2024 has been quite the year for Cheltenham's technology and digital innovation provider Emerge Digital.
In the last 12 months, the firm has increased its overall turnover by 30 per cent and customer base by 26 per cent.
Its latest £500,000 contracts have contributed to 84 per cent growth for the innovation arm of Emerge Digital’s business, which covers new, cutting-edge technologies such as AI and automation.
Buoyed up with confidence, the new projects are contributing towards Emerge Digital’s two-year growth plan to double its revenue by mid-2026.
Recent figures show the south west is one of the leading, emerging regions for tech in the UK. It's home to the fifth largest tech sector of the 12 major regions in the UK, just below Bristol which is the fourth-most-popular UK city for startups outside of London.
South west businesses including Everhot in Dursley, The HR Dept in Bristol, Green Gourmet in Painswick, Bannister Transport near Evesham, 4R Group in Newent, Blueprint Project Solutions in Stonehouse, and Cheltenham's DEYA Brewing Company are the latest in the region to undergo digital transformation projects with the support of Emerge Digital.
Firms including BWS Group, Lakes Showering Spaces in Tewkesbury, Frog Environmental, H&H Distribution and Constructing Excellence South West, have signed-up for ongoing IT support contracts too.
From AI adoption and app development to customer relationship management updates and IT support, the new installations are designed to update and improve processes, products and outcomes for the businesses and their customers.
CEO of Emerge Digital, Nigel Church, said: 'We’ve had a really good year driven by a demand among businesses in the region to adopt new, emerging technologies.
'We’ve helped these businesses to deliver against their ambition to digitalise, improving the way they operate and giving them the tools to service their customers effectively.'
Managing director of 4R Group, Jon Smith, said: 'As a sustainable waste recycling company, it’s crucial we provide transparency to our customers, especially those operating in fields like farming.
'Emerge Digital is helping us build an app which automates the generation of reports around soil assessments and soil health, a key tool which will support farmers to meet regulatory requirements.'
Chief operating officer of DEYA Brewing Company, John Lord, said: 'Since we began working with Emerge Digital, they have helped us not only to modernise and improve our IT, but also to consider new technology which could streamline our operations, in the brewery, in the taproom and online.
'They are currently helping us with process automation and transformation, to find ways to boost efficiency and therefore profitability.'
