Tussell Tech200: Deep-dive

Following the launch of the Tussell Tech200 with techUK, we've been working to provide you with insight and analysis into the companies who made the list. In this deep-dive, we will look at the key trends within the Tech200, how SME's performed and hear from some of the leaders of Tech200 companies.  

Between FY 2020/21 and FY 2021/22, the 200 companies achieved a combined total growth of £434m, averaging at £2.17m. With the Tech200 companies doing so much business within the public sector procurement world, it is critical to understand what factors contributed to their successful growth and what other companies can learn from them. 

Find out more about:

• The key trends
  • Digital transformation
  • Healthtech
  • Cyber-security
  • How SME's performed
    
  • Companies who made the list for the 2nd time
• The top 3 Tech200 Companies
  
• Tussell customers who made the list
• techUK members who made the list

📊 Key Trends

📟 1. Digital transformation

Tech is an industry with a complex network of solutions - as the public sector's demand for digital transformation grows, so does the need for experts, advisors and partners to help guide them along this journey. With over one-quarter of the Tech200 companies this year offering consulting services, including over half of the top 10, it is evident that the need for specialism within the age of digital transformation has been picked up on.

Companies such as Integrella and Burendo, offer a range of services and expertise that are all classified under IT consultancy. The most common specialities within the Tech200 are cloud services, digital transformation & strategy, cyber security, tech eco-systems, and automation.

Some companies on the list are even more niche with their consulting specialisms lying in drones, such as Coptrz, and AI-powered strategy consulting, such as Qualitest.

At the start of 2021, the new Central Digital and Data Office (CCDO) formally took up its role as the lead for the digital, data and technology (DDaT) function within the government. The CCDO is responsible for setting DDaT strategy in collaboration with government digital leaders, and monitoring the health of the delivery of major digital and data programmes, whilst the Government Digital Service (GDS), which was established in 2011, will focus on the development of products, platforms and services.

The creation of this office marked a new era of digital transformation in government - the biggest collaboration and Permanent Secretary leadership for the digital agenda on a scale never seen before. To find out more about the new CCDO, click here.

Trends from within the Tech200, and more widely, show that consulting firms are set to grow even more in the coming financial year. Following the government's recent policy paper Transforming for a digital future: 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data, it is clear that the government are demanding more from this sector than ever before, so the opportunity to do business with government in this sector is there. Within this paper the government commits to (1) exceeding public expectations through user-centric policies and more efficient public services; (2) equipping civil servants for a digital future by upskilling and; (3) enhancing government efficiency and security with a more "joined-up" and efficient government, enabling and encouraging digital innovation. 

Keep an eye on the developments in this burgeoning consulting sector, and be sure to track the progress of the Tech200 companies. 

Benedict Heaver, Managing Director at Streets Heaver Healthcare Computing:

“Streets Heaver benefit from having an extremely skilled and devoted team behind the innovation and growth of our software. Without a doubt, this success is thanks to our talented colleagues, all of which are invested in delivering our powerful and forward-thinking solutions to organisations across the UK and beyond. Our comprehensive hospital management system, Compucare, is trusted by Private Hospital Groups, Independent Hospitals and NHS Private Patient Units of all shapes and sizes. We’ve grown continuously over the years, and are now arguably the most comprehensive specialist private hospital PAS/EHR system available within the UK."

🏥 2. A continued soar in Healthtech

The increasing strain on the NHS, understaffing and stretched resources have resulted in the need to increase workflow and workforce management - *enter*, healthtech.

As we saw in the last year's Tech200 list, the pandemic showed us the way that digitisation can transform the delivery of our care systems within the UK. The pressure for the NHS to deliver more than ever with less than ever has never been felt more than during the Covid pandemic: Where does NHS funding go? Where could it be more efficient? 

