A North East digital brand strategy and design agency is looking to build its European presence and its local team after securing a six-figure investment from the North East Growth Capital Fund Supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
JUMP offers creative design, digital solutions and marketing services to a growing roster of regional, national and international clients, including Newcastle’s Business Improvement District company NE1, the NHS, Newcastle University, Peacocks Medical Group and Living North Magazine.
The Newcastle-headquartered agency has been working with business growth specialists 360 Growth Partners on the development of plans for the next stage of its evolution and the marketing strategy that will underpin it.
After working with regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers to bring in the £100,000 investment, JUMP is now looking to expand both its North East team and overall client base with a view to reaching a £1.2m turnover target by 2025.
The design and marketing teams have seen some consistent growth over recent months and are supported by three new marketing and graphic design positions, with more planned to follow in the coming months.
The business is also targeting new markets in continental Europe, using the experience it has gained with clients in Spain, Holland and Ireland, as well as in China.
JUMP works across all industries, with particular expertise in the education, food & beverages and digital technology sectors.
It’s the third time that the agency has worked with NEL Fund Managers to bring in growth capital, with previous investments being made in 2015 and 2020.
Managing director Rob Brown, who co-founded the agency in 2007, says: “We traded well right through the pandemic and came out of it in a good position to grow the business quickly.
“We’ve taken the time to look at all aspects of the way we work and the potential for doing things even better, and we’re now ready to execute the strategies we’ve developed with 360 Growth Partners which we’re confident will enable us to achieve our objectives.
“The North East offers an impressive talent pool in the digital and design sector and we’re going to be accessing it over the next year to help expand the high-quality team that we already have in place.
“The NEL team has always been genuinely interested in what we’re doing and we’ve maintained a strong relationship with them over the years. They were proactive in offering us further capital, which gives us the resources we need to take the business forward.”
Mike Guellard, senior investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, says: “Ensuring that ambitious North East businesses like JUMP can repeatedly access growth capital at different stages of their development is essential for the health of the wider regional economy.
“The management team has a clear focus on how they to build on what they’ve achieved so far and we’re excited to be continuing on their growth journey with them.”
Andrew Silver, director at 360 Growth Partners, says: “It has been a pleasure working in partnership with JUMP for the last couple of years.
“We see ourselves as part of the team and it has been great to see the agency go from strength to strength.
“We look forward to supporting the business to achieve the next phase of growth and the further injection of funds from NEL will enable Rob and the whole team to meet their collective business and personal objectives.”
The North East Growth Capital Fund has been designed to create around 790 jobs in more than 70 regional firms over the life of the programme and offers unsecured investments of up to £500,000 to established businesses looking to realise their growth potential.
The overarching £130m North East Fund will provide financial support for more than 600 businesses, creating around 2,500 jobs and delivering a legacy of up to £80m for further investment into the region.
NEL Fund Managers is also responsible for managing the £9m North East Small Loan Fund, which typically offers loans of up to £100,000 to businesses in Tyne & Wear, Durham and Northumberland.
For more information about NEL’s investment criteria, visit www.nel.co.uk or contact the investment team on 0345 369 7007.