The finalists for the 2019 Hull & Humber Tech Awards have been announced.
Judges this week cast their expert eyes over entries for the 10 categories which are up for grabs this year, before deciding on the shortlist.
Tech firms from all industries have made the cut, from new start-ups to established and respected names in their field.
David Keel, chair of the C4DI and Hull’s Digital Ambassador, said: “I believe that this has probably been our most challenging and demanding judgement day yet - but also the most enjoyable.
“We seem to attract new businesses every year and this enables us to both broaden the scope of our conversations around tech in our area as well as celebrate such an important emerging and thriving industry sector.
“I think we have a very well thought through and very fair group of shortlisted businesses - that both recognises the greatness of the companies and individuals involved but also demonstrates a wide range of tech successes in our area.”
The 10 categories up for grabs this year will also be joined by the Outstanding Contribution Award.
The prestigious accolade does not have a shortlist, and the winner will instead be announced on the night.
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Here are the finalists for the 2019 awards:
Woman in Tech Award
Rhiannon Beeson – Rhiannon’s tech career began she was appointed as marketing executive at KCOM and after only three years, was promoted to marketing manager.
Here she schooled herself in communications technologies and deployed digital marketing campaigns which gave thousands of Hull businesses access to Lightstream fibre broadband.
Rhiannon was later headhunted by APD Communications as sales & marketing manager, stepping up a grade to critical communications.
In just 18 months, Rhiannon transformed the business, and was then promoted to commercial director, aged just 32.
Joanne Dixon - Joanne Dixon began her career in tech in 1992 at the young age of sixteen when she joined business technology solutions provider, HBP Systems Ltd, as an apprentice under the Youth Training Scheme.
From her early years on the reception desk, Joanne’s drive to learn about the world of business and technology resulted in her working in nearly every department at the business, providing her with a unique perspective and skills set.
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In 2007, she became the Managing Director of HBP, granting the wish of the ambitious teenager who turned to her MD and said, “I want to be you.”
Helen Power – Helen began coding when she was just 10 years old, teaching herself to write games and fix computer bugs.
She has now been in Hull’s tech scene for 30 years, and is head of software development at Giacom.
Her career has seen her implement two controller-based systems into Dubai Airport, then sold the same system to Gatwick Airport.
She has also spearheaded the cloud.market implementation at Giacom, delivering new features, revamped the Office 365 journey and more.
Young Person in Tech
Sophie Dees - Sophie started at Reality Solutions at the age of 19 after a backpacking experience around Europe.
She rose through the ranks at the firm and took over Reality Solutions’ marketing.
Within the past four years, Sophie has implemented a social media strategy through four different digital marketing platforms, Google Ad-words and SERP Campaigns, re-branded Reality Solutions, created and maintained its website, and managed its marketing budget.
Brandon Ellis-Cairns – Brandon joined Vanilla as a trainee consultant straight out of college in Grimsby in 2014.
He spent his early years learning the basics of business systems technology. The last 12 months has been a stand-out year for Brandon. His skills have blossomed under the mentorship of Vanilla’s head of technology, Mike Hollifield.
Brandon has worked closely on expanding the digital footprint of Vanilla, and authored the firm’s Making Tax Digital software.
Courtney Farrow - Courtney Farrow began freelancing at the age of 20, the day after finishing her final exam for her History degree at the University of Hull in 2016.
Over the past three years, she has built Bloom Creative, which offers copywriting and digital marketing services to a wide range of local and national technology companies, including C4DI, KCOM, Brother 海角视频, Sonoco-Trident, Mattix Design Ltd, Upstream Health Ltd and Octovision Ltd.
Courtney works very closely with C4DI and Hull's digital and tech community, helping to plan, curate and create digital content for social media and the C4DI's weekly newsletter, which promotes the key news stories, tech jobs and events in the Humber region.
Matt Skelton – Matt has been a central cog in the Sypro business which has grown by more than 300 per cent in the last two years, doubling its product portfolio in the process.
In this time Matt has been responsible for building from scratch a talented software development team and a five-star customer service team.
He has done this whilst ensuring the accelerated growth of the company has no adverse effect on the quality of its software products or the quality of service.
