Sugarcoat tech firm to create jobs with five-figure…

Sugarcoat tech firm to create jobs with five-figure investment

A North East tech firm is set to create new jobs as it ramps up expansion with the help of a five-figure investment.

Newcastle-based Sugarcoat provides cloud-hosted e-commerce solutions to digital agencies and SMEs across the UK and Ireland, which enable them to sell their products and services to customers around the world. The firm is using the £50,000 North East Small Loan Fund investment, which was obtained through regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers, to support a number of enhancements to its digital infrastructure and increase its sales and marketing activities.

Up to 10 new jobs are expected to be created in the coming years as the business expands, while a new director has recently joined the firm to action its growth strategy. Sugarcoat also provides services relating to content management, hosting, and payment solutions, and has previously secured a £25,000 investment from Creative UK.

It has a particularly strong presence in the retail sector, with clients including Lanchester Wines, Vintrigue and wholesale retailer Cottonprint. It is now looking to diversify into new markets at home and overseas.

Founder and managing director Rob Mitchell, said: “Unless they have a huge budget, businesses tend to get an ‘out of the box’ solution to their e-commerce needs which pays little attention to their particular priorities or needs. Sugarcoat was set up to take a different approach, which recognises the impact that these technologies can have on SMEs’ operations when they’re tailored in ways that drive and enhance commercial success.

“The results that we’re helping to secure for our existing customers shows the effectiveness of this approach, and we’re now ready to take our operations to the next level. Building a bigger team will enable us to capitalise on the opportunities that we know are out there, both in market sectors where we’re well established and other into which we want to move, and we’re confident that we have everything we need in place to grow quickly over the next year.

“NEL’s investment offering fit well with our requirements and the team was very supportive in helping us work through the application process.”

Mike Guellard, senior investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, said: “Rob and his team have a clear handle on how growing SMEs can make the most of bespoke e-commerce technologies, and a robust strategy for using this knowledge to expand their operations.”