Innovators shine at 2023 Thames Valley Tech Awards

The 2023 Thames Valley Tech Awards showcased an impressive line-up of outstanding local businesses across 11 categories. Reaction Engines triumphed as Thames Valley Tech Company of the Year, while Wireless Logic and Brainomix were both double winners.

Held at Reading’s Select Car Leasing Stadium, the awards toasted “shining examples” of the diversity of technology businesses in the Thames Valley. Many businesses that started up in the region are now global leaders in their fields.

Richard Thompson, Managing Director of event organiser The Business Magazine, praised the scope of companies in the awards.

“We wanted to make sure that the awards ranged across as many fields as possible and truly reflected the diverse nature of tech in the Thames Valley,” he said.

Entries came from software developers, telecoms providers, hardware suppliers and manufacturers, cloud solutions companies, science-based businesses, people working in artificial intelligence, and others working in the field of space technology.

Thompson added: “The finalists go from start-ups and scale-ups to very well-established veterans of the game.”

The Headline Sponsor at this year's awards was Gresham House Ventures and category sponsors were Boyes Turner, NatWest, EY, BDO, Blake Morgan, Penningtons Manches Cooper, R3VAMP, Trueleads and biznews.

Lucy Porter, the comedian, podcaster, playwright and a regular on BBC Radio 4, returned for a second year to host the evening.

On the night, £3,900 was donated by generous guests for Special Effect. The Charlbury-based charity helps transform the lives of physically disabled people right across the world through the innovative use of technology.

And the winners are...

Cyber Security Company of the Year

Winner: Bridewell

“Organisations and their infrastructures are struggling with the increase in cyber threats, so demand for our services has increased. This, combined with our reputation as a strong employer that is focused on developing our staff has culminated in us being one of the fastest-growing cyber businesses. Another factor is that we try to be like an extension of our customers’ organisations. We make sure we are listening to them, which I think can be overlooked. We are not just delivering cyber solutions but also helping them to evolve. We are giving them what they want rather than what we think they need. One of our latest developments is cyber threat intelligence research which we use to prioritise attacks.” Scott Nicholson, Co-CEO

Finalists:

• CyberCrowd

• Cydea

• Falanx Cyber

• UTP Merchant Services

• Xeretec

International Tech Company of the Year

Winner: Wireless Logic Group

“We are expanding in Europe, Asia and the US by acquiring high-growth business start-ups. We add them to our business by working collaboratively. Our approach is to leave them as they are because the reason we bought them was we liked their culture. At the same time, we also integrate them so they feel part of our company. Our global expansion has been about following demand. Around 200 of our staff are in the UK out of a total workforce of about 500.” Rachel Stedman, Group Human Resources Manager, Tracey Sullivan, Group Learning and Development Manager

Finalists:

• Eseye

• ESP Global Services

• IgniteData

• IRIS Software Group

• Navtech Radar

Innovative Tech Company of the Year

Winner: Brainomix

“We started as a University of Oxford spin-off and our first commercial AI-based software for stroke treatment was available in 2016. In the last few years, we've seen major and broad adoption of the software. Our software takes a brain scan and in one minute generates outputs that allow physicians to understand where the stroke is and how severe it is. When the clock is ticking and physicians have to make decisions very quickly they have found our software makes them more confident and allowed them to take faster actions that give patients better outcomes. We are now using the technology to treat lung fibrosis.” Jeff Wyrtzen, Chief Marketing Officer

Finalists:

• ALL.SPACE

• Eden Research

• Oxford nanoSystems

• QBox Corp

• SafeToNet

Sustainable Tech Company of the Year

Winner: Wirth Research

“Our next-generation refrigeration technology uses our EcoBlade. It is fitted to the edge of the shelf of a supermarket's open refrigerator display cabinet and limits the flow of cold air that goes into the aisle. It pays back within two years so has a strong competitive advantage. We’re rolling it out to more supermarkets. We're also developing the AirDoor. It's an air curtain around an entrance with sensors inside and out that measure the wind coming to the building and ramps airflow up and down to improve interior comfort. It removes the need for an overdoor heater. It is being trialled by a number of major brands.” Mark Fieldsend, Finance Director, Rob Roswell, Engineering Director

Highly commended: Eden Research

“2023 has been a good year for us as we achieved several important commercial and regulatory milestones. Progress has been seen in the number of new markets we have entered, the growing number of crop uses for our first two products, significant development progress on our next two products, and increased year-on-year sales growth. We are pleased to have unveiled our new sustainable seed treatment, Ecovelex, which will be applied to maize seeds to help protect this valuable crop from significant damage caused by birds, helping farmers to maintain their yields and manage their costs. This project is the result of three years of intensive development alongside our partner, Corteva Agriscience. The registration process is now underway with regulatory applications submitted in the UK and EU. We are working closely with the regulators and Corteva to bring this product to market as soon as possible.” CEO Sean Smith