Tech Start-up of the Year
Bombyx - Bombyx PLM was born out of the frustration of other Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems currently used in the fashion industry.
Lucy Blackley has worked with leading brands like Next and Arcadia Group,
Bombyx PLM ensures everything is in one place for a brand and team to be able to develop their product with very little stress by using the software right from concept, through to design, development and production.
Cloud Design Box - Cloud Design Box is changing the way education is delivered in the classroom with new unique industry disrupting technology by providing easy-to-use class collaboration tools, enabling individualised learning and extending the classroom.
The firm works with schools on delivering a long-term digital strategy to move to the cloud to make savings, increase user adoption and provide additional teaching and learning tools in the classroom.
Cloud Design Box has increased their turnover by 250 per cent in the last year with the team trebling in size and the customer base has grown to over 200 schools and multi-academy trusts with approximately over 300,000 users of the software in six countries.
Trade Chimp Management Solutions - Trade Chimp has created a job management software package designed specifically for tradespeople, which helps firms stay organised, cut down on admin and track performance.
The business has commenced a pilot scheme with national building merchant firm MKM which could lead to national roll out.
Many other significant sized deals are also in discussion stages including one with a large wholesale supplier with hundreds of store across the 海角视频 and US.
eCommerce Transactions Award
43 Clicks North - 43 Clicks North was appointed in February 2018 as the digital agency to Heat Insulation, a traditional insulation supplier and fitter of almost 30 years.
Working across all digital channels including SEO, PPC, social and email, 43 Clicks north has contributed to the growth of the business by increasing the size of their audience and significantly increasing the number of enquiries from the website in an industry that is traditionally offline.
With a targeted strategy focused both locally and nationally, Heat Insulation's website visitors increased by 335 per cent with onsite enquiries growing by a massive 692 per cent when comparing January to July 2018 and 2019.
Fuelmate - Part of J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd, a traditional family-owned business that’s been around since the late 1800s, Fuelmate is a fuel card reseller which has truly disrupted the industry.
In order to compete and grow the business during the last six months, Fuelmate has adapted its business model and revolutionised a traditional product by embracing digital technology.
Fuelmate has used technology to overcome challenges in the marketplace. Its new offering, which is digital at its core, will address problems faced by fleet managers up and down the country and provide a viable and attractive solution, something not available before now.
Vuba - Vuba is a ground-breaking disruptor in world of resin that has harnessed digital and used it to make a name for themselves.
Vuba supplies thousands of contractors and members of the public per year with resin based solutions for their home and garden.
To do this, it has created an all in one eCommerce platform where users can buy from a catalogue of over 400 products.
Vuba has been around for 10 years but since using the full benefits of digital has more than doubled its profits going from a 600k turnover per year to almost 2.5 million.
Use of Tech in a Traditional Business
Miller Graphics - Originally servicing the centuries old print industry, Miller Graphics had struggled with a negative balance sheet for almost a decade. In 2016 the business made the major decision to pivot into a total digital transformation.
The business now provides high-end CGI images, augmented and virtual reality services, and full product animations.
The transformation has resulted in double-digit growth driven by new clients, new services and a totally new approach to marketing the company.
Origin Pharma Packaging - Pioneers in global digital packaging, Origin has created Smart-i: a smart packaging technology to enable visibility of medicine products from the time they are created to the point of use or application.
Smart-i facilitates global traceability of both product status and location, and enables control within supply chains and e-vision to stakeholders.
The limitations of printed code has long since been exploited by counterfeiters around the world. Smart-i technology however makes this process completely impossible.
rradar - When asked about the legal sector, ‘traditional’ is the word that very often comes to people’s minds. It’s perceived as slow-moving, reluctant to change and a stranger to technology.
Since 2012, rradar has grown from a one-person start-up business to a tech-enhanced law company with over 130 staff based over four 海角视频 locations.
Today, it helps thousands of businesses, delivering legal services which are accessible, affordable and go further than conventional and traditional expectations.
Fastest Growth Tech Business of the Year
Giacom - Giacom is the fastest growing, reseller-only Cloud Service Provider (CSP) in the 海角视频.
