Channel firms swarm UK tech growth list
An array of familiar names, including Kelway, Block, ANS and Portal feature on the annual Tech Track rundown
A host of channel players feature on the annual list on the UK's fastest-growing privately held tech firms, with VAR Kelway being comfortably the biggest outfit to make the cut this year.
The Sunday Times Tech Track 100 ranks companies based on annualised sales growth over the past three years. Top of the pile this year is digital marketing agency Essence, which has grown sales at an average of 283.94 per cent to just over £170m.
Videoconferencing services provider BCS Global placed 15th, with revenue of £5.9m and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 138.5 per cent. Telecoms services firm Peach Telecom is in 30th position, having grown revenue by an average of 85.4 per cent in the past three years, while education-focused licensing specialist Academia is 35th, with a growth rate of 81.4 per cent.
Academia managing director Mike Bacon said: "Our consistent growth is very gratifying, but what is more rewarding is the fact that it is based on regular, repeat-business from long-standing customers."
A trio of IT product and services providers feature in positions 49 to 51, with Updata Infrastructure, Solar Communications and Invenio Business Solutions respectively all on the list with a CAGR of just over 60 per cent.
Cisco VARs ANS Group and Block Solutions both remain on the list from last year in positions 57 and 63 respectively. The Mancunian firm has grown turnover at an average annual rate of 57 per cent in the past three years to its current level of £46.8m. London-based rival Block has an annualised growth rate of 52.5 per cent and its FY12 sales stood at £15.2m.
Wireless-specialised distributor Siracom is in 69th position this year, three places ahead of VAR CSA Waverley, with both firms posting a CAGR of a little under 50 per cent.
With sales of £350.7m, 76th-placed Kelway is the biggest company on the list by a stretch, with no other company sized above £200m. The capital-based reseller and services provider has grown sales at an average rate of 46.8 per cent in the past three years.
Software provider m-hance (formerly Calyx Software) is in 80th position and consultancy and infrastructure provider Citihub occupies 86th place. The firms have enjoyed a CAGR of 45.2 and 42.9 per cent respectively in the past three years.
Two VARs occupy 95th and 96th positions, in the shape of Bell Microsystems and Portal. The duo has respective sales of £51.3m and £21.1m and an annualised growth rate of just over 39 per cent. The cut-off point for this year's Tech Track is rewards programme administrator Xexec, which places 100th with a three-year CAGR of 38.21 per cent.