Technology consultancy AND Digital has opened its third office in Scotland as it works towards its goal of employing 500 people across the country.
Led by Fiona Burton, the newest “club” in Edinburgh’s George Street is the company’s second office in the Scottish capital. It is expected to employ 100 analysts, developers and designers across all levels of experience.
Founded in London in 2014 by Paramjit Uppal, AND describes itself as an “enablement partner” working with clients to deliver digital transformation projects while also boosting customers’ internal tech capabilities. Clients include global organisations such as British Airways, Gousto, NBrown Group and IAG Cargo.
The company has grown rapidly as the pandemic has led to a dramatic acceleration in digital business models, and now has 19 locations across the UK and Netherlands.
“This is a really exciting day as we open the doors to our new club and begin to welcome new [employees] and clients,” Ms Burton said. “I’m looking forward to leading the team as we work to support new clients and continue to grow our customer base across Scotland.”
AND opened its first Scottish office in Edinburgh in March 2020, followed by a second in Glasgow in June 2021. Each of its offices – which it refers to as “clubs” – are designed to accommodate 100 staff, which the company deems to be an optimal level.
AND has said it aims to have five locations across Scotland by 2025, employing a total of 500 people.
The newest office was officially opened yesterday by Ivan McKee, Scottish Government minister for business, trade, tourism and enterprise.
“AND Digital’s decision to open their third club in Scotland in just over two years shows the appetite and demand which businesses have for digital transformation support,” Mr McKee said.
“This club opening will create more than 100 jobs in Edinburgh, benefitting our digital economy and ever-growing tech community. AND Digital’s work towards closing the digital skills gap is key and it is great to see companies like this continuing to invest in the workforce in Scotland.”
READ MORE: AND Digital expands west to create 100 new technology jobs in Glasgow
Andrew Smith of AND Digital said the company believes the Scottish capital will continue its growth within the industry, having been ranked as the UK’s sixth best tech hub in the latest annual report from growth network Tech Nation.
“Edinburgh has a thriving tech community and strong reputation for entrepreneurial spirit, so it is a natural fit for AND Digital,” he said. “We want to nurture and grow digital talent, and our collaborative club environment lets us do just that.
“We have an excellent club lead in Fiona Burton, and we are excited to meet our new [employees] as we continue recruitment for this new club. This is our third major investment in Scotland and we are confident that this club will serve the growing demand for digital acceleration.”
The company made its first move into Scotland after securing an £11 million investment from the Business Growth Fund (BGF), which provides growth capital for small and mid-sized businesses in the UK and Ireland. According to the company’s website, the business generated £96m of revenues in its latest financial year.
There are more than 11,000 tech companies in Scotland, according to official figures, contributing approximately £6.5 billion to the economy. About 100,000 people are employed across the country’s digital and technology sectors.
Edinburgh and Glasgow ranked among the UK’s top five cities for tech investment in the first quarter of this year, raising a combined £115m according to figures produced for the UK’s Digital Economy Council. Tech firms across the country as a whole raised £228m of funding through more than 50 venture rounds in 2021.
Among the leading investors in the country's tech community are the Scottish National Investment Bank – which has provided an estimated £50m since its launch in November 2020 – and Scottish Enterprise, which provided £30m last year through its co-investment funds.
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