Funding for firm gaining insight into staff thinking
ASTART-UP technology firm pioneering an online poll platform, which allows businesses and organisations to get a real insight into the thinking of staff, has been boosted with a new funding round.
Cardiff-based doopoll, which was launched last year and recently took the Sir Michael Moritz Tech Start-up Award at the 2016 ESTnet Awards, has secured investment from angel investor Konrad Litwin and Finance Wales.
The amount invested has not been disclosed, but gives the business a post investment valuation of £1m.
Doopoll was founded by Marc Thomas, Steve Dimmick and Sam Goudie, with the aim of opening up the decision-making process to a wider audience by removing the barriers to inclusive feedback.
Their product is a platform that focuses on honest, instinctive responses, and fast feedback.
The company is now recruiting and as the platform transitions from its beta stage, doopoll is in conversations with developers around the world.
Doopoll believe consensus facilitates change and that valuable information is lost for many reasons, whether that is a matter of engagement, accessibility, technology or hierarchy.
The platform is available on any device and uses anonymous voting and live feedback. Users can react fast, rewording or adding new questions which emerge or deleting unnecessary ones.
Though the initial doopoll prototype was developed within a week, the platform is already being used on every continent apart from Antarctica.
The platform is currently available in English, Welsh and French with plans to support more languages. Users include French liquor group Pernod Ricard, National Museum of Wales and Swansea University School of Management.
That success attracted the attention of IT industry expert, entrepreneur and angel investor Mr Litwin.
Recognising doopoll’s applications and growth potential, he chose to invest in the company alongside Finance Wales.
Mr Litwin said: “This passionate management team are disrupting a niche that has become a vital but rarely welcome part of online life and transformed it into a dynamic feedback experience for both sides.
“It will only be a short time before the market is trying to play catch up with this innovative solution. I am delighted to be a part of this exciting journey that is already reaching a global audience.”
Steve Smith, director of Technology Venture Investments at Finance Wales, said: “Doopoll are an awardwinning, innovative technology business with the ambition and potential to become international market leaders.
“We were pleased to co-invest alongside Konrad Litwin, an experienced IT entrepreneur, to provide the company with the growth capital it needs to increase its operational capacity and continue to develop its online decision-making platform.”
Steve Dimmick, co-founder of doopoll and head of enterprise, said: “After a lot of hard work over the last year, this investment allows doopoll to accelerate our growth. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Finance Wales and Konrad.
“It’s a fantastic milestone for us, building on our achievements to date and giving us a platform for future success.
“We will now be building a global team and working with great international brands, both in and outside Wales, to improve the process behind the decisions that drive their businesses.”