Stephanie is up-and-running with help of ideal Platform in Leeds

My first few months at the heart of the tech ecosystem in Leeds have been nothing but exciting.

As one of a number of winners of free desk space at Platform, Mile Positioning Solutions was able to put its young UK roots into the very fertile Yorkshire soil.

At Mile Positioning Solutions, we develop open-data-ready mobile apps that combine geographical positioning with tourism, culture, sports and health and wellbeing.

Such combinations provide limitless solutions that enable cities and regions to showcase their heritage, whilst addressing the question of mental and physical health.

Hotels, airlines and rail companies, to name just a few, use our services to enhance their guests’ experience, whilst corporations get access to a digital solution for the health and wellbeing of their employees.

Amongst our partners, we have been contracted by the two largest cities in France to deliver digital health and wellbeing solutions.

Our award winning flagship app Runnin’City enables people to discover more than 150 cities around the world while running or walking.

Vocal GPS instructions guide users to key landmarks, with informative comments as they approach them.

Mile Positioning Solutions was founded in Lyons, France, in 2016, and is now growing internationally.

My role here in Leeds is to lead the development of our activities, both in the UK and Ireland, with a view to growing rapidly and to call upon local talent and investors as we scale-up here, across Europe, and beyond.

Strategically, Leeds is at the core of the area I am responsible for.

And, having worked in the city for more than 20 years, as my platform for national and international business activities, I have lived through the exciting development of the city region into the renowned tech centre it is becoming today.

It is a thriving environment for growth businesses to develop, in a community where academia, businesses and local authorities work together in a dynamic spirit of thriving collaboration.

Platform has already become a landmark in Leeds, a centre of innovation and collaboration for growth.

Winning a free desk space in the tech incubator has been the catalyst for fantastic connections and therefore a tremendous opportunity for our company.

From day one, I have been surrounded by instant friends and colleagues, with my co-winners of free desk space and other Platform residents – it is a dynamic community of like-minded people with a collaborative spirit.

The business support programme at Platform gives us access to a wide range of experts, from legal to accountancy services, growth and talent advice, as well as potential investors in Mile Positioning Solutions as we approach our second round of funding.

The icing on the cake comes in the shape of second-to-none facilities and a wonderful support team, making every work day even more fun and exciting.