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skignz set to boost Tees Valley Digital Revolution at Fusion Hive

Digital technology enterprise skignz has become the latest business to join the digital revolution in the Tees Valley by joining Fusion Hive.

Since it was founded in 2013, Tees Valley-based skignz has seen rapid growth and the company’s founders, Simon Brown and Gary Baker, feel that the move to Fusion Hive, the new business and innovation centre on Stockton’s Northshore, will give their business the best opportunity to grow and succeed. Simon and Gary first met in 2001 and worked together on various projects before founding ‘skignz’, their own software platform, in the summer of 2013.

skignz itself is an Augmented Reality platform, which uses geo-location technology to help display ‘virtual skignz’ in the sky through the camera view of users mobile device screens.

When a user opens the app they view through the mobile device they see whatever is ahead of them using the skignz browser. When they search or want to find a particular point, small ‘skignz’ appear in the sky over that point, effectively digital signs in the sky. The skignz app has then tremendous potential for searching for and finding information about, places of interest, objects, commercial ventures and even people.

skignz first launched as a software platform in beta via Android app in the summer of 2013 and an iOS version followed shortly afterwards.

2015 has already been a special year as skignz has developed its platform software and also made connections with several global organisations that are very interested in the potential uses of the skignz technology.

skignz also picked up several awards this year, beginning with a runner up prize at the prestigious ‘Pitch@Palace’ digital competition at St James Palace. Ignite London then voted skignz as ‘the UK’s Most Disruptive Tech Start-up’ of 2015 and the year was topped off when skignz won the Thinking Digital Award for 2015.

skignz sees the move to Fusion Hive as the next step in the growth of the organisation. Fusion Hive offers a bespoke, flexible working space developed bespoke to the needs of the digital and creative tenant organisations.

Fusion Hive is managed and operated by º£½ÇÖ±²¥ and members have the opportunity, not only to collaborate with like-minded businesses but also access to the University’s significant business networks, expertise and training and help in sourcing potential funding,

Simon Brown, Co-Founder & CMO, skignz, said: 'skignz has already come a long way in the last two years with the development of our technology platform. However, it is our future that we are most excited about, as we have ambitious plans for growth as we feel our technology has tremendous potential across any sector or location. The only limitation we feel we have is the limitations of the users imagination.

'We have already made some great connections and are looking to continually develop the functionality of our technology along with potential partners, including some global organisations.

'We are looking to increase our progress further with the move to Fusion Hive. skignz is a very visual product and the move to Fusion Hive, a visually impressive building will only benefit our company, giving us the ideal platform to grow our organisation. Fusion Hive will bring together some of the brightest tech talent in the region, and collaboratively working together will give us all the best potential for growth.'

Laura Woods, Director of The Forge, º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s new business hub, said: 'skignz has made fantastic progress since it was founded two years ago. We are delighted to welcome such an innovative company to Fusion Hive and we are sure that the move will provide skignz with an ideal platform for even greater success.'

Fusion Hive is part funded by The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The ERDF’s Competitiveness Programme 2007-13 is bringing over £300m into North East England to support innovation, enterprise and business support. It will help create and safeguard 28,000 new jobs, start 3,000 new businesses and increase the productivity by £1.1bn per annum.

Fusion Hive is transforming the way enterprises operate in the region. More than just an office space, Fusion Hive brings together like-minded tenant organisations and gives them the opportunity to network, share knowledge and capitalise on opportunities for growth.

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