Having been awarded £10,000 to invest in technology, all the winning companies took an innovative idea and weaved it into their businesses. Here is a summary of their successes thanks to the ANUBIS funding.

An educational software company set up by two friends who met at Nottingham Trent University is transforming its business into a web based service for the education sector after winning a cash injection from the ANUBIS business technology competition.

What is all the more impressive is that Prime Principle Ltd faced a bleak future in 2003 when it had serious cash flow problems and nearly ceased trading.

But a turnaround in fortunes, thanks to a record number of sales in the first part of 2004, took the business into profit for the first time.  This brought much needed finance into the business which has now gone on to win several awards and grants for its software system including a Dti Smart Award and becoming a national finalist in the HSBC Startup Stars 2006.

Prime Principle has developed a software application called Classroom Monitor which allows teachers to track their pupils against government objectives.  Teachers can also plan lessons around pupils’ learning and automatically write end of year reports from the data which has been formulated throughout the academic year.

The system was developed with the help of the authorities in the East Midlands area and became the first report-writing system to receive accreditation to the Curriculum Online Scheme through British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA).

The education sector in England and Wales is steeped in tradition and processes which can make decision making laborious. It can also be notoriously hard for new service providers to make inroads into the education market.  As a newcomer to the sector, this is something the directors had to work hard at.

The software is already in 600 schools, mainly primary schools, nationwide and the directors of Prime Principle are on target to increase this to over a 1,000 schools in the next couple of years.  The potential for its application in secondary schools is a key part of the company’s growth.

Developing the new web based technologies underpins the management of this growth.  Classroom Monitor currently centres on an interactive markbook which has been the revolutionary element of the software, and is a major USP of Classroom Monitor.

The markbook needs to become an integral part of a new web based system.  The technology to make this happen is being designed and developed and one which will be unique in the market.

“There are no other systems available to schools which will use the same hybrid of technologies we are developing to achieve such a degree of functionality.”
Director David Francis

He first developed the education software at university.  He researched and developed an application as part of his software engineering degree course.

“Having a dad who was a head teacher meant I could road test my ideas and create a robust architecture for the innovative software system to be a commercially viable product.”
Director David Francis

The ANUBIS competition has provided an opportunity to fund the project after the directors successfully applied for the £10,000 cash on offer to ten companies. Applicants had to demonstrate how they would benefit from receiving funding for a technology project.

Winning the cash means the directors can now invest in transforming their business operation into a web based portal.  Schools will be able to receive greater support from the use of Classroom Monitor as it becomes a web based system.

Advisers at Prime Principle will be able to access school data from its offices anytime.  They will also be able to run searches and queries on all school data providing important audits on how schools are using the system and help with support to those who are not maximising its full potential.

New revenue streams from new product offerings and new customers will help the business grow.   The company has plans to export and license its software.  Breaking into the US and Indian markets offer new platforms for the directors to take the business onto a new stage of growth.

“These markets are very different to the home market we currently serve.  They are very embryonic which gives us huge commercial opportunities to be one of the first entrants into these markets and create new revenue streams for the business.”
Fellow director Chris Scarth

He believes the business would not have been able to fund this new project in 2007 without the ANUBIS cash.

“ANUBIS is a catalyst for us.  It will make it easy for us to fund our development.  This would not have happened in the short term without it.

We will be able to enjoy greater efficiencies within our business operation.  Moving to a web based application will cut some of our internal costs by up to 50 per cent.

The project has been planned to create economies of scale and we will now be able to springboard our plans and finish a crucial part of our development by the end of this year before taking the new products to market in 2008.”

Fellow director Chris Scarth

Anubis Winner's Link: visit the Prime Principle Ltd website

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