The Story Then
Following their Supreme award at the Waipa Business Awards earlier this year, Cambridge-based software company Rocketspark have not rested on their laurels.
In April this year, Rocketspark hosted over 100 of their design partners from around New Zealand at their design conference called Launch 2021.
The Story Now
Head of Product Jeremy Johnson says their partner community has been a strong source of growth for Rocketspark, as graphic designers and other service businesses add web design to their offering using the Rocketspark website builder.
“With the introduction of Rocketspark Academy training programmes, we’ve been able to go beyond providing software and support and truly invest in the success of our partners’ businesses.”
Rocketspark Academy’s inaugural Professor and Partner of the Year Tonia Reid from Greenhouse Creative, is now reinvesting her knowledge into other design businesses.
Rocketspark’s design partners are a key source of inspiration for new design and website functionality with its code-free web design platform. To meet that demand they’ve hired two new University of Waikato graduates into development roles in November, as well as a UI/UX designer and another senior developer earlier in the year.
Rocketspark also created a new integration with New Zealand shipping software provider Starshipit, who have white labeled their software for New Zealand Post as their eShip product. The new integration with Rocketspark Ecommerce streamlines the processing, labeling and dispatching of orders for merchants and gives them the option of using either Starshipit or eShip with Rocketspark.
In 2021, Rocketspark announced ‘Gift-it-forward’, an initiative equipping each of its existing design partners with a lifetime website subscription to give to a deserving non-profit of their choice.
Rocketspark CEO Grant Johnson says by providing Rocketspark’s high performing website platform at no cost they can help non-profits make a true impact.
“So many non-profits work hard for their worthy communities and causes, and yet many don’t have a great online presence and are often not collecting precious recurring donations online, or generating revenue with an online store.”
In November this year, Rocketspark purchased the other tenancy on their floor and are creating a new co-working space in downtown Cambridge, appropriately called Launchpad Cambridge. Launchpad is for creative and digital businesses looking for some freedom from the home office either full time or maybe a few days a week.
With a great team in place and international growth fund market validation grant from NZTE Rocketspark are looking forward to ramping up their offshore activity in 2022.
