madeby.studio
Matt Wheeler & Sam Taylor
Matt Wheeler & Sam Taylor's Story
Matt Wheeler and Sam Taylor, who both studied Graphic & Communication Design at the University of Leeds, co-founded madeby.studio during their time at university with help from Spark. Since launching, the design and development agency has established itself as a dedicated technology partner for high-growth green-tech and climate-tech companies.
Matt and Sam initially met during their studies at Leeds, discovering a shared desire to build an agency of their own.
"I've always had an entrepreneurial drive and wanted to build something from the ground up. We got in touch with Spark very early on in our business journey by entering the business plan competition, where we placed third in the pre-trading category. From here, we received some funding and access to the state-of-the-art Nexus facility, which really helped us find our feet."
While the agency is doing well and experiencing steady growth, the journey has been a powerful learning curve. Like many bootstrapped startups, Sam and Matt's early years were met with long hours and severe burnout. Recognizing the need for a healthier workplace, they restructured the agency around their core values prioritising mental well-being by joining the Mindful Employer network and implementing a progressive four-day workweek for their team.
"We've achieved several exciting milestones including the launch of the GreenTech Gathering, which has snowballed into one of the largest GreenTech networks in the North of England, with over 1,000 members across the green technology space."
Additionally, both Sam and Matt have achieved notable industry recognition for their planet-friendly innovation, earning spots on the prestigious BIMA 100 list and being featured in Yorkshire's 42 Under 42.
Looking ahead, Sam and Matt plan to continue expanding the business by scaling their team of digital specialists within the climate-tech space, as well as working to grow the GreenTech Gathering further across the North.
The early-stage support from Spark provided invaluable guidance and a critical safety net during a formative period of the business. Even to this day, seven years later, Spark is still there to provide support through its vast network of alumni and specialists. Today, the founders have come full circle, serving as University of Leeds Enterprise Ambassadors to mentor and support the next generation of student start-ups.
