Nightingale HQ is a leading provider of AI-powered software that helps manufacturers integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their operations without the need for significant investment in acquiring AI expertise. The company was founded by Steph Locke, AI specialist, and Ruth Kearney, innovation expert. Nightingale HQ set out to solve this problem because they believe that companies should not have to choose between embracing technology or supporting jobs.

We’ve created an easy-to-use platform called GoSmarter that allows any manufacturer with just 1 engineer to support a large change program. With our solution, businesses can easily improve all business functions on one platform - saving time, money, and giving staff more time to focus on what really matters.

Our Story

Founded in late 2018, we developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) around an AI services platform that launched June 2019. In the run up to this, we registered for the Welsh Government’s Accelerated Growth Programme and attended a business accelerator to help us make early decisions about the business.

We applied for the Innovate UK funding competition for helping support the recovery of businesses post-COVID. We were one of 800 companies that received a grant in June 2020, and have since been working on the delivery of GoSmarter.ai and self-guided AI proof of concept tools that enable businesses to automate invoice processing, make their meetings more inclusive and build AI chatbots to answer customer service queries.

The Founders

Steph is a Microsoft Most Valued Professional in both Data Platforms and Artificial Intelligence, a combination awarded by Microsoft to only two other people in the world. She regularly presents and keynotes globally on the topics of AI, Data Science, and the integration of these capabilities into business.

Ruth has been implementing innovation and digital programmes with industry for the past 15 years, more recently with Trinity College Dublin and Talent Garden. She helped with the first Irish run of fast.ai originally developed by the University of San Francisco, supported the first AI Edge Accelerator sponsored by Intel and launched a range of Data and AI training programmes for the corporate market.

Find out more about the team on our dedicated Team page.

Who was Florence Nightingale?

Almost everyone has heard of the Lady with the Lamp. Nightingale worked as a nurse during the Crimea War and her local intervention made a difference in thousands of lives. But did you know she was one of the world’s first and most successful data scientists?

Florence performed comprehensive studies into sanitation and medical care that revolutionised the way patients were cared for. Instead of publishing in a journal for medical practitioners or statisticians to read, she made her work consumable by government and military people who could use it immediately.

Turning complex, messy, real-world experience into actionable, simple insight made a huge impact and it’s this process we’re seeking to achieve too. Thus we put our aspiration first and foremost in our name as a constant reminder.