Newport-based technology consultancy de Novo Solutions is the fastest-growing private company in Wales in the annual Sunday Times 100 league table.
The list, which is ranked on average revenue growth rate over the last three years, sees de Novo Solutions in eight place out of 100. It generated £9.8m of sales in the year to May 2025 and achieved a 186.8% average annual growth over the last three years. The business employs 115.
Just two years after the sale of their previous business, Certus Solutions, to Accenture in 2018, business partners Mark Sweeny, and Tim Warner, returned to the world of technology consulting. A specialist in using Oracle Cloud and ServiceNow software, de Novo has digitised finance, HR and payroll operations for the likes of the Ministry of Justice, ITV and Ofgem. The company opened a new office in India in March.
Chief executive Mr Sweeney said: “We have built something special here – a company that hasn’t just grown fast, but has grown sustainably, with our people and our clients genuinely at the heart of everything we do.
“I honestly could not be prouder of the team – to be included in this league table four years after launch is an incredible achievement and the entire company should feel thrilled.
“We can take a moment to celebrate a fantastic milestone, and the successes we have achieved so far – and then we continue to look ahead. We have some exciting expansion plans for our service offerings, several significant transformation programmes under way with new clients, and we will continue to focus on delivery excellence across local government and policing, our key market sectorsâ€.
The research for The Sunday Times 100 found on average that the fastest-growing companies have increased their sales by 111% a year over the last three years to a combined £3.4bn. This figure is up by £500m year-on-year, with the 2024 top 100 fastest growing companies achieving £2.9bn in sales.
In total the 100 companies employ 15,300 people, having created 10,500 new jobs in the last three years, with all of them planning further hires in the next 12 months - equating to around 5,300 additional roles.
Out of the 100 companies featured in the ranking more than a third (36) are based in London, with the rest spread through-out the º£½ÇÊÓƵ. This includes 18 in the north west, 12 in the south east, eight in the south west, seven in Wales and six in the west Midlands.
The other Welsh firms making are list are Pembrokeshire-based hair brand, Hair Syrup, with latest revenues of £5m and an average annual growth rate of 167.37% over the last three years. Set up by Lucie Macleod the business is ranked 13th.
Cardiff-based fast-expanding dog friendly coffee shop venture Coffi Lab, established by entrepreneur James Shapland, is ranked 15th, with latest year end revenues of £6.2m and a growth rate of 156.87%. Coffi Lab now has 11 venues with three more in the pipeline.
Cwmbran-based sunscreen applicator venture Solar Buddies is ranked 20th with latest revenues of £7m and a growth rate of 141.01%. Bethania-based mineral water brand Ty Nant is ranked 41st, with latest revenues of £7.7m and a growth rate of 100.67%.
Cardiff-based consumer goods brand venture, Brand Hatchers is ranked 63rd with latest revenues of £6.8m and a growth rate of 80.14%. Swansea-based bike and motorcycle lock manufacturer, Litelok is ranked 94th, with latest revenues of £5.2m and a 59.24% growth rate.
The overall list is headed by west of Scotland sports apparel venture DFYNE with a growth rate over the last three years of just over 517%. Some 28 of the businesses have female founders or co-founders. They include Ms Macleod of Hair Syrup and Laura Waters and Kelli Aspland of Solar Buddies.
Nearly two-thirds of the companies (64) were founded in the last decade.
The majority of companies are self-funded. Only 39 of the companies on the list have raised external equity funding since 2011 while approximately half of the companies on the list trade internationally.
Jon Yeomans, business editor of The Sunday Times, said:“The Sunday Times 100 is the definitive annual ranking of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies and demonstrates the remarkable entrepreneurial spirit thriving across Britain. DFYNE’s meteoric rise is a testament to the power of innovation and resilience in the private sector. It’s inspiring to see how these businesses are not only achieving phenomenal growth, but also creating thousands of new jobs and opportunities.â€
Mo Syed, Head of Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management º£½ÇÊÓƵ and Crown Dependencies, said:
“We are proud to be the lead sponsor of The Sunday Times 100 Fastest Growing Companies once again. This prestigious ranking celebrates the innovation, ambition and resilience of Britain’s entrepreneurs – qualities that we at Barclays Private Bank are privileged to support. As these dynamic businesses scale and evolve, we’re committed to being the trusted partner for their strategic wealth, investment and succession planning, supporting them at every stage of their personal and business journey.â€
To be included on the list companies have to be registered in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and be independent, unquoted and ultimate holding companies. Annualised sales have to exceed £250,000 in the base year and not show a drop from the penultimate to the latest year, in which total sales must exceed £5m.
