7across

Buzz! the Music Quiz

Whilst working as Commercial Director at Sleepydog, Stewart Jones played a key part in the conception of the highly successful Buzz! series of quiz games for the PlayStation2. He came up with the original concept for a music quiz game which was further developed by Sleepydog, now a major client of 7across. The key to success was Stewart's negotiation of a world's first in terms of music licensing. Despite his lack of experience in the music business, Stewart was able to secure the rights to use a recording of any original piece of music ever released across all main European, Middle Eastern, African and Australasian territories. He and Sleepydog took the proposal to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) who developed it into one of the most successful games franchises in PS2 history. Buzz! the Music Quiz contains over 2,500 tracks with each version of the game featuring more than 5,000 questions. Five more titles have followed, based on general knowledge, sports, movies and music, and several more are in production. The games have sold millions of copies across the globe. Two years after its release, Buzz! the Music Quiz still appeared in last Christmas' PS2 top 20 chart and since its launch has been consistently in the top five on the play.com Top 100 selling games of all time. Sleepydog have played a major part in the games' success and provided all their questions and content management services for the games. Stewart continues to manage all commercial aspects, dealing with SCEE and music licensing

Ballooppa

This idea for this new garden game akin to Swingball but with a footballing spin was conceived by Danny Brooke-Taylor and Colin Offland of Chief TV, both from the TV and advertising world. 7across became involved once the idea had been developed through prototype stage and Stewart Jones was able to secure a licensing agreement with a major UK manufacturer of outdoor toys and play equipment. This exciting new product will be available through all major retailers early 2009 and we are unable to provide any more information prior to its commercial launch. Watch this space!

View Holographics Ltd

View Holographics is a start-up business which will be based at OpTIC Technium in St Asaph, North Wales. With partners, Optropreneurs Ltd and Geola Technologies Ltd, it will develop ground-breaking technology in holographic printing and copying. 7across recently led and completed the fund-raising of £500,000 for the initial development phase of the project with investment being secured through a SMART Cymru Award from the Welsh Assembly Government, Finance Wales and a number of private equity and business angel investors.

View Holographics have secured advance orders for tens of thousands of large, high quality, digital display holograms, one of which is from a Fortune 500 company in the United States. Imagine some of the endless possibilities for high volume, high quality and animated, 3D colour images. They will change the way architects, designers and graphic artists work, enabling 3D animated modelling of everything from yachts to jet engines. They will offer whole new methods for advertising, marketing and point-of-sale branding and will enable printing of holographic optical elements. Such is the belief and commitment of the 7across team, that what began as consultative support has become a partnership, with Stewart Jones joining View Holographics as CEO with Simon Cotton and Richard Melling, both from 7across, also being appointed as Board Directors.

OpTIC Technium

OpTIC Technium in St Asaph, North Wales is a unique centre of excellence in opto-electronic technologies and an incubator centre for new opto-electronic businesses. Richard Melling played a major role in formulating and developing the plans and strategies that underpin the operation of the Technium. These plans formed the basis of a successful £15m funding application to the EU by the Welsh Development Agency and the Welsh Opto-electronic Forum to build the Centre and start up the operation. Retained by the Welsh Development Agency and working closely with key members of the Welsh Opto-electronic Forum, Richard brought together the technical and commercial strands of the project to produce a credible, coherent and robust business strategy. The Technium is located in the centre of the opto-electronic cluster of companies in North Wales and was designed to support these companies and encourage growth and inward investment. It was a key feature of the project that these major multi-nationals that are located in the area bought into the project and supported the development. Richard played a key role in promoting the concept to the senior and influential figures in these companies and ensuring that the Technium met their needs and received their support. Richard stayed with the project and worked with the management of the Technium to establish the operation and continues to work with OpTIC on specific projects.

Complete Tooling Solutions

Complete Tooling Solutions Ltd (CTS) is a tool making operation with a unique business model. Richard Melling has worked with the founders, Darren Foster and Gary Lewis since the formative days to develop the model and drive it forward. CTS manages and operates toolrooms for large companies. The business model is based on the typical feature of a toolroom in a large company which is that it is staffed to cope with emergencies, so for most of the time, there is surplus labour and productive capacity. When CTS takes over, it utilises this spare capacity to carry out third party work. This transforms the economics of the toolroom.

Gary and Darren worked with Richard to develop this business model and put in hand the contractual relationships that make it work. Richard developed the proposition and was involved in the detailed negotiations that led to a very successful relationship with the major clients of CTS.

Richard has maintained his links with the operation and is currently developing the marketing strategy and growing the customer base for the company.

Pilkington

Richard has always been committed to developing new business opportunities especially those based on new technologies. Working with Pilkington, he identified a major business opportunity using a type of glass that dissolves in water to deliver nutritional supplements to cattle and sheep. He negotiated the acquisition of the technology from Leeds University and managed the development of the technology and the radically new manufacturing facilities. He then established the manufacturing facilities on a new site and became MD of the operation. He negotiated the distribution of the new product through Welcome and ICI. The company continues to operate successfully under the name Telsol.

Financial case studies

Publicly Quoted Medical Devices Manufacturer
Eduard was approached by a contact in Switzerland about a British plc that was looking to spin off one of it's divisions. Within two days he had identified a group of Monaco based investors and assisted in concluding a complex multimillion pound BIMBO transaction within a challenging eight week timeframe.

Family Owned Catering Equipment Agent and Manufacturer
A family business for several generations, the latest succession was proving to be fraught with financial disagreements. Eduard assisted in brokering and securing funding for a deal over a rollercoaster eighteen month period as well as subsequently rationalising and re-invigorating the business along with the new owner.

Cash Handling Product
Introduced to an enthusiastic but inexperienced inventor with an idea for a product in the casino sector, Eduard assisted in negotiating a unique joint venture contract with a major international plc and in securing debt and equity investment. Eduard has also brought hands project management expertise to the delivery, trial and commercial production of a revolutionary product.

Biodegradable Material Technology
On the back of a great idea, but with no track record, Eduard assisted the founders of the company in securing the necessary grants, asset finance, debt and equity to undertake full scale R&D and ultimately manufacturing of a revolutionary material and product application. His assistance continues with commercial exploitation negotiations with a variety of multinational partners.

Telecoms Plc
A well known telecoms plc wanted to make acquisitions but was struggling to correctly identify potential targets and did not want its name to be used at the outset as this would raise price expectations. Eduard used his detailed database of all 2.7+ million UK companies to identify potential targets and pinpoint the key directors and shareholders then co-ordinated the approaches and initial negotiations on behalf of the plc.

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Wireless LAN Source Ltd

Wireless LAN Source had just won a major contract to provide all fixed and wireless telephony and Internet communications for the Farnborough International Air Show (FIA) and other events at the FIVE Centre. They were in need of working capital to service the contract.

Stewart introduced US held company, Pinacl Solutions to WLS who saw the synergy between the two businesses. Pinacl went on to acquire a 10% stake in WLS which triggered further investment from Finance Wales and business angel, Peter Saunders.

Stewart was instrumental in putting the deal together and is now a Non-executive Director of WLS. FIA was a huge success for WLS it being the biggest semi-permanent exhibition site in the world. The business goes from strength to strength and has successfully completed a number of major projects including Liverpool Women's Hospital, Brands Hatch, Silverstone and the Geneva Convention Centre.