A Silicon Valley tech company backed by Goldman Sachs has announced plans to create more than 40 jobs in Bristol as it expands its presence in the UK.
California-based digital engineering firm Infostretch said the roles would be created over the next 12 months and include entry and senior-level positions in full-stack software development, Salesforce and software testing.
According to the business, Bristol was identified due to its close proximity to "world-class universities" including the University of Bath, University of Bristol and the University of the West of England (UWE), as well as its burgeoning tech sector.
Recent research commissioned by Tech South West suggests the West Country's tech industry is set to grow to almost £20bn gross value added (GVA) a year by 2026, creating more than 125,000 new jobs and positioning Bristol as one of the UK’s fastest-growing tech hubs.
Martin Williams, Infostretch's UK managing director, said establishing a presence in each of the UK’s regional tech hubs had been "a key priority" for the company since its acquisition of Saggezza - a technology solutions provider which employed hundreds of people across its offices in the UK, US and India - last year.
He said: "Bristol was naturally right at the top of our hitlist. As well as being home to world-class universities, the city has a thriving tech sector which attracted over £100m in venture capital last year and accounted for more job opportunities than almost anywhere outside of London.
"Add to that the fantastic work-life balance it enables you to offer employees through its world-class arts and culture offering and its stunning coastline, and it’s no surprise that so many businesses are turning their attention towards the city and we’re really looking forward to getting our recruitment drive underway.”
Infostretch was founded in 2004 and now employees more than 2,000 people in its 15 offices across the globe.
In the last 12 months, the business has created more than 60 extra full-time positions in Birmingham, Edinburgh and Leeds, as well as doubling its headcount in Sunderland.
“Infostretch has developed a real reputation over the years for promoting from within and providing career progression opportunities for its staff, and we’ll certainly look to continue building on this culture through our expansion into Bristol,” added John Wright, head of talent acquisition in the UK.
“From fully funded training courses to wellness initiatives and paid-volunteering opportunities, we really invest in our people and this is reflected by those that have stayed with us and progressed through the ranks since we opened our first ever UK office back in 2011."
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