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Spotlas

Restaurant reviewing social network

1-20 employees
  • B2C
  • Hospitality
  • Social Media
  • Mobile
WeWork, 2 Eastbourne Terrace, London, W2 6LG, GB

Company mission

Spotlas' mission is to revolutionise the way people discover, choose and experience spots all over the world.

Top investors

50% female employees

Otta's take

Xav Kearney headshot

Xav Kearney

CTO of Otta

Spotlas is a platform that combines the idea of crowdsourced reviews of TripAdvisor or Yelp with the community-building elements of a social media platform. Its immediate competitors within the online travel and food market include the likes of Yelp, TripAdvisor and Expedia, which all have access to a far larger range of spots and rating data.

However, Spotlas's edge comes from the fact it isn't directly competing with Yelp and TripAdvisor. Instead, Spotlas's interface and functionality are designed like those of a social media app like Instagram. Users can follow their friends, family and influencers, and see what "spots" they recommend.

Spotlas has profited from Eric Dier's high-profile status and has been featured in many publications. Its clear focus on personal recommendations, rather than aggregated reviews, helps Spotlas to differentiate itself within an increasingly competitive market.

Benefits

  • Flexible & remote working
  • 22 days holiday (excl. bank holidays)
  • Share options scheme
  • Learning & development

Funding (1 round)

Nov 2021

$0.9m

$0.9m

Total funding

This company has top investors

Founders

Eric Dier

(Co-founder)

Professional Tottenham Hotspur & England Footballer since 2014.

Patrick Dier

(Co-founder)

Co-founded Spotlas with his brother Eric in 2018.

Zoe Connick

(Co-founder)

Progressed from Retail Assistant to Manager at Wimbledon Tennis Club from 2016 to 2018. Volunteered at SLV.Global in Sri Lanka in 2018 before co-founding Spotlas.

Endorsements

All

Opportunities to learn (7)

Flexible working (6)

Hard working team (4)

Challenging work (3)

Nice people (3)

My opinions are valued (2)

Open and honest communication (2)

Career progression (1)

Autonomy (1)

Great work is recognised (1)

The ability to lead the direction of my work in accordance with the goals and objectives of the business is a big plus for me. Whilst Spotlas has a structure in place to enable teams to work efficiently and function as a unit, there’s a flexibility to how we each go about our individual roles that allows me to do my best work. There’s a great balance between the autonomy we have within our roles and the guidance we receive from management. We have regular meetings to discuss direction and workload as well as to ask any questions that come up during our work day so you never feel like you’re left to work through problems on your own.

Marketing

Autonomy

Apr 2023

We are given the flexibility to set our regular working hours around necessary team meetings and the flexibility to decide where to work, which allows everyone the opportunity to create a balance that works for them

Marketing

Flexible working

Apr 2023

The teams are very encouraging and quick to acknowledge great ideas and innovative work. This type of positive feedback culture helps foster an engaging and motivating environment. I feel valued and inspired to actively work on my development within my role knowing that hard work and growth are both acknowledged and encouraged

Marketing

Great work is recognised

Apr 2023

Even though we are mostly a remote team, I still feel the energy and excitement amongst the team as the app is growing. I have been with the company since 2020 going from completely flexible to now a part-time marketing assistant. I'm learning new skills and being trusted with responsibilities that are helping me grow and these things make me excited to work as well as having a very communicative and lovely team.

Marketing

Opportunities to learn

Apr 2023

I work completely remotely and organise my hours at the end of every week for the following week which is perfect to go around my other flexible work. I even managed to work when I travelled South East Asia earlier this year!

Marketing

Flexible working

Apr 2023

The team are great, understanding and motivating! Everyone seems to be on the same page with their passion about the app and i'm excited to watch the team grow.

Marketing

Nice people

Apr 2023

At Spotlas every team member's opinions are valued whether that's an opinion on a specific project or the overall application. I have always felt that I have been listened to and that my opinions have been appreciated and discussed.

Marketing

My opinions are valued

Jan 2023

Feedback and communication are so important in my department. Whether this is positive or negative feedback it is always respectfully given and the open and honest communication really drives the team's mission forward. Team meetings are held regularly and absolutely everyone is ready and willing to organise a call outside of these meetings to help with anything you need.

Marketing

Open and honest communication

Jan 2023

From junior positions all the way up to senior and leadership roles everyone here is treated and treats each other with the same level of respect. I work remotely but have never once felt left out or alone in my position due to the easygoing and friendly communication links between all team members and the option to work side by side with the team in the office whenever I like. I have always felt cared for and listened to on good days and bad days and can honestly say that Spotlas is the best team I've worked with!

