Hundreds of jobs to go at Gloucestershire’s biggest business
This was breaking as we prepared today's edition, so we took a look. Gloucestershire’s biggest business by turnover has confirmed to Raikes that reports it will axe 500 jobs are ‘broadly correct’.
Dear readers,
We don’t usually chase breaking news, preferring to concentrate on what’s in hand and deliver you something a little more considered, but the rumour about Gloucestershire’s biggest business surfaced today (Monday 2 December) and was too big to ignore.
It didn’t take long for the firm in question to confirm the story was true, even if it would not confirm the numbers at this stage. The consultation process with staff is only just beginning. That number of 500 has come from reports elsewhere, but has not been debunked by the Cotswold business.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though.
Other news came across our bows of a little-known fledgling tech firm beavering away in a new office, also in the Cotswolds.
When we had a conversation with the business we realised we’d stumbled across more than just a small tech firm. AccuLink is one of those businesses whose product development could hold the answers to allow a whole industry to thrive (in this case, any business that will depend on the next generation of mobile phone coverage, 5G).
It’s won angel investment and Government funding. That’s all below too.
Oh, and there’s a little snippet about that new football ground Gloucestershire keeps talking about, but which hasn’t been given permission yet. Or has it?
Have a great week.
Andrew Merrell (editor).
NB: Raikes publishes probably the best-read business-related email ‘newsletter’, pound for pound, in Gloucestershire.
If you have a story, an issue, a news item, a charity or an interview you want us to write about or investigate, challenge the powers that be on, then please email me: andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk.
Tech firm unlocking the potential of 5G revealed
Its move to new offices in a discreet rural location blipped the radar here at Raikes and revealed a Gloucestershire tech firm winning angel investor and Government funding to make possible the UK’s emerging 5G network.
By Andrew Merrell.
A simple office move into a picturesque Cotswold location has brought onto the radar a little-known tech firm that’s winning funding and could be about to provide solutions for the UK’s emerging 5G network.
That is a simplification of what AccuLink Technology does, but the firm already has the attention of angel investors and Government as it pursues its niche mission, the results of which could prove crucial for a whole sector.
It turns out that earlier this year it was one of just 16 firms singled out for a share of the £70 million Technology Missions Fund (TMF) Future Telecoms Mission, delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Stuart Harvey (picture above, second from the right), is chief executive officer and founder of AccuLink Technology, he’s a chartered engineer who has designed of mobile phone base stations for Motorola, led a technology business in Silicon Valley and worked for BT Defence advising on solutions across military and commercial communications.
“We are thrilled to have completed this round of fundraising, which will propel us further in our mission to revolutionise 5G infrastructure,” said Harvey.
“We are confident that this funding will play a crucial role in achieving our goals and helping to deliver our technology within the UK, Europe and around the world.”
The fund is there to support firms developing the UK’s national infrastructure - ‘advanced technologies vital for upcoming telecom networks like 6G’ as well as 5G. The award to AccuLink was a contract to develop solutions to create wireless links to enable data to be transmitted over long distances without cables.
AccuLink Technology specialises in creating state-of-the-art 5G infrastructure, playing a pivotal role in connecting the world through high-speed, low-latency networks.
5G being the fifth generation of wireless network technology, and it’s designed to connect more people and things, including devices, machines, and objects.
And demand for high-performance and reliable 5G networks “continues to surge”, according to AccuLink Technology, and the funding was to help it expand its reach and enhance its product offering.
“The funds raised in this round will be instrumental in accelerating research and development, scaling production, and fortifying the company's market presence,” it said.
Lead investor in the Gloucestershire tech firm, James Eden, underlined the potential for what is currently still a modest firm of just a handful of full-time staff.
Eden said: “The advancements in 5G infrastructure pioneered by AccuLink are poised to redefine the way we connect and communicate, and we are excited to be a part of this transformation.”
“Investing in AccuLink Technology aligns with our vision of supporting ground-breaking technologies that have the power to reshape industries.”
Modesty prevailed at the firm itself when Raikes asked the business if it would explore its growth plan a little more.
“We are holding back on public statements on growth at moment but you are right to surmise that we believe we have serious potential and we are already seeing interest from some of the big telecoms companies,” said Andy Pine, co-founder and CSO of AccuLink Technologies.
Pine has also held senior roles with ViaSat, L3 Communications and Mercury Computer Systems and he’s led multi-disciplinary teams that have won Queen's Awards for Innovation and experts in communications and cyber security.
The move into its new office at Calmsden Workspace, set against the picturesque backdrop of Calmsden Farms, is all about growth, however.
The business described its new office as “an inspiring environment designed to foster creativity and productivity... with increased space for our expanding team”, with Pine himself describing it as “next phase of our growth”.
Harvey said: “Our move to Calmsden Workspace marks an exciting chapter for AccuLink.
“This new location will not only support our current operations but also provide the flexibility we need for future growth.
“We are eager to create an even more collaborative and innovative workspace for our talented team.”
AccuLink Technology describes itself as “a leading provider of E-Band auto-alignment technology, designed to enhance the performance and reliability of communication systems operating in the E-Band frequency range (60-90 GHz)”.
The firm said the technology “is crucial for applications in high-capacity wireless backhaul, point-to-point communication links, and emerging 5G networks. For more information about E-Band auto-alignment technology and its implementation”.
In other news…
⚽🏗️ Tomorrow (Tuesday, 3 December) Gloucestershire will find out if it will become home to the world’s first wooden football stadium, an environmentally-friendly monument at Eastington off the M5 to detract from the incinerator just north at Junction 12. Electricity sector entrepreneur Dale Vince, also the owner of Forest Green Football Club, has been battling for five years to get permission from Stroud District Council to build the 5,000-seater stadium, 38,000 sqm of office space, an 18,000 sqm business park, 70-bed care home, 100-room hotel and car park with 1,700 spaces. There’s also plans to demolish the football club’s current New Lawn stadium in Nailsworth to build 95 homes on the 6.7 acre site. Both schemes are now earmarked for approval. Watch this space.
Join this charity’s business club and help young people learn
Every Monday we flag one of Gloucestershire’s many charities to you, and often the good work being done by their supporters too. Today it is the turn of the ITSA Digital Trust, formerly IT Schools Africa. The charity refurbishes IT equipment which is then used to transform students’ lives in African schools and communities in Gloucestershire. It has supported more than 170 charities in the county with donations of IT equipment to date. And its recently launched a new business club can count among its number two of Raikes’ Founding Members, Gloucestershire College and Willans LLP. According to the charity the club “helps businesses to demonstrate their social value credentials to colleagues and customers, creating in-person networking opportunities, connecting businesses with educational organisations to create good-quality work placements, and removing IT equipment and data at no cost for ethical reuse”. Cheltenham firm Kohler is another member. It has just given more than 200 laptops, PCs and flat-screen monitors to the cause. Other members include Commercial, Techbuyer, University of Gloucestershire, Spirax Sarco, Ratcliffes Insurance, Hewett Recruitment, CloudClevr and CyNam. Click here to find out more about ITSA Digital Trust.
* Everything you read on The Raikes Journal is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People and Randall & Payne, our sponsors Hartpury University and Hartpury College, our Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.
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Hundreds of jobs to go at Gloucestershire’s biggest business
This was breaking as we prepared today’s edition, so we took a look. Gloucestershire’s biggest business by turnover has confirmed to Raikes that reports it will axe 500 jobs are ‘broadly correct’.
By Andrew Merrell.
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