Newcastle digital design agency Jump is looking to expand overseas after securing a six-figure investment through NEL Fund Managers.
Founded in 2007 by graphic designer Lucy Batley and software developer Robert Brown, the digital brand strategy and design agency is based in the historic Milburn House in the city centre.
But now the business, which moved into the old Viz comic offices in the building, is looking at potentially opening offices in other 海角视频 locations as well as further increasing its work around its home region.
The firm plans to execute its plans after securing the six-figure sum from the North East Growth Capital Fund supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
Jump offers creative design and digital solutions to a growing roster of regional and national clients, including the British Triathlon, Ringtons Tea, Marlish Water, Newcastle University, NHS Careers and Newcastle鈥檚 Business Improvement District company NE1.
Having worked with NEL Fund Managers to bring in the investment, the firm is now looking at options for winning new work in Ireland, the US and mainland Europe, and also expects to add to its 20-strong workforce.
It has also recruited David Lovenbury as its first ever commercial director with a brief to use his three decades of business experience to improve its revenues and profitability.
This is the second time that Jump has worked with NEL Fund Managers to bring in investment capital, with a Finance For Business North East Growth Fund investment helping it implement successful expansion plans in 2015.
Mr Lovenbury said: 鈥淲e have phenomenally talented brand, design and digital development teams who produce absolutely outstanding work. Our job is to accelerate the commercial returns for our customers by asserting our expertise in strategic brand growth.
鈥淛ump has an inspirational and hugely driven senior team that鈥檚 full of ideas for how we can take our North East creativity onto the global stage and the chance to be part of that journey was too good to turn down.鈥
Ms Batley added: 鈥淲e鈥檝e spent the last few years consolidating, putting new systems in place to ensure efficiencies and, most importantly, creating an awe-inspiring team of talented designers and coders.
鈥淚鈥檓 convinced that our continued success is directly attributed to the genuinely collaboratively way in which our staff and clients work, and we鈥檙e now ready to blow all of our competitors out of the water.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a seriously ambitious brand and want to be the agency of choice for other ambitious brands who recognise the fiscal value of the work we do.鈥
The North East Growth Capital Fund has been designed to create around 790 jobs in more than 70 regional firms over the life of the programme and offers unsecured investments of up to 拢500,000 to established businesses looking to realise their growth potential.
Jane Siddle, investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, said: 鈥淛ump is firmly established as one of the North East creative industry鈥檚 leading lights and their ambition to use this as a springboard for international success is hugely admirable.鈥
