Founder Stories: Natterhub — Success During the Time of a Pandemic
At TwinklHive, we believe that innovative and mission-focused entrepreneurs should be given a platform to succeed. By investing in like-minded entrepreneurs, we provide tangible support that will help turn their ideas into opportunities for success.
“Natterhub is being embraced in so many different ways and when teachers get in touch to let us know about the real impact it is having on their children, this is the best and most motivating reward for the whole team.”
Meet Natterhub, the company that provides an online safety and digital literacy platform for Primary schools and teaches children the dos and don’ts to ensure they thrive online.
In this first blog for the Founder Stories series, we introduce you to Caroline Allams and Manjit Sareen, the CEOs of Natterhub who turned a parent pain-point into a successful and rewarding venture.
In September this year, we celebrated TwinklHive’s one-year anniversary and to mark the occasion we asked our first start-up Natterhub to share some of their highlights of the past year.
Q1. Natterhub’s launch in April was a success — you received over 400 sign ups in the first week alone! How are things going with the core product now?
A. Natterhub has been lucky to have been able to go from strength to strength over this tumultuous period. Newly upskilled teachers have grown in confidence with technology and the tech savvy teachers understand the importance of online safety and digital literacy skills more than ever before. We have been overwhelmed with the uptake in 42 countries around the world and almost 2500 teacher signups.
We have tweaked the product too. We understand that schools are juggling ever more responsibilities in challenging conditions and so we have added alternative Natterhub content to our extensive library with lessons for pupils to carry out independently, either in the classroom with headphones on or, at home when learning remotely. That way, even when teachers and parents are busy, pupils are able to access crucial online safety instruction.
Q2. What impact do you think the long term effects of coronavirus will have on the demand for a social media platform like Natterhub?
A. We know the need for a product like Natterhub is, genuinely, on the increase. With children online for longer and more frequently than ever before, the potential risk from online vulnerability is greater and the need for effective digital literacy is crucial. Where children are using screens, they need online safety education. In short, every school in the world who recognises the lifelong skill of digital literacy, needs Natterhub.
Q3. Your team has more than doubled in the last six months — what are you enjoying most about having 11 full-time team members on board?
As entrepreneurs, for a long time, you get used to doing everything yourself. Any role that needs doing, you learn what needs to be done and crack on! Reaching the moment when team members join you on this journey is super exciting because suddenly, you are still working as hard as you were before but the output is so much bigger! We are working hard to create an authentic team situation where we take ownership of what we do and learn from each other.
Q4. What do you think has changed most about the Hive now compared to one year ago, when you first joined?
The whole world has changed in the last year! No one ever imagined what we would be faced with and it is credit to the TwinklHive setup and team that we had practically no disruption to our productivity as a result of the lockdown. The team seamlessly moved to working remotely and we have had scarcely any interruptions. We could never have achieved this without the support of TwinklHive.
Q5. Any exciting updates from the past month or so?
Recent highlights from the last month or so have been primarily from customers. We have started to move to a paid subscription and it has been a fantastic opportunity to have a dialogue with our end users. Natterhub is being embraced in so many different ways and when teachers get in touch to let us know about the real impact it is having on their children, this is the best and most motivating reward for the whole team.
In addition to this, we can announce that Natterhub will be the lead sponsor for the annual NSPCC conference, How Safe 2021. This is an extraordinary achievement for a startup and we are over the moon to be able to maximise this exposure for such a gravely critical cause.
We are proud members of the IWF and will be working to support them on their incredible mission. We also have a monthly slot on Talk Radio, to discuss Online Safety which next week includes Richard Madeley who will be standing in for the regular presenter — excitement overload!
Needless to say, none of this would have been made possible without the support of everyone in TwinklHive. We are acutely aware of the privileged position we are in and feel forever grateful for being able to make best use of the goodwill, expertise and system that TwinklHive offer. What an amazing year! Happy birthday TwinklHive!
Interested in finding out more about what TwinklHive offer to start-ups? Get in touch with the TwinklHive team at hive@twinkl.co.uk or register your interest here.
Check out our new landing page for information on the services offered to Hive residents and how to apply.
