INVENT 2025 Finalist: PlayOn

Founders name: Roan Taylor

What was the “aha” moment that sparked your idea?

As I talked with other students at university, I realised almost everyone had the same problem.

Most knew a few players wanting to play 5-aside football, but they could rarely make a booking because not everyone was free at the same time. This happened so often that it made me realise: if teams could make their availability for a 5-aside game public, then other teams/players in the area could join them to setup a booking.

This is how PlayOn began.

What is your background?

I have always loved playing sports for the countless benefits that they bring. From fitness, competition, and lessons on teamwork, they continue to help me have fun and to develop as a person.

Also, I am obsessed with engineering. I love problem-solving that results in real improvements. This is why I am now completing a degree in Mechatronic Engineering at Ulster University.

Tell us a bit about your solution

PlayOn is an online platform for both facilities and players.

Facilities can login to streamline their operations with minimal admin time,

Players can login to make bookings as normal, or create/join public games (called "Lobbies"- like in online videogames) with other available players as a more flexible option for football.

What first impression do you want users to have when they experience/use your product?

I want facilities to find it enjoyable to use, as current solutions are clunky and overly cluttered because they haven't developed much in years.

I want players to find the platform fun to use, making recreational football effortless to organise. In the near future, I want it to feel gamified and competitive by incorporating video game-style features like skill ranking, to make real sport as rewarding as video games.

Where do you hope to be in five years?

I hope that, within 5 years, PlayOn is the market leader for all recreational sports, making any great game just a click away. This will enable everyone to stay active and have fun regardless of where they are and who's available (while also maximising profit, and minimising admin, for facilities).

Software requires almost no capital to get started, but my biggest engineering passion lies with robotics. Therefore, I'd love to be creating awesome hardware (& the software to run it) in the future to solve more problems.

What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve received so far?

"This all looks like a schoolboy project for now. You need to improve it if you want it to be a successful business."- My Dad.