Levelling the playing field for UK manufacturing.

We’re Tom and Lydia — founders of Quotely, and long-time supporters of a small family manufacturing business in the heart of the Midlands.

For over a decade, we’ve been part of the daily graft of UK manufacturing — running machines, solving problems, dealing with customers, improving systems, and trying to grow a business the right way. We’ve seen what it takes to build something real from the ground up and keep it running through good times and bad.

We’ve also seen how hard it is for great British manufacturers to be found. Most are brilliant at what they do — true experts in their craft — but they simply don’t have the time or resources to pour into SEO, Google Ads, or constant social media. Competing with bigger names who can throw money at marketing just doesn’t feel fair.

That’s what sparked Quotely.

We wanted to build a smarter, fairer way for buyers to find the right UK suppliers — not just the loudest ones. With AI, we can level the playing field. Buyers describe what they need in plain English, and our AI helps match them with real suppliers who can actually deliver.

Most small manufacturers spend hundreds — sometimes thousands — just trying to win a single new customer. We think that money, time, and energy should go back into making great products, not fighting algorithms.

Quotely is our way of helping the people behind UK manufacturing — the skilled, the passionate, the problem-solvers — get seen, discovered, and supported. Because behind every business are people, and they deserve a fair shot.

We’re Tom and Lydia, founders of Quotely — and before anything else, we’re a pair who’ve lived and breathed UK manufacturing.

For more than a decade we’ve been part of a small, independent, family-run company in the heart of the Midlands. The business was founded in 2000 with a simple goal: to fill a gap in the market through genuine skill, quality, and expertise. Over the years, we’ve helped it grow into a respected operation supplying customers all over the world.

We’ve worn every hat there is — from operating machines and solving technical problems, to handling accounts, writing quotes, and improving systems. Lydia joined the business to achieve ISO 9001 accreditation and ended up transforming it from a paper-based operation into a modern, systemised company. Along the way, she also balanced life as an international rugby player — which says everything about her drive and resilience.

I focused on business development — marketing the company, connecting with customers, and finding ways to grow. We’ve worked with everyone from small start-ups to multinationals in aerospace, defence, and energy. And we’ve learned what it really takes to run a business in an industry that’s been shrinking for decades: you need creativity, persistence, and a lot of coffee.

But there was always one battle that never felt fair — being found.

We’ve also seen how hard it is for great British manufacturers to be found. Most are brilliant at what they do — true experts in their craft — but they simply don’t have the time or resources to pour into SEO, Google Ads, or constant social media. Competing with bigger names who can throw money at marketing just doesn’t feel fair.

That frustration turned into an idea.

We wanted to build something that could help level the playing field. Something that would let buyers describe what they need in plain English — and actually find the right suppliers, not just the biggest names.

That’s how Quotely was born.

With the power of AI, we realised we could translate vague buyer requests into real manufacturing terms — materials, forms, processes — and connect them to the people who can genuinely deliver. A smart, fair way to bridge the gap between buyers and suppliers.

Most small manufacturers spend hundreds — sometimes thousands — just trying to win a single new customer. That’s time and money that could be going back into doing what they do best: making great products, creating jobs, and keeping UK manufacturing alive.

Quotely is our way of helping them do that.

We’re building a platform that not only makes discovery fairer, but also builds a community — one that supports the people behind the businesses. Because we’ve lived it. We know what it’s like to stay late fixing a machine, to juggle orders and payroll, to fight through tough times like Brexit and Covid and still keep going.

Our mission is simple: to make sure the best UK suppliers get seen for what they’re great at — not how loud they can shout online.

Because behind every business are people.
People who care.
People who make things.
And they deserve to be discovered.

We believe UK manufacturing has never lost its talent — it’s just been harder to find.

Across the country there are engineers, designers, and suppliers doing incredible things every day, often without the recognition or reach they deserve. Our vision is to change that — to create a connected, intelligent platform where capability and quality rise to the surface.

We want to make the UK the easiest place in the world to source, supply, and collaborate. A place where innovation and craftsmanship are visible, valued, and supported — no matter the size of the company or its marketing budget.

By combining technology with real-world experience, we’re helping the people who make things to get discovered for what they do best.

Because when UK manufacturing thrives, everything else does too.