Four Midlands firms named in league table of Britain’s fastest-growing private tech companies
Four companies from the Midlands have won places on special Covid-19 edition of league table of Britain’s fastest-growing private tech companies.
Published this weekend, the 20th anniversary Sunday Times Sage Tech Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s private technology, media and telecoms companies with the fastest-growing sales – before the pandemic struck.
The four companies headquartered in the Midlands (compared with eight last year) have grown their sales by an average of 74% a year over three years to a total of more than £70m, and collectively employ 425 people.
One such firm is Nottingham’s Lockwood Publishing (No 67), whose flagship computer game Avakin Life — where people can customise their avatars in a virtual world — hit 1.4m daily active users during lockdown. Sales reached £22.7m this year, and since March it has increased its 124-strong workforce by 30 people.
Other examples of positive responses to the Covid-19 crisis include Igloo Vision (No 98), the Shropshire-based virtual reality technology developer, whose software has been used in virtual lecture theatres to help make online learning more interactive during the pandemic. Chief executive Dennis Wright, co-founder of Tech Track 100 alumnus Digital Vision, oversaw sales of £9m this year.
Paul Struthers, managing director, UK & Ireland at Sage, said: “Being tuned into the drumbeat of the UK’s tech innovation is in our blood and it is fantastic to see companies in the Midlands that are thriving despite the challenging environment. The Tech Track 100 is a great platform for us to support and showcase the next generation of the country’s brilliant tech businesses.”
