North West tech high fliers recognised in national ranking
High fliers in the North West tech sector are recognised in the latest Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 league table this weekend.
The 18th annual ranking of Britain’s private technology media and telecoms companies with the fastest growing sales features 11 North West firms, up from eight the previous year.
They have grown their sales by an average of 105% a year over three years to a total of £273m, and together they now employ more than 1,400 people.
The companies include six new entrants to the table.
Among them is Plan.com, which is a communications provider based on the Isle of Man, ranked in the top three.
It has created a software platform that allows its business customers to monitor their telecommunications in real-time.
Sales, which includes airtime charges for mobile usage, grew to £35.4m this year.
Also new this year is Manchester’s Assetz Capital (53) which operates a peer-to-peer lending platform, focused on SMEs and housebuilders, that has funded the construction of 1,800 new homes since 2013.
Sales rose to £13.7m in 2018. It is planning to open six new UK offices by 2020.
Joining these companies in the latest ranking are firms in a variety of sectors.
Cloud services provider, Daresbury-based Converge TS, is a new face to the table, placed at 89th.
Manchester software developer Planixs storms in to the lofty position of 22nd, while Oldham wifi services provider, Purple, has secured 28th slot.
Manchester-based online entertainment specialist LADBible Group slips from ninth to 31st, and Bolton price comparison website, Love Energy Savings moves from 30th to 71st.
Cloud IT developer, Manchester-based Cloud Technology Solutions is ranked 86, compared with 50 last time, and Manchester software developer Godel Technologies moves from 86 to 92.
Neuven, a Manchester HR software developer, swaps 29th place for 94th, and Liverpool’s representative, lead generation developer The Lead Agency, is fresh to the table at 50.
The North West companies appear with businesses from around Britain, including cyber security developer Darktrace, currency transfer provider TransferWise and peer-to-peer lending platform Funding Circle.
Past stars range from travel search engine Skyscanner, which was bought by Ctrip, China’s largest travel company, for £1.4bn in 2016, to listed takeaway website Just Eat, now worth £5bn.
The Tech Track 100 is sponsored by Hiscox, Barclays, BDO, BGF and N+1 Singer, and compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Steve McGerr, head of direct commercial at Hiscox Insurance UK, said: “Tech businesses in the North West of England are thriving thanks to the fearlessness and determination of those that run them.
“We have great admiration for the talented entrepreneurs that make up the companies on this year’s Tech Track 100.”
Overall, this year’s Tech Track 100 companies achieved average sales growth over three years of 101% a year to a combined total of £3.3bn. They employ 19,300 staff, having added 14,000 employees to their combined workforce over the period.
London is the most popular location for company headquarters with 58, followed by the North West (11).
