Tyneside digital accessibility tech firm Recite Me has secured a £4.6m from investor BGF - the second cash injection in the last few years. The Gateshead-based software creator, which helps dyslexic and visually impaired use the internet, said the injection markets significant step in its growth plan. It follows a £4.2m boost from BGF in March 2023.
Recite Me was launched in 2009 by entrepreneur Ross Linnett, who was diagnosed with dyslexia, and found the majority of websites were inaccessible for people like him. It prompted him to develop a plugin tool that allows users to tailor their browsing experience. Having started with just four employees, the Recite Me team has now grown to around 100 staff, with its technology being used by more than seven million people around the world.
The software is designed to tackle online obstacles for those with disabilities, visual impairments, learning difficulties, older people and those who speak English as a second language. The firm also offers free accessibility training covering web accessibility standards, assistive technologies, and designing inclusive digital experiences.
Ross Linnett, Recite Me CEO said: "This marks a significant step forward in our growth ambitions and is another positive milestone on our investment journey with BGF. In the last 12 months, our pioneering technology has supported more than seven million users across Europe, the United States and Australia. Our ambition is to extend that reach – not only to accelerate our own growth, but to help millions more people to access online content around the world."
Offshore digital tech firm Kinewell Energy set its sights on further expansion into the Asia-Pacific following backing from Innovate Ƶ. The Tyneside-based creator of software that helps offshore wind farm developers lay out turbines and connecting cabling has translated its suite of systems into Japanese and Korean - both expanding markets in which the firm hopes to do more business.
Kinewell has already enjoyed some initial success in the Asia-Pacific market, having last year launched the Kinewell Wake-Optimisation Turbine Arrangement solution - an AI-powered software for calculating the best position of offshore wind turbines - at the Global Offshore Wind Summit in Fukuoka in Japan. In South Korea, the firm has supported the early development of the 600MW Wando-Guemil offshore wind project in the Yellow Sea, helping Blue Wind Engineering to find the best location for the offshore substation and optimise the project's inter-array cable layout.
Now some of the firm's North Shields-based team have travelled to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to meet clients and drum up further business. They will attend the APAC Wind Energy Summit in Incheon, South Korea.
Founder and CEO Dr Andrew Jenkins said: “We see strong demand and growth across the whole of the Asia-Pacific region for our offshore wind design optimisation tools and the funding and support from Innovate Ƶ will really help us to grasp the lucrative opportunities this increased demand will present.”
Business support organisation RTC North signed up for space in the Newcastle city centre innovation centre The Catalyst. The business growth, innovation and skills agency, which has bases in Sunderland, Leeds and Daresbury, says the new location brings opportunities for growth and development. It puts RTC North at the heart of the Helix site, among other businesses and research bodies, and the move is said to be part of its strategy to increase its client base by embedding itself into key locations across the north.
Sarah Hart, RTC's director of operations, said: "We are thrilled to announce our new office space at The Catalyst in Newcastle city centre. The Catalyst offers an inspiring environment that fosters collaboration and creativity, which aligns perfectly with our vision for the future. We’re excited about the potential this new location brings for growth and development, and we look forward to contributing to and benefiting from the vibrant community at The Catalyst."
A consortium comprising North East universities, businesses and the North East Combined Authority secured a £2.5m grant to bolster the region's space research and innovation activity. The North East Space Communications Accelerator (NESCA), which includes Northumbria, Newcastle and Durham universities, along with the North East Combined Authority, Space North East England, the North East Space Leadership Group and 14 industry partners, is set to launch early next year.
It aims to build on the recent expansion of the North East's space industry capabilities, including the ambitious £50m plans to establish the North East Space Skills and Technology (NESST) hub at Northumbria University. The funding, provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - the Ƶ Government's primary funding body for engineering and physical sciences research - will enable NESCA to concentrate on the development of new space communications technology, an area where the North East has already earned recognition.
It is one of seven projects nationally to share in a £22m funding pot designed to support regional clusters. Over the next four years, it will focus on three main areas: innovation, place and people.
