Tech Boost: West Midlands Sees 25% Surge in New Firms
By Anushka Malhotra
31 seconds
Growth

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Quick Read: The West Midlands witnesses a 25% surge in new technology firms, showcasing regional tech sector resilience amidst broader economic challenges.
The West Midlands witnesses a remarkable 25% increase in new technology companies, with 2,797 firms incorporated last year, showcasing the region's tech sector resilience amidst broader economic challenges.
Photo: Helen Brocklebank, Photo Credit: Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce
RSM UK analysis reveals a nationwide surge, with 51,017 tech companies incorporated across the UK, up by 22% from the previous year. Key sub-sectors, including software development and IT consultancies, contribute significantly to this growth.
Helen Brocklebank, RSM Birmingham's managing partner, emphasises the importance of nurturing the tech ecosystem to sustain this momentum, advocating for innovation reliefs, skill development, and accessible funding.
Ben Bilsland, RSM UK's technology industry senior analyst, underscores the pivotal role of government support, urging measures to ensure a world-class tech workforce, accessible resources, and regulatory clarity for sustained growth.
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IN4 Group delivers £44m in social impact, supporting over 3000 people in tech careers

One of the country’s leading professional technology skills providers delivered more than £44 million in social and economic impact by directly addressing the barriers to the technology sector faced by local people and organisations, providing them with access to future-ready digital skills.
In the last three years,
IN4 Group
, a commercial enterprise, has generated more than £44 million in social impact, with £25.3 million delivered in 2024. It has also supported over 3,000 people from diverse backgrounds with access to careers in the tech sector.
Headquartered in MediaCity, Salford, IN4 has seen its revenues grow consistently by over 53 per cent and achieve an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) of 20 per cent yearly over the past four years. The company has expanded and operated across three UK regions including the West Midlands, and internationally across the Middle East, and it was recently ranked as one of the fastest-scaling businesses in the North West.
Photo Credit: IN4 Group
According to the Social Impact Report produced by Social Value Business in partnership with the Social Value Quality Mark CIC (SVQM), for every £1 invested in the Group’s programmes, there is a social return on investment (SROI) of £3.98 with a total of £20.3 million generated on behalf of its stakeholders in 2024. This is a significant increase of 77 per cent in the value of social impact compared to the previous year’s £14.3 million.
The social value outcomes are broken down into six key areas: employment and volunteering (£9,637,676), education and skills (£6,457,742), economic (£4,479,195), health and wellbeing (£2,337,353), social and community (£1,722,217), and crime and justice (£708,045).
The report found that 59 per cent of the participants across all activities in 2023-2024 were female, and 37 per cent were from ethnic minorities, showcasing the diversity of the individuals supported with access to the tech sector.
This social impact has been created through IN4 Group’s
Skills City
, one of the country’s largest professional technology training operators;
CyberFirst North West and West Midlands
, which is an initiative delivered on behalf of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ; and IN4’s range of dynamic, fully funded programmes including the award-winning
FreelanceHER 100
,
Gametech365 @HOST (The Home of Skills & Technology)
, Stockport Creative Campus and the Creative Solutions Programme delivered on behalf of Saudi Aramco.
IN4 has created a unique regional blueprint that unlocks the potential of highly skilled local talent through technology, delivering sustainable prosperity in communities. It has designed and established a portfolio of proven and impactful programmes to empower people, particularly women and those from disadvantaged and underrepresented communities, in launching successful tech careers and enterprises.
Mo Isap, CEO of IN4 Group, said:
“Our mission at IN4 Group is to create profit with a purpose and to make a real difference to people’s lives through technology. We have once again seen incredible social impact results, with over £25 million being invested back into our communities this year. We value the importance of balancing commercial business success with social responsibility, and having achieved a total of £44 million of social value in the last three years means we’re well on track with this mission. It only gives us the ambition to do more. With this in mind, we’re continuing to design and develop programmes with our clients, partners, and stakeholders to ensure we’re meeting the demands of the evolving tech ecosystems in the UK and internationally.”
Richard Dickins, MD Social Value Business, said:
“We congratulate IN4 Group on the significant social value they are driving through Skills City, CyberFirst North West and West Midlands, and its programmes. They are outstanding examples of how the tech industry can support young and underrepresented people into digital careers. IN4 Group show a consistent passion and commitment to driving prosperity at a community level. It has been a pleasure to map and measure their impact.”
The 2024 Social Impact Report can be viewed
here
.
By Jen Lau
9 Jan