Its portal, the Giacom Cloud Market, makes it easier for IT service providers to order, deliver, and manage world-leading cloud services for SMBs of all shapes and sizes.
In 2015, Giacom was one of the original six IT distributors to be chosen to become an Indirect CSP with Microsoft.
In the last three years, turnover at Giacom has almost tripled, with net profits up by over £1m.
rradar - Headquartered in the 海角视频, with four offices (Hull, Leeds, Glasgow and Birmingham) rradar is a specialist litigation and commercial law firm, self-funded and keen for expansion with further offices planned and significant turnover increases predicted.
Turnover since 2016 has more than doubled, with net profits up significantly in the same period.
rradar has also increased its staff base in the period from 66 to 113, as it looks to continue its impressive growth in years to come.
Sypro Management - Sypro is a privately-owned business based in the heart of Hull’s old town.
It develops software solutions which transform how businesses and industries work. In its early years Sypro focussed on the construction sector, resulting in its award-winning Contract Manager™ platform being used by almost every leading contractor in the 海角视频.
In the last two years, turnover at Sypro has grown 200 per cent, and the number of employees has risen from just three to 13.
Tech Team of the Year
Marketing Team at APD Communication - The marketing team at APD Communications comprises just three people – Rhiannon Beeson, Kathryn Jeffery and Jane Cross.
In addition to specific campaign activity, the team has capitalised on social media to accelerate growth. This year, it has delivered 1.4 million organic Twitter impressions and a further 400,000 on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Followers across all three channels have grown by over 160 per cent and engagement is three times higher than it was a year ago.
Successful campaigns have included the APD Control Room Awards – which made over half a million social media impressions – and the International Control Room Week, with posts using the hashtag #unsungheroes reaching 11 million impressions.
HBP Systems - The marketing team at HBP as catapulted its online presence, making the business the most visible online it has ever been.
HBP’s website has seen a 55 per cent increase in traffic, with a conversion and engagement increase of 1,185 per cent.
From this, the business has increased its potential web-generated profits, from new business alone, by 199 per cent since 2017.
Since the beginning of our last financial year, HBP’s marketing team has heavily invested time and resource into developing its online presence through digital marketing and specifically, PPC (Pay Per Click).
Sauce – Sauce develops cutting-edge IoT solutions, mobile applications and business software for a wide range of clients, including Nestlé, Ideal Boilers, Siemens Gamesa and the NHS.
“Every project is different, and we always start by considering the unique needs of each client before recommending the best software stack for the job,” Sauce said.
“Our clients view us as an extension of their internal tech team, rather than as an external agency.
“We’re proud of the tech solutions we have produced in close collaboration with our clients, and as we expand, we strive to maintain the same collaborative approach with each and every new project that comes our way.”
Tech Disruptor of the Year
Miller Graphics - Originally servicing the centuries old print industry, Miller Graphics had struggled with a negative balance sheet for almost a decade.
In 2016, the business made the major decision to pivot into a digital transformation and disrupt this oldest of industries.
Miller Graphics now provides extremely high end CGI images to replace product photography, full product animations, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality content to support new retail and immersive marketing.
Rockar Digital - Rockar has broken the traditional car dealership journey. It has developed a technology and platform which makes car buying as easy as ordering something on Amazon.
The platform integrates all aspects of a purchase journey - finance calculation, trade-in, test drive booking, stock selection, stock build, booking delivery dates, order tracking and digital documentation via customer account.
The technology is all about user experience and empowering customer to make the car purchase that is right for them.
Summit Performance Consulting Team - Any large retailer will tell you the importance of getting calendar events such as “Back to School”, right.
Summit has masterminded, scoped and built a proprietary self-serve tech platform, Purchase Predictor, to enable a retailer to obtain data-led recommendations to inform decision-making on product categories, promotional timings, marketing spend and merchandising.
The platform is constantly being adapted and added to with new data sources and with client feedback to ensure it remains ahead of the curve.
Leadership in Technology
Hayden Barton - Nerdonic is a company striving to take technology to its limits; previously this was with the development of the world’s smallest Arduino microcontroller the size of a five pence coin - The Exen Mini.
