Glimzer selected for the SPARK accelerator at MediaCity

Most advice firms run on software that was built for the back office, not for the advisers using it every day. We started Glimzer to change that. Glimzer has been selected for the SPARK accelerator at MediaCity.

We were chosen in part for the strength of our traction, and for the difference our CRM and practice management platform for UK financial advice firms is already making for the people who use it. For us, the selection is useful validation of the problem we are solving: advice firms need software that helps teams move faster without losing control of the client journey.

What SPARK is

SPARK is an accelerator delivered at MediaCity in Greater Manchester. It pairs growing companies with experienced mentors, growth and strategy support, and a cohort of other founders working through the same challenges at the same time. MediaCity has a long history of backing technology and creative businesses in the North West, which makes it a good place to do this kind of work.

For us, the value is practical. Over the programme we will be working on the parts of the business that decide whether a young product becomes a lasting one: how we grow in a controlled way, how we keep supporting firms well as more of them come on board, and how we keep sharpening the product itself.

What it means for the firms we build for

An accelerator announcement is only useful if it helps us serve advice firms better. That is how we are treating SPARK: as a chance to sharpen the business around the product advisers already rely on, and to scale without losing the practical focus that matters in regulated advice.

Glimzer is a CRM and practice management platform for UK financial advice firms. It brings first enquiries, sales pipeline, new business and ongoing client servicing into one place, so firms can manage the client journey without stitching together spreadsheets, inboxes and legacy systems.

When those workflows are split across different tools, firms lose hours to admin, rekeying, and hunting for client details that should be one click away. Glimzer exists to give that time back and to make the next action clear for every client and opportunity.

Less time lost to admin is not a soft benefit. For most firms it is the difference between taking on more clients and turning them away, without adding the headcount you would rather not carry. That is what we keep coming back to: good advisers held back by software that gets in the way.

SPARK comes at the right moment for us. We are ready for the next stage of growth, and the programme gives us focused time with experienced operators as we scale carefully around the firms depending on us. When you are choosing the software your practice will depend on for years, that kind of durability counts for as much as any feature list. We take that responsibility seriously, and we treat the trust it involves with real care.

We have also taken part in the FinTech Scotland innovation programme, and we have shown Glimzer to an audience that included representatives from NatWest, Lloyds and the FCA.

What's next

We will share more as the programme gets going, including what we are learning along the way.

If you run an advice firm and you have ever wondered whether there is a better way to manage your pipeline and your ongoing client work, we are always happy to show you around. You can see Glimzer for yourself at glimzer.com.