City Region�s Tech Talent in Northern Tech 100

The 2018 report which will be launched on Friday highlights 21 companies from the City Region with two in the top three � Harrogate based Chameleon Technology and last year�s number one company The Car Buying Group from Wakefield, with both pipped to the top spot by Manchester based In-Touch Networks.

Other businesses from the City Region highlighted in the report were:

  • BigChange, Leeds
  • Looking4.com, Leeds
  • IDHL Group, Harrogate
  • Inventry Ktd, Leeds
  • Sky Betting & Gaming, Leeds
  • Rradar, Leeds
  • MTech IT Solutions, Leeds
  • Provu, Huddersfield
  • Virtual College, Ilkley
  • Sonocent, Leeds
  • Lead Tech � Leeds
  • Parallax, Leeds
  • Elementary Tech, Leeds
  • NGC Network Services, Wakefield
  • Blue Logic, Leeds
  • Nexus Vehicle Rental, Leeds
  • TPP � Leeds
  • Cascadego, Leeds
  • Mitrefinch, York

Speaking in the report which was developed in partnership with GP Bullhound, Natasha Sayce-Zelem, Head of Technology at Sky stated:

�I think the Northern tech scene, specifically the Leeds tech scene, is really vibrant. At its core is this amazing sense of community. There are so many people that are really invested in keeping this tech scene flourishing; it has a really vibrant heart beat.�

Rod Knox, CEO of Virutal College in Ilkley which was a new entry for the list this year at number 63, commented on the journey which started with the launch of the business in 1995:

�We were real pioneers, if you imagine the internet was taking off the concept of putting learning online was a bit bizarre to most people; it was a hard sell. Now, the whole environment has changed. Everyone who does their driving text, for example, does it online.�

As for the future for the Virtual College, the user numbers highlight the change in behaviour as Rod states:

�We�ve gone from 1.5m learners in 2014 to 3m in 2017. We�ve got an ambition to get to 25m learners by 2025.�

All of this follows the highly successful Leeds Digital Festival and Leeds International Festival both of which have helped shine a spotlight on the City Region� offer to tech businesses, the chance to be part of a dynamic community, access great talent and excellent digital infrastructure � including the only independent internet exchange outside of London.

To find out more about the digital technology sector in Leeds City Region click here.