Leeds digital festival doubles in size

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The 2017 Leeds Digital Festival has experienced a huge increase in the number of events compared to its first year in 2016. This year’s festival, will run to 29 April and involves approximately 115 events, up from 56 in 2016, with more than 10,000 attendees expected Hundreds of Leeds-based firms and speakers will be taking […]

Data firm Personalyze to compete for data start-ups $50K prize

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Personalisation marketing tools provider Personalyze is heading to Portugal next week. The firm hopes to secure a $50,000 funding prize from Unilever after being nominated as one of the world’s top data start-ups. Andrew Ko from Personalyze is heading to the I-COM Global Summit in Porto, Portugal next week after his company was recognised by the […]

Top tech firms in the North hit £1.9 billion revenue

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The top 100 fastest growing technology companies in the North generated £1.9 billion in revenue in 2016, according to tech investment bank GP Bullhound. Hugh Campbell, managing partner of GP Bullhound, commented: “After years of huge potential, Northern tech companies now command the valuations and deals worthy of international recognition. “The tech sector in the […]

Oak secures intranet project with American Golf

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Gateshead software services provider Oak, formerly Orchid Software, has secured one of Europe’s largest golf retailers as a client with its Oak intranet software solution. American Golf is using Oak for intranet software provision as part of plans to overhaul its internal communications and enhance employee engagement. Graeme Kerr, retail implementation manager at American Golf, said: […]

Northcoders coding bootcamp expands on first anniversary

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Northcoders, the coding bootcamp at The Sharp Project, Manchester’s digital and creative complex, has announced expansion plans as it celebrates its first year in operation. Due to strong demand for their intensive 12-week course, the company has doubled the size of each cohort and created a second classroom to accommodate the extra 20 students. The start-up […]

Sunderland educational game start-up backed by £245K cash boost

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A Sunderland start-up that develops educational game applications has secured a £245,000 investment to help launch its platform. WordPlay was founded by Jonathan Karlsen, who identified a gap in the market to provide language programmes that helped children learn English in a fun and engaging way, with the company’s product geared towards primary-aged children who […]

Northern Tech awards winners revealed

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European technology investment bank GP Bullhound has revealed the winners of the Northern Tech Awards 2017. The awards recognised the entrepreneurs and businesses leading growth of the northern digital economy over the past year. The winners were selected by a panel of high-profile judges, including Richard Flint, chief executive of Sky Betting and Gaming, David […]

Fintech company Quint secures £10 million financing deal

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Quint Group, the fintech company behind price comparison site MoneyGuru.com, has secured a £10 million financing deal with Manchester’s Tosca Debt Capital. Quint Group is based in the Macclesfield and will use the eight-figure boost to fund its recapitalisation. Established in 2009, it owns a portfolio of consumer credit business, including lending platform Monevo, Monevo Data Services […]

Salford and Liverpool city councils plan IT trading venture

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Two councils in the North West have teamed up to sell technology and services commercially. Salford – home of MediaCityUK and the BBC’s Northern HQ – and Liverpool City Councils plan to establish a trading entity within the next 12-18 months to both compete against and collaborate with firms in the private sector. A third, Barnsley, may […]

Sage MD steps down after seven months

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Newcastle tech firm Sage’s executive vice president for Northern Europe Jacqueline de Rojas is stepping down from her position at the end of the week. Ms de Rojas was appointed to lead the software giant’s Northern Europe operations in July 2016, with over 25 years experience in the industry, and the most influential woman in the […]

Entry deadline extended for the UK’s longest running digital awards

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The deadline for submissions for the Big Chip Awards until 5pm on Monday 20th March to enter. The Big Chip awards have celebrated excellence in digital and technology companies, organisations and individuals across the region for almost two decades – in areas including animation, search, user experience, eCommerce and digital transformation. Businesses, individuals and students from […]

DriverNet secures innovation award for logistics app

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DriverNet’s app helps delivery drivers optimise the exchange process, and has claimed February’s Merseyside Innovation Award. DriverNet was founded in St Helens by logistics professional Ant Chisnall. Having spent 15 years working across the sector in operational and senior management roles within small fleet and multinational hauliers, he identified a weak point in the logistics […]

Stockport app developer closes £2 million funding round

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SurveyMe, a Stockport based mobile survey app developer has closed its initial £2 million funding round in partnership with Chester-headquartered investment manager Deepbridge Capital. The funding was raised via Deepbridge’s Technology Growth EIS proposition, and has enabled the app developer to open an office in California as part of a move to target the US […]

Leeds smart home security business to crowdfund £1.5m

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Leeds smart home technology company Cocoon Alarm is looking to raise £1.5m in its latest fundraising bid on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. The company has looking to secure a £2.5m round by 4 March 2017, with original investors Aviva Ventures and Breed Reply Investments already committing £1m. It will use the latest investment to reduce unit […]

Manchester-based retail tech startup DigitalBridge raises £700,000

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DigitalBridge, a home decor retail tech platform, has raised a £700,000 Seed round from a series of private investors. Based in Manchester, the firm’s machine learning platform enables consumers to ‘try on’ home decor products and furniture in their own home. Investors included Stuart Marks, founder of early-stage investor and corporate innovation firm L Marks, who […]