Collaboration and community in action
When Gareth and Jess, the founders of PocketPowerPro joined Launchpad’s Catapult programme, they weren’t starting from scratch.
They had already built a psychology-based wellness app designed to help users replace unhelpful habits with healthier behaviours aligned to their goals. What they needed was the expertise, structure and challenge to take the business to the next level.
With EQD headquarters in Chicago, and offices in New York, Hong Kong, Launchpad, and a growing presence in the Middle East, the RFP was distributed internationally to agencies across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Operating across financial publishing, data services, and large-scale international events, EQD was seeking partners that could deliver a standout visual identity and a high-performing website aligned with their complex, global business.
The challenge
PocketPowerPro had reached a pivotal point.
- The app relied heavily on AI, and the founders knew the technology needed to evolve.
- The health and wellness market is crowded; they needed to stand out above the noise.
- Marketing and brand clarity had not yet caught up with the quality of the product.
- Growth ambitions were global but the roadmap felt unclear.
As Gareth explained, they were ready to
“step up our game,”
particularly on the tech and marketing fronts.
The turning point
Through the Catapult programme’s peer-to-peer format, the founders were challenged not by a lecturer at the front of the room, but by other business owners asking sharper questions.
One pivotal suggestion changed everything: build a board of advisers.
Within a week, they had done exactly that.
The result
- A hands-on AI specialist now working alongside the team to expand and strengthen the app’s AI architecture.
- A marketing adviser helping refine and articulate the brand story clearly and succinctly.
- A renewed focus on user journey and user experience.
- A shift from reactive growth to strategic expansion.
In Jessica’s words,
“We knew what we were, but we didn’t know how to brand it in a way that we could be understood and heard above everything else.”
Unexpected impact
The peer-led nature of the programme surprised Gareth most.
Instead of passive learning, the experience felt developmental – collaborative, reflective and continuous. The same cohort meeting over time created trust, challenge and accountability.
The impact extended beyond the programme itself. Through connections made during Catapult, PocketPowerPro was invited to submit an expression of interest for funding via the University of Essex; a potential game-changer that would accelerate further AI development and investment in hardware.
Perhaps most significantly, the group has continued collaborating beyond the formal programme.
Where they are now
Since completing Catapult, the business has accelerated its development roadmap.
The team is building out enhanced AI functionality in preparation for a major relaunch, effectively positioning the next iteration as a “brand new” app.
What once felt uncertain now feels structured, ambitious and achievable.
In their words
Before Catapult, the founders struggled to see a clear way forward.
After Catapult, they have:
- A strengthened leadership structure,
- Technical capability aligned to their ambitions,
- A refined brand narrative,
- A growth pathway they can see – and act on,
As they described it, the programme has been “profound”, not only in opening up new routes forward, but in ensuring that support and collaboration continue long after the sessions ended.
