Economy Minister Dr has announced that seven
SMEs in Belfast are investing more than £4.1million to grow
exports, invest in research and development, and create 33 new
jobs.
The companies are Bia Analytical, Enzai Technologies, Galvia
Digital, Medinect Bioservices, Movetru, Rubik Technologies and
TieDot Digital.
Making the announcement during a visit to Ormeau Labs, where
three of the companies are based, the Minister said: “The
north is predominantly an SME economy. It is therefore important
we provide the right support to help SMEs succeed.
“Each of the companies making these investments has
accessed a broad range of support from Invest NI. This is
enabling them to invest in innovation, help boost productivity,
create good jobs and grow sales in the south, Britain, and the
USA.”
Over the last three years the companies have received financial
assistance and advice from Invest NI towards innovation and
R&D, trade, employment and market development.
Bia Analytical, an AI-powered food integrity company based at
Queen's, is investing in R&D and increasing its team with six
new jobs. This will enable the company to commercialise its food
fraud detection products and develop portable testing tools to
allow customers to identify risks and rapidly test for food
authenticity and safety.
Enzai provides AI governance and enablement software which helps
large organisations maximise AI adoption, while minimising the
risks that come with it. Ryan Donnelly, Co-Founder of Enzai,
said: “This business was born in Belfast and we very much intend
to scale it from here too, as we service customers across North
America, Europe and Asia. We're creating five new business
development and customer support roles which will enable us to
continue to grow our presence in the market. We are grateful to
have the continued support of Invest NI and the Department for
the Economy as we help cement Northern Ireland's place at the
forefront of this technological revolution.”
Galvia Digital, a provider of bespoke software solutions, and
Medinect, a specialist preclinical research organisation focused
exclusively on retinal disease, are investing in equipment and
people to increase business in the US.
Movetru tracks the performance of elite athletes, helping to
reduce the risk of injury and boost performance. Naomi McGregor,
Founder of Movetru, said: “Movetru supports athletes to perform
at their best, on and off the field. With Invest NI's support, we
will be able to grow our team which will enhance our technology,
boost sales, and expand company visibility across Great Britain,
Ireland, and the USA. This investment will enable us to grow as
an international company within sports technology for athlete
wellbeing.”
Rubik, which helps manufacturers drive productivity through
digital transformation, is creating six new jobs to increase
capacity and productivity and grow sales outside Northern
Ireland. TieDot, a data marketing agency, is creating three jobs
to grow its marketing analytics expertise.
Many of these companies are part of our £3.4billion tech
sector, leading the way in areas such as AI governance and
biotechnology.
Susan O'Kane, Head of Regional Business for the Belfast City
Region at Invest NI, added: “We have been working with these
innovative companies for several years, providing a range of
expert solutions to help them develop products, accelerate their
growth plans and secure business in new markets.
“Northern Ireland has a strong tech scene and these companies are
brilliant examples of homegrown talent. Our support of almost
£590,000 for these seven businesses over the past three years
will contribute to more than £4.1m of investment in our economy.
This will not only lead to new jobs but will increase
productivity and economic growth.”
Notes to editors:
Two of the companies, Enzai Technologues and Rubik Technologies,
received additional investment through Techstart II, part of
Invest NI's Access to Finance portfolio. This leveraged almost
£2.9m of private sector funding, which will enable the companies
to further develop their solutions.
