Women in Innovation Success Stories: Sarah Nicolls, First Light Pianos Ltd

As one of the UK’s most successful contemporary concert pianists, Sarah Nicolls is no stranger to a challenge. Her inspiring enterprise, First Light Pianos Ltd (previously Future Piano Ltd) is where musical tradition meets contemporary engineering. By developing a ‘Standing Grand’ piano, Sarah has retained the quality, sound and grandeur of grand pianos whilst re-shaping the structure to an upright position, using modern lightweight materials. This innovative design offers improved portability and reduced size, making the piano a better fit for modern homes and venues.

“When I applied for the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards, we were building the first prototype of my vertical design to use composites. The programme supported us in completing the process. The prototype frame would finally have its piano strings added, the first structural test of the innovative frame we’d invented,” Sarah explained.

Major milestones and shifting perspectives

If you have a market-shifting idea, it could be years until you see it develop into a product and begin hitting the milestones you always hoped for. But this shouldn’t deter budding business owners from embarking on their entrepreneurial journey.

Sarah first had the idea of developing a carbon fibre piano in 2007 – but it wasn’t until she joined the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards that her prototype came to life.

“The biggest milestone during the programme was completing our first prototype piano, which demonstrates the aesthetic and conceptual design really well – it looks stunning,” she said.

Over the next year, Sarah is determined to build on the learning from the first prototype to develop a truly lightweight vertical grand piano. Over the next five years, the innovator hopes to be building bespoke pianos for their existing backers and a growing network – with ambitions to see the Standing Grand appearing on concert stages played by leading musicians around the world.

“The Women in Innovation Award enabled me to spend a year working full-time on the business. This allowed me to focus and deal with everything that arose. It elevated the project beyond something that happened on borrowed time, to being my central focus every single day. This changed my perspective enormously.

“Being a Women in Innovation winner encouraged me in my belief that what I am doing is worthwhile, which is invaluable,” Sarah explained.

Overcoming challenges and developing confidence

Throughout the programme, Sarah has been able to nurture and develop her ideas, but building a business from scratch comes with unique challenges for women in innovation.

“Engineering a lightweight piano combines the challenge of taking on traditional methods within a male-dominated environment. The gender imbalance in engineering is well documented and that seems to be mirrored in piano technicians: I seem to almost exclusively meet men in this project. It is a very familiar experience to be the only woman in the room or meeting,” Sarah explained.

By meeting with like-minded women and working alongside a team of experts, Sarah has been able to face business challenges head on.

“The programme has increased my confidence and knowledge in the workings of business. When I started, I was relatively naïve to the full spectrum of the journey that a company might go on. I had the opportunity to become fully and properly versed in the language of business, coming into this space having primarily been a concert pianist and academic for my professional life.

“For those starting out on the Women in Innovation Awards, get stuck in! Ask for everything, talk to everyone, follow up on the wider team that you’re introduced to, go to extra Innovate UK events, say yes to opportunities, including complimentary programmes you may be invited to join, and just really make the most of it,” she said.

Read more success stories from the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards.