Northern excellence again took centre stage last night as the winners of the Prolific North Tech Awards 2025 were announced at a packed ceremony at The Radisson Edwardian, Manchester.
Bringing together founders, innovators, product teams and digital leaders from across the region, the awards shone a spotlight on the organisations and individuals pushing the North’s tech sector forward, set against the spectacular backdrop of the former Free Trade Hall — once the site of Bob Dylan’s infamous 1966 “Judas!” moment and the Sex Pistols’ era-defining 1976 show that helped ignite Manchester’s punk and post-punk scene.
The 250 or so Tech Awards attendees may be less familiar in music circles than their guitar-toting predecessors, but their pedigree in the city’s burgeoning tech landscape is no less formidable. From AI-driven solutions and accessible digital products to high-growth scale-ups and standout talent, this year’s event showcased the breadth and impact of innovation taking place across the region.
READ MORE: ‘Promising’ new measures for scale-ups: Northern tech leaders react to Autumn Budget 2025
The awards are designed to celebrate the organisations, teams and individuals contributing to the North’s tech growth and this year’s shortlist reflected one of the most competitive fields yet.
Celebrating Northern brilliance
This year’s winners were selected by an experienced judging panel drawn from across the UK tech and investment ecosystem. The panel included senior figures such as Marie Hamilton (Microsoft), Dr Elizabeth Young (Par Equity), George Mensah (Sure Valley Ventures), Naomi Timperley (Tech North Advocates) and Katherine Megson (Bruntwood SciTech), alongside leaders from organisations including techUK, MHA, Baltic Ventures and Dynamo North East.
The event was supported by category sponsors including Colony, MLP Solicitors, Beyond Echo PR, Bruntwood SciTech, Gateley, Better Placed, The Eastern Blok, The Growth Company and Forbes Solicitors.
The Prolific North Tech Awards 2025: The Winners
Tech Start-up of the Year
Winner: Periphery
Highly commended: audioadpro
Also nominated:
Birl
Chapter 2 Dating Ltd
Harker
moneyappi
Novidian
Origin Matters
Pet Trust UK
Sum Vivas Ltd
Sponsored by Bruntwood SciTech
Tech Company of the Year: Small
Winner: Anumana
Also nominated:
EPIC.LAN
moneyappi
Outlier Technology
The Curve
Transfer Travel
Sponsored by Better Placed
Tech Company of the Year: Medium
Winner: Tribepad
Also nominated:
Answer Digital
Voicescape
Sponsored by Forbes Solicitors
Tech Company of the Year: Large
Winner: Apadmi
Also nominated:
Nexus Vehicle Rental
tombola
Sponsored by The Eastern Blok
SaaS Company of the Year
Winner: Summize
Also nominated:
Notify Technology
Syrenis
Tribepad
Sponsored by MLP Solicitors
Best Client Support Team
Winner: AND Digital
Also nominated:
34SP.com
Tech Hub of the Year
Winner: Lancashire Digital Hub
Also nominated:
ANS
Exchange Accelerator
SDK.finance
Tech Agency of the Year
Winner: Apadmi
Highly commended: Leighton
Also nominated:
Cantarus
Best Workplace
Winner: Answer Digital
Also nominated:
Colewood Digital
Leighton
App of the Year
Winner: Aspire Software Systems
Highly commended: Apadmi & Unite Students
Also nominated:
moneyappi
Pharmacy2U
Sponsored by Colony
Tech for Good
Winner: Pharmacy2U – Healthy Heart Study
Highly commended: AUDITSU – App Accessibility Scanning Engine
Also nominated:
EcoTechX Limited – Solr2WAter
In-House Health Limited – The M.E.T.A Programme
San Digital – Measurement Based Care
Numodo & Benromach – Raising a Dram to Sustainability
Pathway Digital Products – Digital Product Passports for the Circular Economy
Recite Me – Making the Web Work for Everyone
Simanalytica – DECODE-Corby
Transfer Travel – Turning Wasted Travel into Shared Value
Sponsored by Colony
Tech Innovation of the Year
Winner: CHIME – Built for the Network Operator
Also nominated:
Digital Capability Exchange UK – A smarter, more sustainable way to access top tech talent
moneyappi – a new frontier for Financial Wellbeing
Space & Time – From Fragmented to Future-Ready: How Ignition Powers Smarter Growth in Property Marketing
Sponsored by GM Business Growth Hub
Best Use of AI
Winner: Voicescape & Stockport Homes – A Need for Smarter Income Collection
Also nominated:
Lloyds Banking Group – AI Driven Knowledge Management
Prolific Tech Rising Star
Winner: Camelia Popa – Corlytics
Also nominated:
Aden Chapman – tombola
Ephraim Jones – Elementary Studios
Jakub Szamuk – Parallax
Kathryn Dale – Burendo
Olly Hobson – Cloudax
Tom Holt – Answer Digital
Sponsored by Gateley
Tech Founder of the Year
Winner: James Barber – Harker/Jamescape
Also nominated:
Felix Robinson – Pet Trust UK
Josh Baker – Syntho
Muhammad Wakil Shahzad – EcoTechX
Tech Female Entrepreneur
Winner: Nicky Wake – Chapter 2
Also nominated:
Hazel Savage – Syntho
Helen Stewart – Colewood Digital
Sponsored by Beyond Echo PR
Winner: Tim Lewis – Planet Sport
Also nominated:
Adam Binks – Syrenis
Francesca Grey – Answer Digital
James Bunting – Leighton
James Hall – Parallax
Liz Scott MBE – Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester
Richard Thompson – ANS
Richard West – Red Flag Alert
