Subscribe to the daily newsletter.

The Prolific North Top 75 Tech & eCommerce Companies 2020

top75techecommerce

Welcome to the Prolific North Top 75 Tech and eCommerce Companies for 2020, the benchmark ranking of who’s succeeding in one of the North’s most successful sectors.

A sneak preview of the list was provided at yesterday evening’s webinar, which was sponsored by Bruntwood SciTech, as well as sponsoring the Top 75 list.

Our audience came together to enjoy a fascinating virtual fireside chat to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities for the tech world in 2020 and beyond, then find out who was on the Tech & eCommerce list.

It was compiled by Mustard Research, our independent research partners, who drew on financial information and supporting data to create the full ranking.

 





Yesterday’s webinar was hosted by Prolific North Editor David Prior, who was joined by Bruntwood SciTech – Manchester Managing Director Tom Renn, Tootoot Co-founder Michael Brennan, and TalkTalk Business Head of Enterprise New Business Gabriel Dooris.

The tech leaders discussed what has been happening throughout the COVID crisis, and what’s on the horizon. Conversation covered the challenges and opportunities created by the pandemic. They discussed:

  • Working on and pushing through new elements and innovations.
  • How certain businesses have continued to grow while others have struggled – and why what’s stood out the most has been resilience.
  • Tips for founders and owners on valuing and empowering their people.
  • The rise in importance of flexibility, and how it’s helped companies survive and thrive.
  • How demand for tech will change when restrictions lift – with many widely having transitioned to a fully digital lifestyle, people will now expect many technologies to stay for convenience.
  • The uptake and rollout of 5G, and the exciting telecommunications innovations on the horizon.
  • How the COVID crisis has accelerated innovation and implementation of digital transformation by three years or more.

Hear the conversation in full and watch the full Tech & eCommerce webinar, sponsored by Bruntwood SciTech, right here:



Summary

Manchester has cemented its reputation as the leading destination for tech outside the capital, with companies based there taking the lion’s share of the Top 75 ranking, highlighting its national and international influence as a hub for online retail and technology.

Bet365 Group, which was founded in Stoke in 2000 and has grown to become one of the UK’s largest betting and gaming companies, is at pole position once again, outpacing its nearest challenger by more than £500 million in turnover.

Three names which can boast a particularly successful year, helping them climb the list, are Godel Technologies (up 13 places to 55), Pharmacy2u (up 11 places to 43), and Blue Prism Group (up 12 places to 31). Also climbing high this year are Tombola, rising to number 29, and PrettyLittleThing, rising to number 14.


Key findings:

  • The average turnover for the entire Top 75 was £327 million, while for the Top 10 the average was an enormous £1.69 billion.
  • Bet365 Group has bolstered its turnover over the course of just one year by more than £200 million, to reach £3.06 billion.
  • Once again, software companies have the stroingest representation. 16% of the list is software firms, whose average turnover is £206.5 million. 
  • Companies’ revenue has increased by an average of around 9% compared to 2019. Overall employment in the region’s tech sector has remained stable despite conditions, growing by about 1% since last year.

