AI delivery backed by engineering, leadership and teaching
Minibit Ltd is an AI-first IT consultancy founded by Steven Minnikin in Newcastle upon Tyne in October 2025. I combine hands-on AI engineering with technology leadership in FCA-regulated financial services, and help teams use the systems I build.
Steven Minnikin
Founder & Principal AI ArchitectI design and build agentic AI systems for industries where mistakes are regulated: MCP servers, Claude connectors, agents with a person in the loop, and the guardrails around them. I have built six MCP servers, including Claude connectors secured with OAuth 2.1, and independent products covering memory, voice interaction, approval workflows and cost controls.
My 25-year career spans software engineering, technology leadership and computing education, including 11 years’ experience in regulated financial services. I worked on smart-card, power-network and aerospace systems, and as a regulated financial adviser in the family firm. I spent ten years in teaching and teacher training, including PGCE placements in 2008 to 2009 and four years as Head of Department from 2014 to 2018, leading six staff. As Head of Software Development at Lowes Financial Management, I led five technical staff and owned software, infrastructure and data, reporting to the managing director. I also served as Deputy Data Protection Officer, with GDPR Foundation / Practitioner training from IT Governance (2022).
I explain technology plainly, brief directors on AI without hype, and train client teams myself.
Key facts
| Company | Minibit Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 16823252. Incorporated 31 October 2025. |
|---|---|
| What it does | AI-first IT consultancy: AI-readiness discovery, safe AI rollout, integration and agent build, data, MI and migrations, and ongoing support. |
| Who it serves | Regulated businesses (FCA-regulated advice firms, wealth managers, fintechs) and non-regulated businesses (owner-run firms, professional services, product teams) across the UK. |
| Based | Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Remote across the UK; on site across the North East. |
| Founder | Steven Minnikin, Founder & Principal AI Architect. |
| Experience | A 25-year career across engineering, technology leadership and computing education; 11 years’ experience in regulated financial services; 7 years as Head of Software Development at an FCA-regulated firm with £1bn+ under management; 10 years in teaching and teacher training, including PGCE placements. |
| Education & training | BSc (Hons) Computing, University of Sunderland. CeMAP and CeRGI, both with distinction, Institute of Financial Services. PGCE Computing, University of Sunderland (2008 to 2009). Mathematics Development Programme, Bishop Grosseteste University (2010 to 2011). GDPR Foundation / Practitioner, IT Governance (2022). |
| Insurance | Professional indemnity, public liability and cyber insurance. Works under a data-processing agreement. |
| Stack | TypeScript, Python, Next.js, React Native and Expo, Supabase, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, DynamoDB, MongoDB, Power BI and Excel, Vercel, AWS, Google Cloud Run, Terraform, Claude, LangGraph, Model Context Protocol. |
| Contact | steve@minibit.co.uk |
Timeline
From smart cards and power networks to technology leadership and regulated AI.
How I work
Five commitments that apply to every client, regulated or not.
Start from the work, not the tool
I map how the work actually flows before recommending anything, and I say so when AI is not the right lever.
A person approves anything that matters
AI drafts, checks and proposes. A named person signs off every output that reaches a client, a regulator or your money, and the system records it.
Your data stays yours
In your systems or approved business tools, under a data-processing agreement, with personal data redacted where a task does not need it.
Measure before you scale
Every pilot has a baseline and a decision date. If it did not save hours or catch errors, I say so.
No lock-in, ever
Standard tools, open protocols and code you own. Every vendor behind a seam that can be swapped. Support you can stop on a month’s notice.
Thirty minutes with the person who will do the work.
No account managers, no hand-offs. Book a call and bring the problem.
steve@minibit.co.uk · Newcastle upon Tyne, working across the UK