Cheshire Community Foundation awarded Kyle a £1,360 grant, through the SWEF Enterprise Fund, to support the growth of his AI and web development business, InsightXpert. Since receiving the funding, the grant has played a pivotal role in accelerating the business at a crucial early stage.
Founded in September 2024, InsightXpert is a SaaS development studio focused on building bespoke web applications and practical AI-powered tools for small and medium-sized enterprises. As outlined in Kyle’s application, the business was created to help SMEs automate processes, analyse data and improve customer engagement through affordable, tailored digital solutions.
Kyle operates as a sole trader and combines strong technical expertise in full-stack development with specialist knowledge in AI and machine learning. Prior to securing the grant, he had already invested significant time and personal funds into branding, website development, domains, subscriptions and marketing.
How the grant helped:
The grant funding was used to upgrade hardware and strengthen marketing capability. In his original application, Kyle identified a refurbished high-spec development laptop and digital advertising campaigns as key investments to remove bottlenecks and generate new leads. Since receiving the funding, the impact has been significant: “The SWEF grant allowed me to upgrade my development hardware and invest more seriously into building scalable AI-based tools. It improved my productivity and enabled me to deliver higher-quality work to clients anywhere, any time. The grant effectively accelerated my business by removing bottlenecks at a key growth stage.”
With improved hardware performance, Kyle has reduced development time and increased his ability to manage larger or concurrent projects. This has enhanced both delivery quality and client responsiveness - essential factors for building trust with SME clients.
The grant also provided confidence to invest more strategically in building scalable AI tools, moving beyond one-off projects towards products with recurring revenue potential.
Challenges along the way:
Like many early-stage tech founders, Kyle has faced the challenge of balancing technical innovation with commercial focus. He explains: “One of the biggest challenges has been balancing rapid technical growth with commercial focus - moving from building interesting tools to building products that solve real, revenue-generating problems.”
As InsightXpert has evolved, Kyle has also needed to navigate partnerships and intellectual property alignment when collaborating with larger organisations. Managing growth while maintaining clarity over ownership, scope, and long-term product direction has been a key learning curve.
Plans for Growth
Kyle’s long-term vision is to grow InsightXpert into a recognised SaaS development studio specialising in practical AI tools for SMEs. His focus areas include:
- Expanding recurring revenue streams through subscription-based tools
- Deepening relationships with existing clients
- Developing scalable, marketplace-style AI products and
- Continuing to refine positioning within the SME automation and AI space.
His market research, detailed in the original application, identified clear demand among local SMEs for affordable automation tools, reinforcing the commercial opportunity for growth.
What the Grant Meant
“Receiving the SWEF grant was a strong vote of confidence at an early stage of my entrepreneurial journey. The experience taught me that strategic support at the right moment can dramatically accelerate outcomes - and it’s okay to ask for help.”
The funding bridged a critical gap between ambition and capability. By removing hardware and resource constraints, the grant enabled Kyle to operate more professionally, deliver higher-quality work and build foundations for scalable growth.
InsightXpert is now positioned not just as a freelance development service, but as a growing AI-focused SaaS studio - demonstrating how timely, targeted funding can unlock productivity, confidence, and long-term commercial potential for emerging entrepreneurs.
