Safety software business to create 70 jobs after securing £750,000 investment
A Manchester-based safety software business is set to create more than 70 jobs after securing £750,000 of investment to boost its ambitious growth plans.
The Greater Manchester Loan Fund, managed by Maven Capital Partners, has made the investment in Shield Safety Group, one of the UK’s leading providers of food safety, fire safety and health and safety software.
The cash injection will enable the business to strengthen its current offering to existing clients and target new customers by broadening its market reach.
Founded in 2003 as a consultancy business, Shield Safety now provides SMEs and larger corporates with a comprehensive service to ensure that they are fully compliant with legislation.
The UK health and safety market has grown steadily over recent years, reaching a market value of around £800m in 2017.
Shield Safety was founded by environmental health practitioner Mark Flanagan, now CEO, who says the business is well placed to continue its next phase of ambitious growth.
He said: “We are thrilled to have received this investment, especially from a Manchester-based fund. Shield Safety is a born and bred Manchester business and we are committed to putting the city on the map as a tech capital. It is tremendous to have Maven share our vision of continued growth for the business, and to support us on this exciting journey. We spoke to a few different capital partners and quickly found Maven to be the clear choice as a result of their professionalism and approach. The whole team and I look forward to working with them as the partnership goes from strength to strength.”
Craig Hopwood, investment director at Maven, said: “We are delighted to support Shield Safety’s growth plans through this investment. This is a really exciting business and we were attracted to it straight away. Mark and his team are driven and passionate about the business and are focused on the compelling future growth opportunities in their markets. They have invested a significant amount of time and resource in creating a sophisticated technology platform alongside high level support for their clients. We look forward to working with Mark and the team, assisting their ambitious growth plans while boosting employment in the region.”