Healthtech has provided an array of services to the NHS, from rota systems to diagnostic help, all whilst improving efficiency and using tech innovation to take the strain off doctors and the wider NHS. Public View, for example, uses NHS data to monitor performance, increasing efficiency in hospitals and better management of workforce, while Islacare allows for clinical teams to capture images, videos and voice notes on personal smartphones to aid with data-based decision-making for patient care.

The pandemic showed us the way that digitalisation can transform the delivery of care - the need now is to address long-term improvement goals, and the immediate task of recovering from the pandemic. With that being said, the NHS released a post-Covid strategy focused on the NHS's long-term recovery through digital solutions in its strategy to digitise, connect and transform. The focus of this strategy lies in three areas:

1. To digitise services - levelling up health and care providers and services with the same core digital infrastructure by extending digital maturity in NHS trusts & digitalising social care records.

2. Connect them to support integration - enabling more integrated care and ensuring that information is in the right place at the right time.

3. Through these foundations, enable service transformation - Using digital technology to reimagine rather than simply enhance services, the NHS plans to develop national digital services to give people more control of their care & allow for better long-term monitoring

With only 45% of social care providers having any form of digital care records and only 20% of NHS organisations being digitally mature, these are some ambitious targets set by the NHS. This clearly shows that the gap in the market for healthtech companies still exists despite the huge growth it has experienced in the last financial year. The opportunity to break into the healthtech sector has never been more open - learn more about the healthtech market through Tussell's recent blog with Tech200 member Open Medical. 

Thomas Ridgeway, Group Innovation Director at Cloud2, a BCN Group company, commented on their Public View product:

“We’re very proud to be having such great impact in healthcare. Used by nearly half of NHS organisations to date, our growth is a true testament to how Public View really does provide NHS leaders with a consolidated data view to monitor and improve their performance.”

Sign-up to our Tech200 mailing list to hear more from Public View, including how they were able to grow so much and their reflections on 2022 procurement trends. 

🔒 3. Cyber-security is more important than ever

As trends 1 and 2 increase and the world becomes more and more digitised, so has the increase in the need for cybersecurity. With the threats of data breaches coming from all directions, the need for data security and privacy solutions is pertinent.

Tech200 companies such as Privitar - who deal in data security and privacy solution for chat functions - and Armour Comms - who secure communications - shows that there is a heightened need for security within communications, particularly regarding our data.

There is no doubt that as digitisation continues to increase, the threats to data security will increase. Therefore, cyber-security is more important than ever - this is something which the UK government has recognised. 

The Government Cyber Security Strategy 2022-2030 aims to "firmly establish the UK as a democratic and responsible cyber power, able to protect and promote its interests as a sovereign nation in a world fundamentally shaped by technology". This aim will be achieved by the government enabling its departments to operate within a government-wide cyber-security system that includes ALBs and all other sector organisations. By collaborating together, organisation and visibility of cyber-security within the government will be increased. 

The growth of cybersecurity looks set to continue way on into 2023 with the government procuring more in this sector than ever before - it is a chance for tech companies to step up to the plate and use this opportunity to do more business within the public sector. 

💼 4. How have SMEs faired?

Over 75% of this year's Tech200 companies were SMEs!

As our 2022 Year in Review report shows, the total value of IT contracts awarded directly to SMEs in 2022 was worth £1.3 billion - something which we are thrilled to see following the government's 2021 promise of committing to spending at least £1 in every £3 with SMEs, either directly or indirectly via supply chains.

It is clear to see that this trend is reflected within the Tech200 as 17 companies out of the top 20 Tech200 companies are SMEs, including the top-ranked company, SiXworks.

Richard Grove, Director of Digital Services, Caution Your Blast

"To be selected by Tussell’s Tech200 is amazing news and wonderful recognition of the talented, diverse and dedicated people who make up CYB. It’s a particular honour coming from Tussell, given their pioneering work in data transparency and recent support of the Good Law project, to be recognised by another organisation who do brilliant work in the sector is a fantastic reflection on CYB, our teams and our progress."

