, we love the fact that an initiative to encourage more companies to adopt new connected technologies is being championed right here on our doorstep!

What have your experiences on the IoT Engine been like?

As a small independent business, having access to the IoT Engine has been amazing. The opportunity to develop and test early prototypes with 1:1 mentoring has been really beneficial for our product development, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the IoT facilities and support. 

Rikki, our mentor at the DMC MakerLab, has been superb from day one. He really took the time to understand what we’re trying to achieve with our concept development and his electronics and hardware expertise has enabled us to take what started out as a rough concept to a functioning prototype. 

What’s next for Rolley?

Hopefully to continue work on exciting and innovative projects! In particular, we’re really excited about the growing demand for AR and VR solutions, both in the workplace and at home. We’re working on some really cool AR experiences at the moment, and they’ve been enjoyable projects that have pushed us creatively and technically. So, some more of the same would do us just fine!