Rugged Interactive, seen on Dragons’ Den earlier in the year, is the latest business to move into Future Space.
A fast-growing company which creates innovative exercise equipment and appeared on BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den earlier this year, has become the latest business to move into Bristol’s new tech and science hub, Future Space.
Rugged Interactive has taken workspace at the new facility, which is part of University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), in order to expand its commercial team and build links within Bristol’s flourishing tech community.
The company, whose manufacturing base is in Fowey, doubled in size last year and is forecast to do the same this year, hitting the £1 million turnover mark.
Earlier this year Rugged Interactive appeared on hit show Dragons’ Den where the company was offered £100,000 investment by Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones in exchange for a 30 per cent share in the company. It was decided by both parties not to progress this offer.
Set up by Simon Heap and Harry Stevens, Rugged Interactive sells largely to trampolining centres, gyms and primary schools. Its colourful interactive fitness equipment offers a winning combination of exercising and gaming and provides a great alternative to that traditional gym equipment which many people perceive as dull.
The company is keen to boost its sales to existing markets and explore new markets such as elderly care homes and rehabilitative centres. The new base in Bristol will allow the company’s sales team easier access to the rest of the UK.
Stevens said: “We were really keen to move into Future Space for two reasons – we needed a commercial office to work alongside our manufacturing base in Cornwall. Bristol is perfect geographically as it’s not too far from Cornwall but is easily accessible from the rest of the UK.
“We were also keen to tap into Bristol’s strong network of emerging high tech companies so basing ourselves at a science and tech hub like Future Space made perfect sense.”
