Newry's STATSports named as one of UK’s fastest growing tech firms
Newry firm STATSports has been named as one of the UK’s fastest growing tech firm and the second fastest growing in Northern Ireland, according to the inaugural Sunday Times 100 Tech.
The league table ranks Britain’s fastest-growing private technology companies, shining a spotlight on the entrepreneurs and teams driving their success. It is a sister league table to The Sunday Times 100, a ranking of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies.
The rankings are published online today at thetimes.com/100tech and will also be available as a supplement in the print edition of The Sunday Times this Sunday, January 19.
STATSports is one of the world’s leading player tracking and analysis providers in elite sports. They have seen annual sales growth of 32.19% over the past three years while their latest sales stand at £20.3m.
They provide data to some of the world’s top football clubs such as Liverpool, Paris Saint Germain, Juventus, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and the Brazil national team.
Their equipment is also used by the Irish, English and South African rugby teams, and Dublin, Tyrone, Donegall and Mayo GAA..
Northern Ireland’s number one firm is Artemis Technologies, created by double Olympic gold medallist sailor Iain Percy, 48, from the Artemis Racing’s America’s Cup sailing team in 2015. Originally operating as a sailing services provider, in 2022 it launched what it calls the world’s first commercially viable, 100 per cent electric foiling workboats, which have small underwater hydrofoils that lift them out of the water.
It now makes a range of electric crafts, including high-speed passenger ferries, police patrol boats, even a high-end water taxi. Led by Percy, the Belfast firm grew sales to £6.7 million last year, when it opened its first US office in New York.
To qualify, companies must be independent, privately owned, and headquartered in the UK. For the purposes of this ranking, a technology business is defined as one that either sells its own proprietary technology or has developed proprietary technology that is essential to delivering its products or services.
Jim Armitage, business editor of The Sunday Times, said, “The UK government has pledged to kickstart economic growth in 2025. The Sunday Times 100 Tech shows that Britain’s technology entrepreneurs are already making progress, creating high-value jobs and delivering cutting-edge goods and services.
These businesses are proof that Britain remains a powerhouse for innovation. The rapid development of AI represents one of the biggest economic opportunities since the internet. We have seen the government embrace AI this week, but we still need the right support structures put in place to help the entrepreneurs who are harnessing AI to thrive."