Rainbow Analyst And The Model Answer
About Us
This page provides details of the latest major update of Rainbow Analyst, as well as some background information about The Model Answer and the development of the Rainbow Analyst add-in.
Rainbow Analyst News
Our latest update

Rainbow 26.02 reveals what’s buried in your workbook
Did you know that there's a completely different way of looking at an Excel spreadsheet? And that it can show you information that you didn't know was there, helping you avoid disastrous errors like the leak of data about Afghan personnel in 2022 that was made public...
Where Rainbow Analyst Started
The Model Answer

Mike Shallcross
Founder
Mike set up The Model Answer in 2000 as a financial modelling consultancy. At the same time, he started developing Rainbow Analyst, initially just for his own use in analysing and auditing Excel spreadsheets. Its key feature (and the reason for the name "Rainbow Analyst") was a unique colour-coding system that makes it very easy to spot problems and inconsistencies. Over time it grew into the leading-edge commercial tool that it is today.
Before starting The Model Answer, Mike spent 17 years working for KPMG and predecessor firms. He trained as a chartered accountant (ICAEW) and chartered tax adviser (IoT), and then moved into financial modelling. His modelling projects at KPMG ranged from a spreadsheet for calculating divorce tax settlements, to a multi-dimensional simulation of the UK electricity generation system. Mike lives in London and is also a qualified psychotherapist. In his spare time he enjoys travel and riding a big-wheel unicycle.