Waracle

Waracle ltd

Creating online communities for pleasure and profit

Based in Dundee, Waracle Ltd is a web technology and software development company that specialises in creating social media solutions for brands and publishers. The company’s flagship product, Wetoc, is a platform technology for implementing a wide range of attractive web features, such as streaming videos, posting blogs and podcasts, setting up personal and group profiles, providing e-commerce functionality and managing subscriptions. Its deployment can significantly improve online publisher/customer relationships, helping to generate more page impressions, boost advertising revenue and increase brand recognition. Wetoc solutions are currently driving over one million social interactions each month.

Waracle was incorporated in 2007 and started trading almost immediately. Michael Romilly, Managing Director, and the company’s co-founders shared a passion for enterprise and technology and their original intention was to create gambling software for computer games. But the urgent need to raise revenue meant that they had to turn their attention to making websites for small companies. This quickly progressed into the development of bespoke and robust solutions for social networks. One of these has been now deployed within the website of The Great Outdoors, one of Newsquest’s 240 online publications. A successful trial will mean that more of these publications will be encouraged to adopt the technology.

Working with GlobalScots

Waracle was identified and has been working with Scottish Enterprise’s High Growth Start-Up Unit since 2007, as a company with a potential valuation of £5 million within three years. At an early stage of this engagement with the Unit, Michael Romilly was introduced to GlobalScot, Andrew Lloyd, CEO, PrismTech International Ltd. He played a key part in helping to shape the company’s business development, the evolution of their technology and their value proposition. He was also instrumental in advising Waracle with elements of their SMART Scotland application which has just been successfully awarded.

The contribution of GlobalScot, Tom Thomson, has also led to a successful business outcome. As Managing Editor of Newsquest’s Herald & Times Group of newspapers, he was not only able to suggest the company's The Great Outdoors website as a suitable trialling environment for Waracle’s Wetoc technology, he was also able to facilitate its adoption.

Both GlobalScots have provided the guidance, advice and committed professional input to help Waracle market its skills, grow its business and obtain funding.

"Andrew Lloyd helped us substantially and I would really highlight Tom Thomson’s introduction to The Herald as being absolutely pivotal. In terms of sales and our growth as a company, this was an opportunity that would not have existed at all without the involvement of someone with the industry standing and seniority of Tom Thomson. Based on his recommendation, we were able to do a very good job and the feedback we’ve had from TGO [The Great Outdoors] has been absolutely phenomenal. They are really happy with the job we’ve done for them."