Navigating a gap in the market, go-getting entrepreneurs Barry White and Michael Carr created online platform ‘GoRoadie’ to enable learner drivers to search, compare and book driving instructors at the tap of a button.
Both from a product development and design background, Barry and Michael led successful teams in their previous roles but had little experience of operationally running a business. This is where Elevator stepped in. The duo left their full-time jobs and joined Cohort 4 of Elevator’s Dundee Programme.
Bolstered by the support of our 12-week programme, our Centre for Entrepreneurship in Dundee provided a safe place for the pair to develop their concept, again and again. They were embedded into our unique entrepreneurial culture and provided with the tools to drive forward. Pitching – which was once a daunting thought – soon became second nature.
Commenting on his accelerator experience, Michael said: “We received so much beneficial feedback throughout the 12-week duration and we were pushed to be more ambitious than we already were. We made an abundance of connections and were challenged weekly by business agitators who helped put the wheels in motion.”
Following a trial launch in the pair’s hometown of Dundee in 2017, the GoRoadie founders successfully took to the Scottish roads in September 2018. Their platform went speeding to success, with 3,000 learner students and 400 instructors now registered. But, the journey did not end there.
With a widespread presence across the UK, GoRoadie secured its first round of funding and launched in 20 new locations 2020. In addition, Barry and Michael increased their workforce, with staff roles including sales and product development engineers.
Always striving for improvement, the pair continue to refining their platform, developing new features to provide the most user-friendly experience possible for instructors and learner drivers.
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