A Newcastle digital brand strategy and design agency is casting ambitious eyes overseas after securing a six-figure investment from the North East Growth Capital Fund Supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
JUMP offers creative design and digital solutions to a growing roster of regional and national clients, including the British Triathlon, Ringtons Tea, Marlish Water, Newcastle University, NHS Careers and Newcastle’s Business Improvement District company NE1.
Having worked with regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers to bring in the investment, the Newcastle-headquartered firm is now looking at options for winning new work in Ireland, the US and mainland Europe, initially by building on its relationships with clients which have overseas operations.
As part of scaling up towards becoming a global player in the brand strategy market over the next decade, JUMP has recruited David Lovenbury as its first ever commercial director with a brief to use his three decades of business experience to improve its revenues and profitability.
The business is expecting to further increase its 20-strong North East team as it executes its growth plans and is also looking at potentially opening offices in other UK locations as well as further increasing its work around its home region.
Founded in 2007 by graphic designer Lucy Batley and software developer Robert Brown, JUMP has particular expertise in the food and beverages and digital tech sectors.
It’s the second time that JUMP has worked with NEL Fund Managers to bring in investment capital, with a Finance For Business North East Growth Fund investment helping it implement successful expansion plans back in 2015.
David Lovenbury says: “We have phenomenally talented brand, design and digital development teams who produce absolutely outstanding work. Our job is to accelerate the commercial returns for our customers by asserting our expertise in strategic brand growth.
“JUMP has an inspirational and hugely driven senior team that’s full of ideas for how we can take our North East creativity onto the global stage and the chance to be part of that journey was too good to turn down.”
Lucy Batley adds: “We’ve spent the last few years consolidating, putting new systems in place to ensure efficiencies and, most importantly, creating an awe-inspiring team of talented designers and coders.
“I’m convinced that our continued success is directly attributed to the genuinely collaboratively way in which our staff and clients work, and we’re now ready to blow all of our competitors out of the water.
“We’re a seriously ambitious brand and want to be the agency of choice for other ambitious brands who recognise the fiscal value of the work we do.”
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.
Jane Siddle, investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, says: “JUMP is firmly established as one of the North East creative industry’s leading lights and their ambition to use this as a springboard for international success is hugely admirable.”
NEL Fund Managers is actively looking for potential investees from Tyne & Wear, Durham and Northumberland to put their investment ideas forward.
The overarching £120m North East Fund will provide financial support for more than 600 businesses, creating around 3,500 jobs and delivering a legacy of up to £80m for further investment into the region.
For more information about NEL’s investment criteria, visit www.nel.co.uk or contact the investment team on 0345 369 7007.