Curragh is the latest addition to the Round Foundry team. He is orignially from near Coventry but has lived in Leeds for the past 5 years after coming here to study for a degree in music. He enjoys playing in his band (who play regularly in Leeds) and his favourite food is either sushi or anything spicy.

He is looking forward to getting to know the people around the building and propping up the Cross Keys bar on a Friday after work.

Bucking the trend and beating the recession, online video and rich media advert specialists, Flashtalking, have grown into one of the largest office spaces at Round Foundry Media Centre after starting in the smallest.

Flashtalking was originally set up in 2002 by Dan Freeman and a colleague in London, both working from their respective homes. The decision to base their technical office in Leeds was due to lower overheads than London and a wealth of well educated graduates and IT talent.

Technical Director Dan Freeman said, “Whilst we hoped that we were going to grow, we really had no idea what the speed of that growth would be. The Round Foundry Media Centre offered us an amazing 20 days notice policy which was perfect for us. It gave us the combination between safety net and potential.”

Flashtalking moved into the Round Foundry Media Centre in 2005. Five years and five office upgrades later the technical team have expanded into the second biggest space in the centre, taking nearly 1100 sq ft of studio space.

Flashtalking also have a Commercial office in London and have recently launched in Cologne with further international openings planned.
 

The company behind award-winning system, Publish Interactive, has relocated to the Round Foundry Media Centre in Leeds.

The company, which allows users to access reports faster and with greater flexibility, was established in 2003 and moved to Round Foundry Media Centre from the Leeds University Innovation Centre in December 2009.

Business Development Director Emma Forber said, “The Round Foundry Media Centre attracted us for many reasons. The building itself is very interesting and gives off a very creative energy. The complex and surrounding areas incorporate the old and new very well, something that has failed in many other developments. The cafes, bars and restaurants also create a nice vibe which works well for us as we like to work in a sociable environment. Being an innovative software company means that we are well suited to the general theme of the place and we already feel very at home.”

Despite the difficult economic climate, Publish Interactive has continued to grow and also looks set to achieve their target for 2010. The next twelve months will see them focusing on developing their core product in their quest to sign up clients from outside their key market.

Round Foundry Media Centre Administrator Alison George said, “We’re really pleased Publish Interactive chose to base themselves here. The team have already settled in and are getting to know everyone. We hope their success continues to flourish and we’ll do all we can to support them.”