SANDY Enoch set up Robotical in 2014 when he was doing a PhD in Robotics at Edinburgh University. He wanted to teach his nieces and nephews how to code but couldn’t find a simple product on the market that could do that. To fill the gap in the market he created Marty, a robot that children can build and programme for themselves. Remotely controlled over Wi-Fi, Marty can walk, turn, dance and even kick a ball. Following success in Scotland, Enoch now plans to export Marty all over the world.
Name: Sandy Enoch
Age: 32
Position: Founder and CEO
WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS CALLED?
Robotical
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Edinburgh
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
I HAVE been working on Robotical for about four years. When I was doing a PhD in robotics I was working on a complicated robot and wanted to make one that was more accessible. I have nieces and nephews I wanted to work with on robotics but couldn’t find any that were fun and engaging enough. I wanted to create something programmable that could get more kids engaged.
I used to develop and run websites for companies. I went to Launch.ed [support for student entrepreneurs at Edinburgh University] and they gave me a lot of support to get started and to help me make something that was fit for market. We went to a three-day start-up event. We got a scholarship with the Royal Academy of Engineering who sponsored me for one year. I had to write a detailed pitch and they provided training and information on cash flow and how to build a team.
In summer 2016 we did a crowdfunding campaign. We were able to sell the first 1000 robots through that. It gave us funds for manufacturing – we had to make a few robots for it to be viable. It validated it as a product that had a market. We received seed funding last year, which included mentors of people from tech backgrounds, establishing it as a real product.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
LEGO Mindstorms were around for a while. Ours is a walking robot, which is unusual for the price point. It looks like a robot and it can do dance routines, and gives users more chances to learn about robotics. Marty also has moving eyebrows and can show emotions. There’s some pretty serious technology underpinning him. There’s Scratch, which is a graphical programming workshop for beginners, but we provide a range of levels that other robots don’t.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
MARTY is mainly an educational planning tool and that takes several forms. We are working with a tutoring company in Korea. Those aged 10-12 are our main focus, or much older high school students if we are using harder programming. We get pupils to make a costume for Marty in the dance competitions in schools we run, and he can also be customised. Marty promotes teamwork, which is part of the goals of the curriculum.
It is also for parents looking for things to do with kids. It’s not a toy but learning should be fun.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
IT’S really cool to see something that you made growing and developing. We had a great testimonial from and Edinburgh school teacher recently who helped us with the pilots. She said she really likes what we do and impacts on how she educates.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
LOTS of companies are growing fast so we need to move quickly if we want a foothold in the US, Asia and the UK. We plan to update our content.
We’ve got a little robot out there but we haven’t shown the world what it can do yet.
As a hardware company it is a bit trickier to be a small firm making things that have to move with the market.
Scotland is a fantastic place to set up a company. There’s Scottish Enterprise and lots of support and access to advisers which help get products to the development stage. You don’t get that kind of support in other places. I know firms in London don’t have the same support as us.
In Scotland there is a great sense of community in the entrepreneurial scene. It’s something that should be encouraged.
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