The Prolific North Top 75 Tech & eCommerce Companies 2020

Sponsored by Bruntwood SciTech

2019 ranking in brackets

Ranking
Company
Activity
Location
Employee Count
Turnover
(£000s)
1 (1)
Bet365 Group
Gaming technology
Stoke-On-Trent
4,646
3,063,651
2 (2)
Radius Payment Solutions
Fleet services
Crewe
1,000
2,488,800
3 (5)
ARRIS
Telecommunications
Shipley
8,483
2,143,500
4 (3)
The Very Group
eCommerce
Liverpool
2,534
2,013,500
5 (4)
Sage
Software
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
12,643
1,936,000
6 (6)
TalkTalk
Telecommunications
Salford
2,288
1,569,000
7 (8)
The Hut Group
eCommerce
Manchester
7,000
1,140,000
8 (7)
Booking.com
Comparison website
Manchester
1,626
955,096
9 (9)
AO World
eCommerce
Bolton
3,110
902,500
10 (12)
Daisy Group
Telecommunications
Nelson
3,500
675,700
11 (10)
BetFred
Gaming technology & software development
Warrington
1,908
621,376
12 (14)
Boohoo
eCommerce
Manchester
2,352
434,565
13 (13)
Plusnet
Telecommunications
Sheffield
1,678
417,687
14 (22)
PrettyLittleThing
eCommerce
Manchester
323
374,445
15 (17)
Auto Trader Group
Automotive
Manchester
859
355,100
16 (15)
Moneysupermarket
Comparison website
Chester
803
350,100
17 (18)
KCOM Group
Telecommunications 
Hull
1,536
281,637
18 (19)
NCC Group
Cyber security
Manchester
1,850
250,700
19 (21)
Buy it Direct
Online Retailer
Huddersfield
396
248,779
20 (11)
Ebuyer.com
eCommerce
Barton-upon-Humber
250
190,467
21 (16)
Communisis
Integrated business services
Leeds
2,106
188,600
22 (20)
Missguided
eCommerce
Manchester
650
186,878
23 (23)
Emis Group
Healthcare
Leeds
1,109
159,500
24 (27)
True Potential
Financial Services
Newcastle Upon Tyne
157
144,923
25 (24)
GB Group
Identity data
Chester
1,000
143,504
26 (28)
BJSS
Software
Leeds
775
140,185
27 (25)
Hocomm
Software
York
132
139,319
28 (29)
Chess
Utilities
Alderley Edge
523
107,419
29 (34)
Tombola
Gaming technology
Sunderland
300
104,431
30 (26)
Nycomm
Travel Retailer
Manchester
370
103,185
31 (43)
Blue Prism Group
Robotic process automation
Newton-Le-Willows
1,001
101,000
32 (33)
Redcentric
Hosting services
Harrogate
466
93,260
33 (35)
Entertainment Magpie
eCommerce
Stockport
750
88,720
34 (32)
Beauty Bay
eCommerce
Salford
307
87,739
35 (36)
SSP Topco
Software
Halifax
773
85,273
36 (38)
Parcel2GO.com
Comparison website
Bolton
209
82,706
37 (37)
K3 Business Technologies
Supply chain solutions
Salford
687
78,412
38 (39)
Paymentshield
Insurance and Protection
Southport
250
73,869
39 (31)
On The Beach
Travel Retailer
Manchester
504
73,384
40 (40)
Ikonic Technology
IT Distributor
Heywood
39
72,419
41 (44)
PC Specialist
Computer Assembly
Wakefield
55
£66,281
42 (41)
Celerity
IT
Preston
43
63,176
43 (54)
Pharmacy2u
Healthcare
Leeds
200
60,672
44 (47)
Proactis
Software
Wetherby
498
54,140
45 (45)
UKFast
Server solutions
Manchester
350
53,942
46 (50)
Proact IT UK
IT
Chesterfield
250
53,127
47 (42)
CDL Group
Software
Stockport
620
52,931
48 (48)
Mobica Holdings
Software
Wilmslow
867
51,628
49 (49)
Helical Industries
Property rental
Lytham St Annes
288
50,657
50 (46)
ANS Group
IT
Manchester
267
50,414
51 (56)
Tracsis
Transport
Leeds
450
49,216
52 (51)
Rockar 2016
Consultancy and system development
York
77
47,855
53 (52)
Desk Top Publishing Micro Systems
IT
Leeds
137
47,777
54 (57)
Atom Bank
Financial Services
Durham
379
37,966
55 (68)
Godel Technologies
Software
Manchester
1,000
35,594
56 (64)
Giacom World Networks
Cloud Services
Hessle
42
35,466
57 (58)
Technology Services Group
IT
Newcastle Upon Tyne
350
34,519
58 (61)
Pure Technology Group
IT services
Pudsey
370
32,980
59 (55)
M247
Data centre
Manchester
147
31,503
60 (60)
Beyond Trust
Software
Manchester
21
29,464
61 (67)
Zoo Digital Group
Subtitling and dubbing provider
Sheffield
200
28,818
62 (73)
Cloud Technology Solutions
IT services/Software
Manchester
76
26,144
63 (63)
Love Energy Savings
Comparison website
Bolton
249
25,755
64 (72)
Performance Horizon
IT
Newcastle Upon Tyne 
181
24,094
65 (65)
Centriq Group
IT
Blackpool
132
23,566
66 (70)
Aspire Technology Solutions
Computer consultancy
Gateshead
130
23,276
67 (66)
MDS CEM
Software
Warrington
220
23,056
68 (69)
Digital ID Group
ID printing
Stockport
49
21,599
69 (71)
ITPS
IT services
Gateshead
124
19,767
70 (74)
Hybrid Services
Printing services
Crewe
38
17,767
71 (75)
Surpass
IT software
Shipley
151
17,734
72 (-)
Bigchange
Workforce management software
Leeds
136
11,206
73 (59)
Team17
Video game developer
Wakefield
200
1,413
74 (30)
Evolution Funding
Financial Services
Chesterfield
Information reviewing 31/10
Information reviewing 31/10
75 (62)
Payzone UK
Payment services
Northwich
Information reviewing 31/10
Information reviewing 31/10

Related News