27 July 2022: Manchester-based fintech company Planixs has reported annual recurring revenue growth of 185% as a result of record customer acquisition and expansion into key international financial markets over the last two years.

Founded in 2011, BGF-backed Planixs works with global financial institutions including Lloyds Banking Group, LBBW, Nord/LB and Scotiabank to provide Realiti® – a leading cloud-based technology suite that delivers real-time cash, collateral and liquidity management solutions to the financial services industry.

Realiti® provides firms with instant, real-time visibility and insight, allowing them to optimise their cash and liquidity and comply with regulatory requirements. It helps organisations to ensure they meet global regulations including those of the European Banking Authority, UK PRA and US Fed. The solution also incorporates stress testing capabilities, allowing banking firms to apply a range of stress scenarios to understand, monitor and prepare to mitigate any intraday liquidity stresses and manage expensive liquidity buffers.

Over the last two years, the company has seen a record 70% growth in customers adopting its Realiti® product suite, expanding its reach across the UK, Europe and North America with contract wins including Deutsche Bank, AIB, Santander, NatWest, National Bank of Canada and its first non-bank financial institution.

The business secured an initial £3.5 million minority equity investment from BGF – the UK and Ireland’s most active growth capital investor – in February 2019 which has supported its international expansion plans, as well as accelerating product development and recruitment.

Since BGF’s investment, the business has increased overall headcount by 150% with several key hires including Nick Jepson as Chief Customer Officer, Tim Shallard as Head of Legal and Commercial and Keith Strachan as Corporate Services Lead. Jenny Stockton-Pugh has also been appointed as HR Manager to oversee Planixs’s continued global recruitment and employee engagement programme.

The business has also invested in growing its sales and marketing function to realise international expansion objectives and, most recently, achieve substantial growth in the DACH region.

Neville Roberts, CEO and Founder of Planixs, said: “Over the last two years the total number of modules purchased by our customers has increased by 135%, demonstrating that we’ve successfully grown with our clients and fulfilled their appetite to increase functionality and improve their own capabilities within their businesses.

“We pride ourselves in working with customers individually and as a collective user group to understand how they use our applications and any additional functionality needed. We collect this feedback and incorporate it into the application roadmap so many added-value components can be delivered. This customer-centric approach has been key to our success to date and we’ll continue to invest in our team and evolve Realiti® as new regulations are issued, and new data types become available. This will ensure our product suite and our services continue to exceed the standards of the financial services sector.”

Planixs also received global industry recognition for its success and was named RegTech of The Year at the US FinTech Awards 2021, the UK FinTech Awards 2022 and the European FinTech Awards in July 2022.

Roberts added: “We’re very proud to receive the three RegTech of the Year awards. Our global customer base understands the stringent regulations that banks need to adhere to in their respective geographies. Our Realiti® solution provides our customers with real-time insight across all their data to ensure up-to-date regulatory compliance over their cash, collateral, and liquidity operations. Being named the leading RegTech in the US, UK and Europe is a major honour and further helps us cement our position as the number one global RegTech provider.”

This month, the full-service law firm Slater Heelis has passed the significant milestone of 200 employees for the first time in its almost-250-year history, with the appointment of three new members of staff, who join Slater Heelis’ 200th employee Natalie Dolman bringing the firm’s headcount to a total of 203.

Over the past two years, the Manchester-headquartered firm has been on a strong growth trajectory. In 2021, Slater Heelis appointed 50 new members of staff across all of its departments and in the first half of 2022 alone, it made 31 new hires. The firm now aims to reach a 215-strong headcount by mid-September.

Slater Heelis’ Managing Partner Chris Bishop comments:

“We’re thrilled to be breaking the mark of 200 employees. We’ve placed a great deal of attention on growth over the past two years and this month’s achievement shows that we’ve managed to ride the wave of economic rebound as the country emerged from the pandemic.

“Our work doesn’t end here, however. We’re restless to welcome yet more employees and maintain high levels of satisfaction amongst our existing staff by offering them opportunities to develop within the organisation and feel adequately recognised for their work.”

The firm’s expansion comes as Slater Heelis announces the launch of Slater Heelis Academy, an initiative designed to help employees progress to the next level in their careers – whether that be from Associate Solicitor to Partner or Receptionist to Paralegal.

The Academy will feature blended learning, with a dedicated digital platform hosting online courses and peer groups allowing employees at similar levels to engage and learn from each other.

The initiative, which was spearheaded by Slater Heelis’ Head of HR Phil Rimmer, is due to pilot at the start of August and go live for staff of all departments at the beginning of September.

Slater Heelis’ Head of HR Phil Rimmer remarks:

“We know that growth starts by looking after our existing staff and giving them the means to fulfil their potential. Once the Slater Heelis Academy launches, our employees will have access to over 100 Learning & Development courses as well as numerous peer groups, podcasts, workshops, and coaching opportunities.

