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Andy Bell
CEO at HelpFirst - AI to support your most vulnerable service users
Andy Bell is the CEO and founder of HelpFirst, a company that uses machine learning to improve experiences and outcomes for vulnerable individuals and those working with them.12
Professional Background
Andy Bell has a strong background in entrepreneurship and technology:
- He was previously the co-founder and Head of Product at Mint Digital, where he founded successful ventures like StickyGram (which was sold to PhotoBox) and Boomf.2
- Prior to HelpFirst, Andy founded SIDE Labs, a no-code tech-for-good agency that worked with clients such as YMCA and Refugee Action.12
HelpFirst
Andy founded HelpFirst in May 2023.1 The company's mission is to use artificial intelligence to support vulnerable service users and improve their experiences. Some key achievements of HelpFirst under Andy's leadership include:
- Implementing a helpline solution for Citizens Advice Scotland that significantly improved service efficiency.1
- Reducing average call response time from 24 hours to 1 minute.
- Cutting operating costs from £400,000 per year to £40,000 per year.
- Improving service levels by reducing missed calls.
Education and Skills
Andy Bell holds:
- An MSc in Computer Science
- A BSc in Economics3
His combination of technical knowledge and business acumen has likely contributed to his success in founding and leading technology-driven companies.
Recognition
Under Andy's leadership, HelpFirst's work has gained recognition:
- Winner of the ScotlandIS Tech For Good award1
Andy Bell continues to lead HelpFirst in its mission to leverage AI for social impact, focusing on supporting vulnerable individuals and improving service delivery in various sectors.
Highlights
CivTech has just published 11 new challenges, with prizes between £350k and £1.3m.
At HelpFirst, we are forever grateful for the start that CivTech gave us. It is a fantastic scheme: it gets innovation into the heart of government and it creates a new generation of startups.
If you are interested in applying, I'm running a session on Weds 21st with all our tips on how to create a winning application.
Together at last! HelpFirst and Spotify - two icons of the European tech scene in the same picture. (And the HelpFirst:Spotify ratio of 5:1 seems about right 🤣)

