The Manchester-based technology company has seen rapid expansion since its inception in 2012.
Manchester-based technology company, Purple, has signed its 1000th client, with the milestone marking ten years since it was first established.
Over the past decade, the WiFi specialist has expanded into 110 countries and after starting with a team of 12, it now boasts a global headcount of 115, welcoming 22 new starters in 2022 alone.
Backed by Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO of Tesco, Purple embarked on a rapid growth trajectory in 2015, with the aim of becoming the ultimate tool for businesses to keep up with the pace of digital innovation. A year later, Purple had reached 10 million WiFi users and, to-date has seen more than 15 billion visits across over 50,000 venues.
The North-West company began with just one type of WiFi hardware and now offers 157 hardware types – with an average of 748,000 users connecting to WiFi through Purple every day.
In 2017 Purple received a £5.4 million recruitment investment and relocated its UK headquarters to Oldham, as well as an additional UK hub in Bracknell, Berkshire.
Earlier this year, Purple welcomed former Executive Vice President (EVP) of Cisco, Chris Dedicoat, to the board as a non-executive director. Drawing on his 25 years of industry experience, Dedicoat is supporting Purple through a new period of strategic growth, which will see expansion into specific sectors and new territories worldwide.
Gavin Wheeldon, CEO of Purple, commented: “We’ve come a long way over the past decade and are extremely proud of our growth in this time – and achieving the 1000-client milestone is a great way to mark this success.
Our people are our best asset and this year alone, we were able to welcome 22 new starters to the team. Our fully remote working model allows us to recruit the very best talent from across the globe, ensuring we’re always ahead of the curve.
“The uncertainty of the economic landscape is putting pressure on businesses and consumers alike. Whilst there isn’t a one ‘fix-all’ solution, embracing the capabilities of technology will enable businesses to set themselves apart from their competitors.”
Founded out of frustration for poor guest WiFi connection, Purple works with businesses across a huge number of sectors including healthcare, retail, hospitality, leisure and transport to implement smart technology solutions which help bolster businesses.
Wheeldon continues: “When we set up Purple in 2012, our aim was to help businesses expand the capabilities of their existing tech to enhance visitor experience, optimise safety and ultimately drive revenue. Since then, we’ve continued to adapt and innovate to find new ways businesses can turn their venues into intelligent tech hubs.”
From facilitating hyper-personalised communication with customers to tracking valuable assets, Purple’s solutions provide businesses with a complete view of what is happening in real time, enabling them to make informed decisions and drive meaningful interactions.
Purple recently launched a new asset tracking platform aimed at helping the NHS reduce the £300m of medicine wasted every year and speed up operation waiting times.
The launch strengthens Purple’s ‘Intelligent Healthcare’ offering, created to help increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve patient experience for healthcare organisations in both the UK’s NHS and the USA’s healthcare system.
Wheeldon concludes: “Here at Purple, we will continue to support our clients in every way we can, implementing solutions that drive the best results for them.”
