About
The Ignite Story
While our brand is only as successful as it is today because it has attracted so many wonderful people to the team, the Ignite story all starts with one woman: our founder and MD, Michelle Begy (pictured below).
Michelle has always prided herself on her entrepreneurial spirit, and launched her first e-commerce business when she was just 27. The company was a huge success, but the market became incredibly saturated by the early 2010s. Instead of putting all of her energy into continuing to grow and differentiate the business, Michelle decided she would rather pursue a career that was more in line with her changing personal ambitions.
While Michelle often jokes that she was still trying to work out what she wants to do when she grows up, she knew that she wanted a career that was more people-focused and made better use of her skills. She was also very keen to find a better work-life balance where she was not always having to juggle working with looking after her young son.
It was at this time that Michelle had her first experiences in the matchmaking industry, working in events and PR for one of the UK’s largest introduction agencies. She was very quick to realise that many agencies left an awful lot to be desired when it came to serving educated and successful people who were not interested in endless scrolling through apps and having their profiles shared among thousands.
So, in 2020, she launched Ignite as the solution for an industry that was in desperate need of change. Even the pandemic didn’t slow down the business’s immediate success, and Ignite has since grown to become one of the most highly respected names in the dating world. A name associated with professional, ethical dating which gets results.
In early 2021, we launched Ignite as a franchise with a number of test locations around the UK, which were a resounding success. With a business model which has been tried and tested in multiple locations, and a franchise offering which has been perfected to offer you the best chances for success, we’re keen to welcome people like you on board for the next part of the amazing Ignite adventure!
Read on to learn more about what we do, and what makes us so different from other matchmaking agencies.