Finalists:

• MSC Rental Software

• measurable.energy

Emerging Tech Company of the Year

Winner: SafeToNet

“We’re thrilled to win. Our growth is being driven by new technology developed by Jesse Nicholson, our Chief Technology Officer. Our technology is keeping kids safe online by avoiding seeing or carrying out things they are going to regret. We have had lots of positive feedback from parents, including one couple who thanked us for helping to save their child’s life. We think our technology is unique as it can block video of child abuse taken in real time. The technology is being adopted in the UK and the US, but it’s a worldwide problem that we need to solve.” Ted Hailey, Chief Finance Officer

Finalists:

• ALL.SPACE

• Eseye

• measurable.energy

• Tapeeno

Tech Employer of the Year

Winner: FSP Consulting Services

“Our values and people orientation has always been really important for us. We’ve realised that being a purpose-led, values-led company has given us rocket fuel and momentum that we didn’t expect but are really proud of. We have a human and inclusivity aspect coupled with excellence and ambition. The two sides are not mutually exclusive. Being in a profitable company that’s thriving is amazing, but doing the right thing is also really important to us. Our new headquarters in Reading has been impactful – our heart is in the Thames Valley.” Simon Grosse, CEO

Finalists:

• IRIS Software Group

• Perspectum

• Planet-IT

• Reaction Engines

• Wireless Logic Group

Tech SME of the Year

Winner: measurable.energy

“Our turnover has increased significantly following Series A fundraising that allows us to expand and grow. The combination of hardware, software and machine learning in our plug sockets allows companies to automatically detect what is plugged in and where they can make savings. People are often shocked by how much they are spending on small power and by how cost-effective our system is. The payback period is less than a year. We’re looking to expand in Europe this year and the US at the end of next year.” Josh Eadie, Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer

Finalists:

• 1-Fix

• Cydea

• Oxford BioTherapeutics

• Oxford nanoSystems

• The School Photography Company

High Growth Tech Company of the Year

Winner: AVK-SEG

“We’ve concentrated in the last four or five years on building strong client relationships and partnerships with companies like Rolls Royce. As demand for cloud storage has grown our power back-up services have expanded in line with that. We’ve expanded recently in Europe, particularly in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Cyprus. We have moved from using a lot of subcontractors to making acquisitions that bring the skills we need in-house. We’re also moving away from diesel generators to gas and battery storage so we can provide greener solutions.” Stephanie Dean, Services Contract Manager, Jon Norris, Head of Human Resources

Finalists:

• CV- Library

• MSC Rental

• Square Health

• WorkBuzz

Life Sciences & Health Tech Company of the Year

Winner: Brainomix

“Winning this award reflects the pioneering work we are doing with AI in stroke treatment. We’ve taken the technology from a concept to something that has been clinically adopted in the UK, with the government very supportive of our rollout. We have recognised great opportunities in Europe, where we have had success in the last couple of years. In February, we achieved US Food and Drug Administration clearance which allows us to enter the US market. Having an Oxford heritage that is very much grounded in scientific and academic excellence is something the US market recognises.” Jeff Wyrtzen, Chief Marketing Officer

Finalists:

• IgniteData

• iLOF

• OMass Therapeutics

• Oxford BioTherapeutics

• RSSL

Tech Leadership Team of the Year

Winner: Wireless Logic Group

“The biggest thing for us is how our CEO Oliver Tucker leads the business. It’s hard to put into words, but he is the culture of the business and the leadership team follows his example. He wants everyone to have a great career and be engaged at work. He makes sure everyone is taken care of. Our senior leadership team of four has an extended team of around 18 globally. Oliver and the senior management team visit all newly acquired businesses to meet everyone and talk about our plans. It’s a very open leadership team with good communications.” Rachel Stedman, Group Human Resources Manager, Tracey Sullivan, Group Learning and Development Manager

Finalists:

• FSP Consulting Services

• IgniteData

• IRIS Software Group

• Roc Technologies

Thames Valley Tech Company of the Year

Winner: Reaction Engines

“Our growth plan is happening faster than expected. It’s being driven by the thermal management technology we have developed and the people we have recruited. They are amazing. We’ve attracted investment and have some fantastic backers supporting our growth. With that comes the ability to attract talent. Diversity and inclusivity is a massive part of our business – it underpins everything we do. Having a diverse workforce gives you that edge over other companies. Our workforce allows us to grow quickly and develop our technology.” Mark Wood, Chief Operating Officer

Finalists:

• Brainomix

• Bridewell

• CV-Library

• Eseye

• Oxford BioTherapeutics

• SafeToNet