Technology

Posted on August 17, 2016 by staff

Bristol-based Screen Time Labs posts seven-figure turnover

Technology

A Bristol-based parental controls start-up has posted a record £1 million turnover within just two years.

Screen Time Labs was incubated in the SETSquared shared working space and has seen revenues triple in the last 12 months.

The parental control app helps hundreds of thousands of families across the globe control screen time use for their children.

Screen Time Labs launched for Android in June 2014 and added Apple iOS devices to its portfolio in December 2015.

It now has an active customer base of over 300,000, with over one million individuals interacting with the app.

“To see our hard work pay off in our organic growth is rewarding but not as much as seeing how transformative our tech is for families across the world,” said Steve Vangasse, who started work on Screen Time Labs as a side project after becoming frustrated by his children spending less time outdoors than on their tablets.

“We want to address a very real problem for parents in a way that does more than just protect children from dangers online.

“Screen Time Labs is designed with child and parent in mind, creating a neutral framework that avoids arguments and is built on understanding.

“We believe we should celebrate technology’s role in everyday life without draconian measures.

“Our aim is to make Screen Time Labs the automatic first choice for every parent and we are on a mission to do so.”

Demand for the apps is strongest in the US, followed by Germany, the UK and Finland.

Screen Time Labs now has a workforce of 11, with six people based in Bristol’s Engine Shed and five working remotely from around the world.

Monika Radclyffe, centre director at SETSquared, added:  “Screen Time Labs are a perfect example that you don’t need to take any investment to be a successful and fast-growth business.

“At SETsquared we support new businesses to help them get to the next level, but it is a very individual matter on whether they need investment or not to make it happen.”