North East Founder Stories
The people building businesses in the North East: their launches, raises, leadership moves and what’s next.
FOUNDERSStart-upsNewcastle AI Search Start-Up Citations.io Prepares for Its First RaiseFounded by former agency boss Josh Tulip, the bootstrapped platform tracks how brands appear in answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity.
FOUNDERSCybersecuritySunderland’s OneClickComply Raises £1m to Automate Cyber ComplianceFounded by Connor Greig in 2024, the start-up has doubled its monthly recurring revenue in six months and will create four new jobs.
FOUNDERSFundingSunderland’s Land Digital Raises £700k to Grow Its Transport TechnologyThe round includes £500k from Northstar Ventures’ Venture Sunderland fund, as the Jon Leighton-led business eyes airport parking.
FOUNDERSFintechAtom Bank Co-Founder Mark Mullen Steps Down as Chief ExecutiveChief financial officer Andrew Marshall will lead the Newcastle-based digital bank on an interim basis while a permanent successor is found.
FOUNDERSAwardsThree North East Founders Win Innovate UK Women in Innovation AwardsFounders from Consett, Saltburn and Gateshead are among 61 women nationally to receive £75,000 each, from 1,590 applicants.
FOUNDERSFintechNoggin HQ Raises £2.3m and Becomes an Authorised Credit Reference AgencyFounded by childhood friends Eva Atkinson and Laura Mills, the Ouseburn fintech uses banking data to give lenders a clearer picture of affordability.
FOUNDERSProptechiamproperty Revenue Rises 20% to £61.2m as Team Grows to 750Founded by Ben Ridgway and Jamie Cooke in 2009, the Newcastle proptech now works with more than 7,000 estate agency branches.
FOUNDERSEventsLindisfarne Festival Founder Conleth Maenpaa Launches INLET TicketingThe £5-a-month app gives subscribers access to exclusive tickets for gigs, comedy and festivals, aiming to get people beyond their usual habits.
FOUNDERSSoftwareFormer hedgehog lab Bosses Sarat Pediredla and Alan Morris Launch LevelFiveThe pair believe AI has created a smartphone-scale shift in software, letting small, experienced teams build products faster and more cheaply.
FOUNDERSVenture studioJo York, Kev Price and Jo Montgomery Launch Venture Studio Conker VenturesThe studio gives founders a full team of experienced operators to build product-led tech start-ups without hiring everyone upfront.
FOUNDERSSoftwareSunderland’s Moralbox Rebrands as Workprove and Targets £10m RevenueFounded by Gordon MacPherson and John Dunnill in 2013, the workforce technology firm now operates in five countries.
FOUNDERSSoftwareHartlepool’s KLIK SaaS Raises £300k at a £6m ValuationFounder Kelly Whitfield’s platform turns organisations’ existing websites into online community hubs.
FOUNDERSHealth techWalker-Born Founder Jack Parker’s AIATELLA Cuts Heart Scan Analysis to Under Three MinutesThe Northumbria graduate started the business after his father had a heart attack while waiting for a scan to be read.
FOUNDERSAnimal health19-Year-Old Newcastle Student Henrietta Newble Raises £40k for Animal Health Start-UpAnFiTest provides rapid diagnostics for vets to help prevent major nutrition-based diseases in animals, and is now raising a further £80,000.
FOUNDERSLeadershipSarat Pediredla Steps Down as hedgehog lab Chief Executive After Almost 19 YearsThe founder of the Newcastle digital consultancy leaves after the business acquired Edinburgh’s Label Sessions and took on investment from Maven and BGF.
FOUNDERSDataFounder Ian Griffiths Lands Pre-Seed Backing for Data Marketplace SurffThe former Whocanfix founder won a place on Theta Network’s first incubator programme after a strong finish at its European hackathon.
FOUNDERSLegal AILegal AI Start-Up AttiFin Moves to Newcastle With £5m Seed FundingFounded by Shilpa Kaluti and backed by Scrumconnect’s founders, the company plans 25 developer jobs ahead of its launch.
FOUNDERSSoftwareHartlepool’s The Resolved Group Doubles Office Space After Busy First YearFounder Chris Carroll’s business repairs websites, CRMs and apps it didn’t build, for around 80% less than the cost of a rebuild.
FOUNDERSSafety techNotify Launches AI Tool for Workplace Accident InvestigationsFounded by Duncan Davies and Andy Dumbell, the Newcastle safety software firm counts McDonald’s, Siemens Mobility and the NHS among its clients.
