The Greater Manchester Loan Fund (GMLF), managed by Maven, has provided a £400,000 loan facility to Mobedia Limited, a digital design agency offering a full range of services to SMEs, mid-corporates and large multinational companies. The investment will enable Mobedia to open its planned Manchester city centre office which is expected to generate up to 10 new full time jobs in the area.
Since being established in 2005 Mobedia has grown into a full service design agency offering expertise across a range of product areas including Branding, Web Based Content, Strategy, Mobile Apps, Video, and Digital Marketing. The business has built up an impressive blue-chip client base which includes Wallgreens Boots Alliance, Suzuki, Kia, and the Home Office.
Alongside the establishment of the Manchester office, the GMLF funding will help support the organic growth of Mobedia’s new cloud-based portal, Taploma. This new business stream provides clients with a market leading bespoke eLearning system to improve the process of workforce training. Staff can access the platform through an app and complete the training at their leisure, a marked improvement on the traditional training day approach. This platform contains a monitoring and analytics tool for the client to observe completion of training material and assessments, particularly pertinent for firms who may need to prove compliance with regulatory standards.
“Mobedia is at a transformational stage of its development, having grown consistently over the last six years as a digital agency. With the injection of funding from ourselves and equity holders, coupled with the significant expansion in the senior management team in the business, Mobedia has a great opportunity to develop the strong relationships already held and build the Taploma brand in the market. The GMLF is delighted to support this innovative business and continues to look to provide funding into other SME companies in the Greater Manchester area that are looking to grow.”
Alex Rothwell, Investment Manager at Maven
“We are very excited about this next stage in Mobedia’s development and our new office back where our journey began in Manchester. Our passion for the city and its emergence as the home for some of the most innovative new digital companies in the world means there could never be a better time to bring Mobedia home. Not only will the GMLF loan help in the growth of our agency service offering but in the continued expansion and evolution of our SaaS product offering to clients globally. ”
Johnny Hall, Managing Director at Mobedia
“This loan will help a dynamic company re-establish a presence in the heart of Greater Manchester. The digital sector is essential to our future growth, it is worth £1.7bn to the local economy and has seen the greatest growth in jobs in the last five years. I am glad Mobedia will be a part of that, providing employment and continuing to innovate in their eLearning work.”
Mike Blackburn, chair of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership
"The digital sector is playing an increasingly important role in Manchester's economic growth. I'm pleased that the GMLF is able to support Mobedia's expansion, which is creating jobs and contributing to this dynamic sector."
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council