Now, a year later with an unbeaten record, Nerdonic has pushed these limits with its next development on mini computers; the Exen Micro, which has all the same power of the Exen Mini plus more I/O pins and features, but it’s now the size of a tic-tac.
So far tens of thoussnds of the mini Exen computers have been sold and used in anything from peoples’ personal projects to universities learning technology and programming, to people using them in robotics.
Joanne Dixon - Joanne Dixon began her career in tech in 1992 at the young age of sixteen when she joined business technology solutions provider, HBP Systems Ltd, as an apprentice under the Youth Training Scheme.
From her early years on the reception desk, Joanne’s drive to learn about the world of business and technology resulted in her working in nearly every department at the business, providing her with a unique perspective and skills set.
In 2007, she became the Managing Director of HBP, granting the wish of the ambitious teenager who turned to her MD and said, “I want to be you.”
Tom Tomlinson – Tom Tomlinson runs E-Learning Ark, a website which looks at how technology can, and is, shaping education.
Tom has made a big impression on Hull’s tech scene, and his passion and drive has landed him with a finalist spot in the Leadership in Technology category.
The entry for Tom described him as “a phenomenal leader in Technology with an extremely clear vision and passion.”
It said: “His imagination and drive are unfettered by any limitation that exists in technology.
“He is a role model and an extremely humble person. He is unassuming and loved by many.”
Tech Business of the Year
Giacom - Giacom is the fastest growing, reseller-only Cloud Service Provider (CSP) in the 海角视频. Its intuitive portal, the Giacom Cloud Market, makes it easy for IT service providers to order, deliver, and manage world-leading cloud services for SMBs of all shapes and sizes.
Since 1999, Giacom has always been a quick adopter of innovating technology. Its Hosted Exchange and Email Security products were built from the ground up at Victoria Dock in Hull, and are adopted by 115,000 users to date, making it one of the largest Hosted Exchange distributors in the 海角视频.
In 2015, Giacom is one of the original six IT distributors to be chosen to become an Indirect CSP with Microsoft.
Its partnership with Microsoft over the years has grown in strength. From Office 365 to Azure, it now has the highest share of Azure partners in the channel, resulting in the strongest growth Microsoft 海角视频 has seen to date.
Rockar Digital - Rockar’s founder, Simon Dixon built the 海角视频’s 3rd largest car retailer over a 20-year period.
After the sale of Dixon Motors PLC in 2004, Simon started to experience the car buying process from the customer’s side of the fence. He felt frustrated with the customer experience offered by the industry.
This inspired him to create a concept that would become a car buying game-changer: Rockar.com.
Rockar has developed a platform which makes car buying as easy as ordering something on Amazon.
The platform integrates all aspects of a purchase journey - finance calculation, trade-in, test drive booking, stock selection, stock build, booking delivery dates, order tracking and digital documentation via customer account.
Sypro Management - Sypro is a privately-owned business based in the heart of Hull’s old town.
It develops software solutions which transform how businesses and industries work. In its early years Sypro focussed on the construction sector, resulting in its award-winning Contract Manager™ platform being used by almost every leading contractor in the 海角视频.
In the last two years, turnover at Sypro has grown 200 per cent, and the number of employees has risen from just three to 13.
Earlier this year, Sypro also announced it had landed a huge contract working on a new £738m transport infrastructure project in Wales.
The project looks to improve bus and rail links for businesses, commuters and residents across the Cardiff region.
As part of the Transport for Wales scheme, Sypro’s Contract Manager software will help manage contracts and drive efficiency during the work.
Outstanding Contribution Award
Winner will be revealed at the awards ceremony.
What happens next?
The 2019 awards will take place at Fruit in Humber Street on Wednesday, October 2.
For tickets, and more information, visit .
Business Live's Hull & East Yorkshire journalist is Phil Winter, also the business editor at the Hull Daily Mail and Hull Live. You can follow Phil on Twitter @PhilWinterBiz, or on Linkedin by clicking . Alternatively, email him on philip.winter@reachplc.com, or call 01482 315360. Keep up to date with the latest business news in the Hull & Humber region here. Follow @HumberBizEd and @businesslive on TwitterHow to contact Phil Winter and Business Live