York-based SpeedQuizzing boosts tech team

SpeedQuizzing, the York-based company that’s revolutionising the pub quiz through its industry leading app, has boosted its tech capabilities with the appointment of software developer John Martin.

John has joined from Fera Science, formerly the Food and Environment Research Agency, where he worked for two years developing often complex reporting and analytical software for scientific diagnosis. He has eight years’ experience developing iPhone and mobile games.

His job at SpeedQuizzing will see him play a major role in developing SpeedQuizzing’s industry-leading software, with the company’s digital quiz platform and app used to host quizzes in over 1,000 venues in the UK every week. John will be responsible for creating new features and games, cementing and building on SpeedQuizzing’s position as the UK’s most popular digital quiz.

John’s appointment comes on the back of the company’s strongest ever performance, with SpeedQuizzing recording year-on-year sales growth of 30% over the last 12 months. It’s had a strong start to 2020 too, achieving its second strongest trading month on record in February with the company on track to become a £1m turnover business by the end of this year.

In March, in response to the Covid-19 lockdown, SpeedQuizzing developed and released SpeedQuizzing Live, a free to download app and online hosting platform, which allows users to compete against each other remotely, enabling people to host and play fast-paced, interactive, online quizzes from the safety and comfort of their own homes.

Commenting on the appointment of John, SpeedQuizzing’s co-founder John Leach, said: “John’s an experienced and talented software developer and we’re delighted to have him on board as we look to take our industry-leading offering to the next level.

“January saw us expand our product portfolio with the very successful launch of a free interactive bingo hosting platform for pubs, and we’re already seeing impressive demand for our recently launched virtual quiz app and hosting platform, SpeedQuizzing Live.

“Over the course of the next 12 months we’ll be unveiling a host of exciting new game variations and features, designed to make quizzing and bingo games even more exciting to play and host. We’re also looking at how we can better cater for international audiences and exploring the possibility of developing content in a host of foreign languages.”

SpeedQuizzing is a family run company, headquartered on the outskirts of York, which directly employs 15 people, including five question writers who create and add 1,500 new questions to SpeedQuizzing’s question database every month. In addition, SpeedQuizzing is indirectly supporting hundreds of DJs and entertainment professionals across the UK, who are hosting SpeedQuizzing events as a way of boosting their income, with many now doing it full-time.