“Beyond training initiatives, it’s also crucial to emphasise employee wellbeing and inclusivity. For instance, as part of our D&I plan, we recently introduced a steering group formed by employees committed to shape our inclusivity policies, and in the view of rolling out a Wellbeing Strategy next month, we set up a wellness and wellbeing group aimed at suggesting healthy and responsible approaches to work.

“Taking care of our staff also means paying a wage that matches the real cost of living. We continue to be a Real Living Wage employer, ensuring that we not only offer salaries in-line with market rate that are above the National Minimum Wage, but also regularly revise our benefits offerings in a way that addresses societal changes.”

A fast-expanding business services group with revenues soaring towards £10m has
moved to new headquarters to accommodate its growing team.
WeDo Business Services has relocated to Meadowbank House, on the Meadowbank
Business Park in Chadderton, Oldham.
The group previously had its head office at the nearby Hollinwood Business Centre.
WeDo provides a range of services to small and medium-sized companies, including
invoice and trade finance, start-up funding and HR, back office, IT, digital and payroll
support, with a focus on the recruitment sector.
The business was founded by Mark Lindsay and Chris Robinson in 2019 as WeDo
Finance with just four staff and has grown rapidly through organic expansion and
acquisition.
Turnover for the year to July 31 is forecast to be £9.5m, an increase of nearly 60 per
cent.
The group has offices in Colchester, Sheffield and Swindon as well as at
MediaCityUK in Salford and at Chadderton, and employs 95 staff in total.
Its new HQ gives the group scope to accommodate more recruits as well as staff
visiting from its other offices.
Group chief executive Mark Lindsay said: “The move to Meadowbank House is
transformational for the business. We had been at Hollinwood since our creation in
2019 but our expansion meant we required more space for our head office team.
“Many of them live in and around Greater Manchester, so it was important that our
new base was close to the Metrolink and the motorway network, with plenty of
available free parking for staff and visitors. Most staff have a short commute, and
some can even walk to our new offices, which is great.

“We are easily accessible and can be in the city centre quickly if necessary, so it’s an
excellent location for us.
“The new office also gives us scope for further growth as we look to continue our
organic expansion and seek acquisitions to bolt on new services.”
WeDo’s new office features breakout areas with a pool room and a PlayStation.
Mark said: “We encourage staff to get away from their desks regularly and create a
social environment that supports creativity, positivity and productivity as well as
positive wellbeing.”
He said the pandemic and its lockdowns had presented growth opportunities for the
group, as clients sought additional areas of support such as HR advice, business
forecasting, business advice and investment.
“We’ve developed rapidly by becoming a true business service partner to our clients,
helping new and existing businesses to significantly improve their cash flow, their
operations and their earnings potential,” he added.
“Our strategy is to continue to expand the range of services we are able to offer and
to further strengthen our relationships with existing clients as well as helping us to
attract new ones across the country.”

After 16 months with no events due to the pandemic, Skiddle has expanded its team, built new partnerships and signed a brand new Manchester office

With an 183% increase in growth in the past year, Skiddle, the events discovery platform, has successfully bounced back after 16 months with no events due to the pandemic, making its 21st year one to remember.

For most, the pandemic saw events come to a standstill for the first time, so platforms like Skiddle had to find new ways to keep the event industry going until they returned again. To help promoters, Skiddle provided support including one-on-one industry advice from its team of former national event organisers, venue owners and performing artists. Skiddle also hosted an networking event in London in March 2022 to get businesses within the events industry back together.

Skiddle has demonstrated its strong growth, almost doubling its team of staff, going from 39 employees at the start of 2022 to 71 employees to date, including senior roles such as PHP and React Developers, Business Development Managers, and a Senior Marketing Manager.

Lisa Braithwaite, Senior Marketing Manager, who joined the team in January 2022, commented: “Joining Skiddle has allowed me to take the next step in my career, whilst being surrounded by an amazing and supportive team. The growth that the company has seen in the 6 months that I have been with them has been great and I look forward to pushing the brand forward and helping us grow even more in the future.”

Due to its team expansion, Skiddle has opened doors to more promoters, and has now worked with over 60,000 promoters. As well as promoters, the event discovery platform has also started collaborating with brands like JET2 and ISawItFirst, a new pathway for the Skiddle team, with new partnerships also in the pipeline for the rest of 2022.

As a result of its new opportunities and expansions within the team, Skiddle has upgraded its Manchester site. With offices in Longridge, Liverpool and London, the team has moved its Manchester office to the indie hub of the Northern Quarter, right at the heart of Manchester’s favourite music and comedy venues and surrounded by a multitude of indie businesses. The upgraded office is 1500 sq ft and has been able to bring the team back together after two years apart working from home.

Jamie Scahill, Head of Marketing at Skiddle, said: “After a tough two years, it’s great to see the successful return of events and we are back to doing what we do best – supporting promoters and other businesses within the events industry. Our strong growth is down to our innovative approach and finding new pathways we could tap into. We have an exciting year ahead with partnerships in the pipeline and a host of new team members, ready to support the event industry further.”