Elevator Pitch: Gruntify

Elevator Pitch is a regular feature on Lifehacker where we profile startups and new companies and pick their brains for entrepreneurial advice. This week, we’re talking with Jamie Leach, CEO of Gruntify.

In 128 words or less, explain your business idea.

Gruntify is an innovative tasking and data management platform taking mobile, cloud and geospatial technologies by storm. Gruntify’s unique blend of data collection, online management, mapping and collaboration are unmatched in the market.

With cutting edge technology so versatile, it’s being used in the Peruvian Amazon to capture information on jaguar sightings, signs and habitat, while simultaneously saving Queensland-based customers thousands of hours in labour by cutting out paper-based data capture forms. Put simply, Gruntify allows organisations to manage workflows, assign tasks, analyse, map and report collated information through a snap-and-tap platform that reports real-time image and location data.

What strategies are you using to grow and finance your idea?

Initially we were tasked to develop a solution for the Queensland Government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads to tackle civic issues around its facilities. That winning solution has grown and evolved into the product we know today, now supporting government, utility and environment officers and auditors in the field, where users can snap-and-tap to submit a photo, their location and other details through an app-based interface, making laborious paperwork redundant. We are continuing to grow at a rapid rate, with countries from every corner of the globe expressing their interest in our product. We recently secured one of Australia’s most successful transactions in the Middle East with a facilities management section of the Dubai Government, which has opened many doors for us in the Middle East and Africa. On home soil, we have partnered with Microsoft which has accelerated many opportunities for us. We are fortunate enough to have grown to what we are today through organic growth and boot strapping, but now it’s all about being strategic in our expansion.

What’s the biggest challenge facing your business?

We are dealing with the best problem in business… we are growing too quickly! I have found that the easiest way to deal with such rapid growth is to surround yourself with amazing staff who share both your drive and vision for the work. In the last 12 months Gruntify’s staffing has grown 500 per cent, from a small team of four to 24, and we are anticipating 2017 to be an even bigger year for us!

How do you differentiate your business from your competitors?

The technology sector is so competitive, so it’s very important to be two steps ahead of competing technologies. I think Gruntify is able to stay ahead of the pack because we have a close relationship with our clients and place a large focus on monitoring feedback and demand. We listen to what our customers want and quickly adapt our technologies to fit their needs. This frequent expansion of our offerings allows Gruntify to have a variety of applications across multiple industries, from crowdsourcing reports of bushfires, to saving time on reporting processes or even helping to find missing persons.

What one phone, tablet or PC application could you not live without?

The Gruntify application of course! Although the platform is not really used by the ‘everyday person’ yet, in future we plan to release a more streamlined platform on the app store sold through Microsoft’s offering. This version will widen the market for Gruntify, which until now, has focused on tailored solutions for business.

What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?

The best business advice I have every received is, “Look for opportunity everywhere”. That is how I ended up working with Gruntify. Beforehand I was working in the banking world and craving an industry with energy, one that made me want to jump out of bed in the morning and be excited to get to work. I love the fact that I am charged with taking somebody’s lifework and making it happen – This is my dream. There is opportunity for Gruntify everywhere we look at the moment, we are exploring many global avenues and are so excited to see where the next 12 months takes us.

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