Hampshire-based blue light supplier Opses eyeing further growth
A rapidly growing tech firm from Hampshire, which supplies emergency service vehicles, is poised for further growth and to expand in Europe, supported by a funding package from Lloyds bank.
Opses, which designs and installs software into police cars and ambulances, has already doubled its turnover in 2023 to £1.4 million and is planning to boost its 12-strong workforce by more than 50%.
The company integrates controls for vehicles into a main touchscreen display, which reduces driver distraction, and is an improvement on previous systems, where such controls were screwed into the dashboard, which risked obstructing air bags and was more difficult to use at high speed.
It currently works with 11 police forces across the UK, including Surrey, Sussex and Gwent, as well as two fire services.
The firm is also significant traction in the ambulance sector. Across the blue light market, it is used in over 1,200 vehicles.
Opses is now working with Australia's police and ambulance services to roll out its tech across the country and also plans to expand in Europe following a successful pilot with 100 police fleet in Antwerp, Belgium.
The company is also targeting growth beyond the emergency services sector, following a successful trial with the RAC in the UK.
"The UK’s police officers, paramedics and fire response crews deal with high-intensity situations every day, and the last thing they need are distracting controls while driving at high speed," said Tom Haye, managing director at Opses.
"We want to help them reach incidents and communicate in emergencies safely and efficiently."
He added: "Lloyds Bank’s support has been invaluable, as we’ve had to take time to develop the tech which meets the blue light service’s needs. We're at that point now and I’m excited for what the future holds."
Meanwhile, Tim Gall, relationship manager at Lloyds, which provided funding for ongoing product research and development, said: "For every problem there is an innovative start-up waiting to be created and provide a solution.
"Opses is a great example of a business born out of a need for safer, easier-to-use technology and its recent rapid growth shows how well it’s delivering that.
"Tom and the team have taken great care to research, develop and refine its tech, working hand-in-hand with blue light services across the country.
"It’s now cementing itself as the go-to tech partner for police, ambulance and fire organisations across the world and we’ll continue to be by Opses side as it accelerates its growth."
Opses' next focus is on developing technology to improve situational awareness in major emergencies, connecting video feeds and live information to responders and senior commanders through touch screen integration solutions before they arrive on the scene.
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