91. Makelight Interactive

Founders: Joanna Alpe, Nick Redwood, Paul van’t Hof, Sarah van’t Hof
Founded: July 6 2012
Website: www.makelightinteractive.com

What would it be like to be transformed at a concert into one single pixel of a huge lightshow, all through your smartphone? This left-field idea was the genesis of Makelight Interactive, and with its four founders possessing more than 40 years’ experience in live events, the start-up seems to have hit upon a recipe for success. Customers download the Makelight app and select their concert or event from the list provided; holding up their phone transforms them into a part of a huge special effects show, representing a spectacular alternative to the old mainstay of holding a cigarette lighter aloft.

And Makelight’s app is more than a visually appealing piece of tech; by encouraging widespread audience engagement in this way, the start-up gains access to valuable consumer analytics which they can then sell to their live event clients. Boasting an all-star client list with names including Nokia, Samsung, Vodafone Germany and O2 in addition to backing from the prestigious Wayra tech incubator, Makelight has ambitious plans for the next 12 months; from continuing to release new products around locationing and communications to a US office.