Marketing

Nice people

Jan 2023

At Spotlas since the first day I came in, they have always tried their best to help me learn and grow. And always very thoughtful about my personal interests.

Design

Opportunities to learn

Oct 2022

I am quite new to the team and I felt a warm welcome into it instantly. Everyone is always willing to help you, making working with this team really enjoyable!

Design

Nice people

Oct 2022

I like that I am always able to express my ideas and to feel really own of my work. Also, we have monthly reviews where you can expose how you feel and what you will like to improve. It is nice to have a moment of respectful and thoughtful communication.

Design

Open and honest communication

Oct 2022

The projects at Spotlas constantly challenge you to improve - we are always pushed to make things the best they can be. As a result of this you get better at whatever it is you are doing quite quickly.

Marketing

Challenging work

Oct 2022

The management here really want people to learn and develop their skills. They have regular check-ins to see what would make you happy, and where you want to develop. If they can help or see a window for you to dip your toes in other areas of interest they are keen to do so.

Marketing

Opportunities to learn

Oct 2022

As long as you are doing the right amount of hours in the day the company is flexible for you to work either from home or from the office. They just like to roughly know what works for you and what kind of schedule you have.

Marketing

Flexible working

Oct 2022

The projects/features i have worked on at Spotlas have pushed me to learn more and improve my skillset at an extremely fast pace. I have really enjoyed the journey so far!

Software Engineering

Challenging work

Oct 2022

The ability to design my own day and be in control of the hours I work is a massive bonus for me. If I need to be available to help out my family I can just make up the hours later on in the week - it is great!

Software Engineering

Flexible working

Oct 2022

We wouldn't be able to achieve half of what we have already without our team of tenacious and relentless professionals. It has been a joy to work alongside my colleagues and I'm really looking forward to see how far we can take it!

Software Engineering

Hard working team

Oct 2022

Despite being a small company, Spotlas is growing really quickly. As such, I've been able to get involved in projects, and learn from my peers, across all functions within the business.

Operations & Strategy

Opportunities to learn

Nov 2021

In the interview process, my hiring manager explained the growth potential of the role, and the performance required to progress to the next levels. Having started the role, it is clear that discussions around performance and career progression are structured, open and relaxed!

Operations & Strategy

Career progression

Nov 2021

Spotlas are great with flexible working. Whilst working in the office is encouraged, every employee is able to discuss the flexible working policy with their line manager, and agree what works best - with regards to location and working hours.

Operations & Strategy

Flexible working

Nov 2021

You get an opportunity to work on lots of different technologies.

Software Engineering

Opportunities to learn

Jun 2021

At Spotlas everyone is dedicated to develop the best recommendation application. It's exciting working in a small group with motivated people with the same goal.

Software Engineering

Hard working team

Jun 2021

The project is challenging. We're always looking for ways to improve our product.

Software Engineering

Challenging work

Jun 2021

We have weekly meetings where everyone discusses new ideas and plans. It's a very approachable environment where you feel comfortable to express your opinions and they are taken into account and often acted on.

Software Engineering

My opinions are valued

Jun 2021

Working at Spotlas has given me so many opportunities to build my skills as a developer. We're often faced with interesting challenges and work together to solve them. The tech stack has evolved to include new frameworks, and there are always opportunities to assess if there is a better way of doing something.

Software Engineering

Opportunities to learn

Jun 2021

Working with a great team of enthusiastic, knowledgeable developers makes the fast working pace not just possible, but exciting. We all discuss what we're working on at least daily, and will often speak throughout the day so the team feels very connected even though most people work remotely. The CEO works incredibly hard and is very supportive/actively involved with the development team.

Software Engineering

Hard working team

Jun 2021

Since joining Spotlas I have had the freedom to push and learn different coding languages and development methodologies. I have been able to improve my coding skills and pick up vital new skills that will help the company and my future career progression.

Software Engineering

Opportunities to learn

Jun 2021

I have a 2 year old, and it's been so easy at Spotlas to manage being a parent and coder!. Nursery pick-ups, hospital appointments have not been an issue as I am able to start work earlier or finish later. Having this flexibility allows me to put more energy into my work and family.

Software Engineering

Flexible working

Jun 2021

We have taken on a big challenge with a very small young team at Spotlas, and the work ethic has been incredible. Everyone is more than dedicated to releasing the best, bulletproof features for our recommendation sharing social network application, from the CEO to the junior developers. It's a breath of fresh air to work with people who care about the success of the company and application as much as I do!

Software Engineering

Hard working team

Jun 2021

Spotlas 1