A Northumberland robotics firms and a Sunderland clean energy company have raced into a league table championing the fast-growing tech firms in the 海角视频.
The Sunday Times will this weekend publish the 19th Hiscox Tech Track 100 league table, ranking the 海角视频鈥檚 private technology, media and telecoms companies with the fastest-growing sales.
No firms from the region made it into last year鈥檚 list, but two firms this year feature in the top 100 鈥 Tharsus, based in Blyth, and Wearside鈥檚 Hyperdrive Innovation 鈥 having grown their sales by an average of 75% a year over three years to 拢58m.
Tharsus鈥 inclusion at number 79 comes three months after it was named Company of the Year at the North East Business Awards, topping a year of huge growth in conjunction with its work designing and manufacturing autonomous robotic machinery for the likes of Ocado.
The firm, which employs 264 people, exports the advanced machines to 14 countries worldwide and last year saw sales top 拢51.2m. Sales have grown by an average of 61% over the last three years.
Brian Palmer, CEO of Tharsus, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to join some of the 海角视频 most exciting businesses on this list, with the growth we have achieved the new opportunities that we have secured for the future.
鈥淭hese are a reflection of both strong customer need for our products and services and the high standards to which our team engages and executes.
鈥淲e are continuing to make substantial upfront investment in people, facilities and equipment underlining our confidence in the future as we move forward with a widening customer base.鈥
The other new entrant is Sunderland鈥檚 Hyperdrive Innovation, which supplies lithium-ion battery systems, used in the likes of JCB鈥檚 construction machinery.
Sales grew to 拢7.3m this year, driven by demand for cleaner energy technology.
The company, which employs 40 people, has seen sales have grow by 90% over the last three years, and it ranks at number 40 in the league table.
Dr Dave Sandells, chief technical officer at Hyperdrive, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a fantastic achievement for Hyperdrive to be recognised as one of the fastest growing technology companies in the 海角视频 and one of only two based here in the North East.
鈥淚ncreasing demand for our battery technology has seen us grow our customer base on an international scale as we partner with some of the world鈥檚 largest brands on their electrification journeys. In the near future we鈥檙e very much looking forward to further strengthening our IP library and continuing to develop new and innovative technologies.鈥
North East pioneers and innovators
The companies appear alongside the likes of digital banking services provider Revolut, cybersecurity developer Darktrace, and currency transfer provider TransferWise. Past stars range from travel search engine Skyscanner, which was bought by Ctrip, China鈥檚 largest travel company, for 拢1.4bn in 2016, to online supermarket and tech company Ocado, now floated at a market cap of 拢8.6bn.
The Tech Track 100 is sponsored by Hiscox, Barclays, BDO, BGF and N+1 Singer, and compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Bob Thaker, chief executive of Hiscox 海角视频, added: 鈥淭ech companies have once again proved their mettle as they continue to power up growth and innovation. Hats off to all the companies that have made it onto this year鈥檚 Tech Track 100.鈥