DEALSMartechNorth Tyneside’s Shoptimised Secures ‘Significant’ LDC InvestmentThe 40-strong ecommerce software firm, founded in 2018, helps brands sell more by improving how their products are listed and advertised.
FOUNDERSCybersecuritySunderland’s OneClickComply Raises £1m to Automate Cyber ComplianceFounded by Connor Greig in 2024, the start-up has doubled its monthly recurring revenue in six months and will create four new jobs.FOUNDERSFundingSunderland’s Land Digital Raises £700k to Grow Its Transport TechnologyThe round includes £500k from Northstar Ventures’ Venture Sunderland fund, as the Jon Leighton-led business eyes airport parking.FOUNDERSFintechAtom Bank Co-Founder Mark Mullen Steps Down as Chief ExecutiveChief financial officer Andrew Marshall will lead the Newcastle-based digital bank on an interim basis while a permanent successor is found.FOUNDERSAwardsThree North East Founders Win Innovate UK Women in Innovation AwardsFounders from Consett, Saltburn and Gateshead are among 61 women nationally to receive £75,000 each, from 1,590 applicants.FOUNDERSFintechNoggin HQ Raises £2.3m and Becomes an Authorised Credit Reference AgencyFounded by childhood friends Eva Atkinson and Laura Mills, the Ouseburn fintech uses banking data to give lenders a clearer picture of affordability.FOUNDERSProptechiamproperty Revenue Rises 20% to £61.2m as Team Grows to 750Founded by Ben Ridgway and Jamie Cooke in 2009, the Newcastle proptech now works with more than 7,000 estate agency branches.FOUNDERSEventsLindisfarne Festival Founder Conleth Maenpaa Launches INLET TicketingThe £5-a-month app gives subscribers access to exclusive tickets for gigs, comedy and festivals, aiming to get people beyond their usual habits.FOUNDERSSoftwareFormer hedgehog lab Bosses Sarat Pediredla and Alan Morris Launch LevelFiveThe pair believe AI has created a smartphone-scale shift in software, letting small, experienced teams build products faster and more cheaply.FOUNDERSVenture studioJo York, Kev Price and Jo Montgomery Launch Venture Studio Conker VenturesThe studio gives founders a full team of experienced operators to build product-led tech start-ups without hiring everyone upfront.FOUNDERSSoftwareSunderland’s Moralbox Rebrands as Workprove and Targets £10m RevenueFounded by Gordon MacPherson and John Dunnill in 2013, the workforce technology firm now operates in five countries.FOUNDERSSoftwareHartlepool’s KLIK SaaS Raises £300k at a £6m ValuationFounder Kelly Whitfield’s platform turns organisations’ existing websites into online community hubs.FOUNDERSHealth techWalker-Born Founder Jack Parker’s AIATELLA Cuts Heart Scan Analysis to Under Three MinutesThe Northumbria graduate started the business after his father had a heart attack while waiting for a scan to be read.FOUNDERSAnimal health19-Year-Old Newcastle Student Henrietta Newble Raises £40k for Animal Health Start-UpAnFiTest provides rapid diagnostics for vets to help prevent major nutrition-based diseases in animals, and is now raising a further £80,000.FOUNDERSLeadershipSarat Pediredla Steps Down as hedgehog lab Chief Executive After Almost 19 YearsThe founder of the Newcastle digital consultancy leaves after the business acquired Edinburgh’s Label Sessions and took on investment from Maven and BGF.FOUNDERSDataFounder Ian Griffiths Lands Pre-Seed Backing for Data Marketplace SurffThe former Whocanfix founder won a place on Theta Network’s first incubator programme after a strong finish at its European hackathon.FOUNDERSLegal AILegal AI Start-Up AttiFin Moves to Newcastle With £5m Seed FundingFounded by Shilpa Kaluti and backed by Scrumconnect’s founders, the company plans 25 developer jobs ahead of its launch.FOUNDERSSoftwareHartlepool’s The Resolved Group Doubles Office Space After Busy First YearFounder Chris Carroll’s business repairs websites, CRMs and apps it didn’t build, for around 80% less than the cost of a rebuild.FOUNDERSSafety techNotify Launches AI Tool for Workplace Accident InvestigationsFounded by Duncan Davies and Andy Dumbell, the Newcastle safety software firm counts McDonald’s, Siemens Mobility and the NHS among its clients.DEALSMartechNorth Tyneside’s Shoptimised Secures ‘Significant’ LDC InvestmentThe 40-strong ecommerce software firm, founded in 2018, helps brands sell more by improving how their products are listed and advertised.