An entrepreneur has launched a new platform aiming to tackle “one of the biggest frustrations facing agency owners.”
Leadquity is a B2B referral platform, to help agencies growth through trusted recommendations, rather than relying on “expensive and ineffective lead-generating methods.”
It’s been set up by Yorkshire entrepreneur, Steve Pritchard, who’s previously worked with brands including GoCompare, giffgaff and BrewDog through his SEO and digital PR agency, It Works.
“Like most agency owners, we tried just about everything,” he said.
“We invested thousands in cold outreach, appointment setting, paid advertising and lead generation services, but the only leads that consistently delivered were referrals from people who already knew and trusted us.”
He explained that the platform had been designed to formalise that process by linking agencies with freelancers, consultants and other well-connected professionals who are happy to recommend businesses they genuinely trust.
“The idea behind leadquity had been brewing for some years, due to the constant struggle of generating leads and building pipeline.
“We had a referrals page on our website, as many agencies do, but it was impossible to scale. The best leads always came from people who knew and trusted us, but we needed to make that more formal and more reliable. So I’ve now created the platform I always wished had existed.”
Pritchard will continue his fundraising, following the sudden death of his daughter, Matilda in 2024, from an undiagnosed heart condition and the company will be giving away 30% of its profits to good causes.
“Charitable giving isn’t something we’ve bolted on for show. It’s built into the DNA, because business can be a force for good too,.”
The family has already raised more than £42k for Keep Britain Tidy, inspired by the 11-year-old’s love of litter picking and the environment.
“When Matilda died, I desperately needed something positive to focus on. The fundraising became a channel for my grief. It gave us something to work towards as a family and helped us feel that, despite everything, we could still make a difference,” he continued.
“As the fundraising developed, I realised I didn’t want that impact to stop once we’d reached a target. I wanted to build something that could continue generating support for children’s charities every single day.
“Leadquity is that next step. It’s a business that solves a genuine problem for agencies, but it also enables us to help other children and families in Matilda’s name. The charities we will support are directly related to Matilda’s passion for the environment, and the challenges she faced as an autistic girl.”
Pritchard stepped down from It Works Agency in Leeds late last year, after realising he’d thrown himself into work, to avoid grief.
“At the end of 2025, I reached a fork in the road. I had to make the decision that I couldn’t carry on as I was or I’d be no good to anybody. I had to give up the agency.”
Talking about the new platform, he explained that agencies create profiles, set the value they’d place on a qualified lead and only pay when a lead meets the quality criteria they have defined. Referrers receive up to 80% of the lead fee, creating a transparent and performance-based model that rewards both parties.
“A cost-effective new business pipeline is vital whether you’re a growing agency or an independent consultant,” he continued.
“But lead generation has become more expensive, more competitive and, in many cases, less effective. Ghosting has become commonplace, appointment no-shows waste valuable time and businesses are paying significant sums without any guarantee of results.
“I’ve also watched the rise of influencer marketing in the consumer world and thought there had to be a way of applying the same principles professionally in B2B. There are thousands of consultants and freelancers with trusted networks who regularly recommend agencies anyway. Why shouldn’t they be rewarded for helping businesses connect?”
It’s set to launch officially in September.
