Technology keeps growing at a fast pace, providing us with innovative apps and tools designed to help us deal with daily chores or pressing duties in a smarter, more efficient manner.
The UK’s tech sector, in particular, is paving the way as Europe’s leading ecosystem. During 2022 alone, British tech companies have developed at near-record levels (£24 billion), which is more than France’s and Germany’s growth combined (£11.8bn and £9.1bn, respectively).
Maven Partners, an expert in private equity and business investments, explores some of the country’s most exciting growth tech companies in 2023 – all were included in the 2023 Northern Tech Awards top 100 shortlist, celebrating the tech industry in the north of the UK.
Airtime Rewards
Airtime Rewards, a forward-thinking business that uses real-time purchase data, as well as AI and machine learning technology, to understand why and how people shop. Based on this information, its cost-free app presents customers with the right level of reward, at the right time.
Specifically, Airtime Rewards enables people to earn benefits for their purchases. To do so, it uses a special type of reward currency that can be turned into monetary credit on a shopper’s smartphone account. It can also be converted into credit for additional mobile data.
Airtime Rewards has agreements with the major mobile network companies in the UK, including EE, Vodafone, and O2, and has a strategic partner in Telefonica.
AppLearn
Launched in 2011, AppLearn solves the issue of inefficient use of software applications across businesses.
AppLearn’s digital adoption platform provides users step-by-step guidance, pop-up info, and side-panel resources. It is built to help people navigate their company’s software in an easier, more straightforward way, cutting wasted time, costs, and frustration.
Those using AppLearn’s technology are likely to complete tasks more accurately and 50% faster, which is why the platform is adopted by market-leading companies in over 100 countries.
Automated Analytics
Finding fertile land in the world of sales and marketing, Automated Analytics (eSalesHub) has developed an ingenious platform that addresses the gap between online clicks and offline conversions.
The data between online clicks and offline conversions has historically been challenging to quantify. But Automated Analytics’ handy tool allows marketing businesses to bridge the gap, helping drive forward stronger campaigns and nurture better relationships with clients.
iAM Compliant
iAM Compliant formally entered the market in 2019 and has been growing steadily ever since.
This Chester-based tech company has designed a web-based compliance tool for the education sector, assisting with the everyday management of school health and safety, staff training, and statutory reporting.
It also contains a comprehensive online-learning library that corporate customers widely use to train their employees too. Currently, the corporate training market is worth about $200b (£161b) and is likely to expand as lifelong learning becomes an essential prerogative in people’s careers.
MirrorWeb
Another exciting growth tech company is MirrorWeb, a data-archiving business that allows organisations to capture records of digital communications and content. This includes info for regulatory compliance and dynamic content pulled from websites, social media platforms, emails, and instant messaging.
With the help of MirrorWeb’s tech platform, firms can reduce costs by cutting back on manual processes and storing all records in a format that can be accessed instantly as needed.
The tool already supports a wide range of firms across the private and public sectors, such as Tesco Bank, Zurich Insurance Group, the UK Parliament, and the BBC.
Orka Technology Group
Orka Technology Group is an exciting business that offers a seamless platform for job seekers and employers operating in the private security industry.
The private security sector is a £5bn marketplace that comes with a high turnover percentage. In turn, this makes for an expensive recruitment procedure, as anyone new to the industry is required to go through an in-depth vetting process before they can take on the role.
Orka Technology Group’s platform, however, allows candidates and recruiters to find each other and chat about available jobs while offering a fully-compliant vetting procedure that is quicker and more cost-effective for both sides.
ProofID
Operating in a variety of sectors across 160 countries and supporting over 100m daily transactions, ProofID is an award-winning market leader in digital identity.
Thanks to its solid partnership with Ping Identity, a world-known corporation offering identity and access management (IAM) services, ProofID benefits from the latest, most innovative technology on the scene.
This fast-growing business acts as a key enabler in many aspects of cyber security, such as the implementation of a zero-trust strategy. This way, it helps customers improve their cyberthreat defence and ensure a better customer experience overall.
In 2022, UK-registered cyber-security companies generated a total of £10.1b in revenue.
Quorum Cyber
Quorum Cyber is another successful firm in the cyber-security sphere whose future looks fruitful and bright.
Since June 2020, this Edinburgh-based business has grown to become a highly respected centre for talent and innovation in the cyber sector. Its headcount has quadrupled, and it has also entered the US market.
Quorum Cyber’s strong partnership with Microsoft means it is renowned internationally as an established player in its industry. What’s more, in recent times, it has capitalised on headline news about high-profile cyber attacks and data privacy, offering cutting-edge software tools and solutions to protect its customers.
Rockar Tech
With an original and convenient concept at its core, Rockar Tech is an automotive e-commerce business that has designed a platform to facilitate the car-buying experience.
Customers are able to carry out everything they would do through a dealership from their own sofa, including final transactions. The end aim is to give people a comfortable, transparent alternative to the more conventional, lengthy car-buying process.
Rockar Tech is clocking up miles in the e-commerce industry and has already worked with renowned manufacturers such as Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi.
The 55 Group
Headquartered in Hull, The 55 Group is an attractive business that makes the most of technology and innovation to deliver faster, greener, and more efficient infrastructure.
Specifically, The 55 Group offers effective end-to-end solutions for big enterprises and the public sector, helping them manage demanding construction projects.
It is also worth mentioning that it’s the parent firm for a number of cross-industry businesses, from national framework provider Pagabo to the digital training platform Tequ. With the input of affiliated companies, The 55 Group supplies customers with reliable services in what is a large, profitable sector.
