Newcastle tech company hedgehog lab is creating 50 new jobs through its expansion into Yorkshire.
The business, launched in 2007, works with high-profile brands including Aviva, AJ Bell, Deliveroo and Tesco Bank, delivering digital products using user experience research, design, artificial intelligence, cloud and data science knowledge.
The firm, which moved into One Strawberry Lane last year, has seen significant growth over the last two years, on the back of a £6m BGF investment brokered in April 2023, the same month it acquired app-development firm Netsells, which almost doubled the size of Hedgehog Lab overnight to “turbocharge” growth of the enlarged group.
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Now the company, which now has 120 staff, has launched a new office in Leeds as part of its growth model. It said the new Leeds hub, based in Whitehall Quay, will employ 50 people, and serve as key delivery hub to complement its Newcastle head office and sales hubs in London and Boston, US. Sarat Pediredla, CEO, said the expansion is the first step in a wider plan to establish additional hubs across the North West and Scotland in the near future.
The new office announcement comes as the firm announces its most significant growth in nearly two decades after seeing a 70% lift in sales in the last quarter.
Malcolm Seagrave, 海角视频 managing director, and Ryan Scaife, CFO, will be based in the new Leeds hub. The company is currently recruiting across Newcastle and Leeds, with a flexible hybrid working model requiring employees to be within 30 miles of their respective hubs.
Mr Pediredla said: “Our record-breaking growth is a testament to the expertise and dedication of our team. We don’t just build digital products—we craft cutting-edge, scalable solutions that empower businesses to stay ahead of the curve. Expanding into Leeds marks a significant milestone, reinforcing our commitment to investing in top-tier talent and innovation across the North of England.”
The firm has previously focused on private financial and healthcare sectors but has been targeting public sector contracts following its multimillion-pound investment from BGF.
Last year the tech consultancy was enlisted to design and build a new platform for TeachMateAI, an AI-powered solution to help teachers to improve their wellbeing by drastically reducing their workload. In October of last year the firm also revealed its role in designing and building the digital platform Akord AI, an AI-powered platform for peacebuilders. The product was launched in Sudan, where it is helping peace negotiators in the country’s ongoing civil war.