Meet the member: Y?Not Ltd.

Earlier this year, 23 promising tech start-ups joined the first cohort of Enterprise City’s Exchange scheme. The programme offers workshops, training, connections with industry partners, and a base in the Bonded Warehouse to allow the businesses to grow.

We talked to the team at Y?Not, who are using tech to bring people closer together, about their experiences on the Exchange programme and the launch of their new app.

Founded by Richard Tate and Henry Reily-Collins, Y?Not is a platform which facilitates short moments of face-to-face conversation in cafes and other safe public places, ultimately improving people’s happiness and health.

Y?Not co-founder, Richard Tate said: “We are making use of modern technology in the way that we feel like it should have always been used – to bring people closer together in real life. Virtual technologies such as Zoom are fine for connecting conversations between people with distance between them, but they do not replace the full experience of an in-person conversation.”

After three years of research into the social challenges that communities are facing, Y?Not is launching an app which connects people who are close to each other and lets them meet up in a nearby café for a real conversation straightaway.

Henry Reily-Collins added: “We want to take away the judgement of profiles and swiping, and end the situation when people make plans to meet with the best of intentions, but never follow them through. Our app is more relevant now than it was when we began research because lockdown restrictions have made people value real social interaction more than ever.”

Y?Not has a workspace in Enterprise City’s Bonded Warehouse, in Manchester, and has been taking advantage of Exchange’s expert industry partners and fellow start-up companies.

Richard said: “We’ve had an amazing supportive community of inspiring entrepreneurs to learn from and network with, and the community events put on in collaboration with Tech Nation are really valuable to us.”

The Y?Not’s cross platform app is complete and ready to be piloted in the North West and in London. It will be tested in collaboration with commercial partners, including Enterprise City and Allied London before rolling out to its first customers.

To find out more about Y?Not and follow the upcoming app launch, visit the website or Facebook page.