💪 5. Sustained growth

19 companies made the Tech200 list 2 years in a row!

These companies were part of the 200 fastest-growing technology firms in the public sector last year (FY2019/20 - FY2020/21) as well as this year (FY2020/21 - FY2021/22), meaning they were able to sustain their public sector revenue and grow substantially for 2 consecutive years. 

A particular standout in this category is Wonde, who placed first in last year's Tech200 and achieved 118th place this year, with 170% growth. Their huge sustained growth has been achieved in the ed-tech sector. Going into the next final year, will they sustain their spend growth for a third year running?

Another company that also achieved large sustained spending growth and made the Tech200 list for the second time is Open Medical. Having placed 65th in 2021, Open Medical, a healthcare workflow platform, have been able to continue growing, placing 106th in 2022 with a staggering growth rate of 187%. 

Dr Michael Shenouda, Commercial Director, Open Medical

"Open Medical is proud to be on the Tussell and techUK list of the 200 fastest-growing technology firms servicing the UK public sector in 2022; receiving such recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our fantastic team. Our mission is to empower healthcare professionals throughout the world to provide efficient, sustainable, and data-driven care, by delivering trusted and safe solutions that create genuine value for our healthcare partners."

Sign-up to our Tech200 mailing list to be notified when our Q&A video with Open Medical is published. We will be talking about how Open Medical has been able to achieve such high consecutive growth, their views on procurement trends in 2022, and their tips on how to become a successful tech supplier in the public sector. 

Two other companies of note, Ardens-QMasters and SPG (Solution Performance Group), were the only 2 companies on this year's list to have made last year's list whilst also achieving a higher spend growth rate. Ardens-QMasters, a healthcare informatics provider, moved from 102nd position last year to 44th this year with a spend growth of 359%. Similarly, SPG, a cloud product & app provider, moved from 164th place last year to 55th place this year, with a spend growth of 323%. 

🏆 The Top 3 

This year's top 3 fastest-growing fastest-growing technology firms in the public sector in FY2020/21 - FY2021/21 were:

1. SiXworks
2. Devoteam
3. MetOcean Telematics 

1️⃣  Founded in 2017, SiXworks is an IT consultancy SME that grew their public sector revenue by 4290% - this is a huge 62.5% increase over the 2nd place company on the Tech200 list! SiXworks is also the top SME in the list, followed by MetOcean.

2️⃣ Devoteam, also an IT consultancy with over 25 years experience, grew 2640%. Devoteam is the top non-SME company on this year's Tech200 list. 

3️⃣ MetOcean Telematics, a telematics SME that provides a range of voice, data and IoT services, grew 1737%. 

All 3 of these companies are new arrivals to the Tech200, having never been on the list before. This goes to show that major growth increase is possible at any stage in a company's life, whether they have years of experience like Devoteam or are newer to the public sector like SiXworks and MetOcean.

🟢 Tussell Customers

We are delighted see that several of our customers made this year's Tech200 list. 

Congratulations to:

William Alexander Consulting - 19th
PUBLIC - 36th
Aker Systems - 123rd
Autodesk - 163rd
SAS - 170th
NCC Group - 196th

It is great to see that Tussell's market intelligence platform has contributed to the growth of these companies, especially to the growth of SME members. 

A particular mention must go to SAS who also made the Tech200 list for the 2nd year in a row, having ranked 107th in last year's list - congratulations!

Lloyd Johnson, COO, Tussell

"We're delighted to launch the second edition of our Tech200 list. It once again demonstrates the dynamic and resilient nature of the public sector tech market, with a mixture of innovative, new entrants and established suppliers across a wide range of tech services. I'm particularly pleased to see several Tussell customers on the list, following significant growth in the public sector."

To find out how Tussell can help your business grow and do more business with government check out our website and book a demo today!

💻 techUK Members

We are also pleased to see that 19 techUK members made this year's Tech200 list.

This really goes to show that companies working together and sharing knowledge is fruitful and leads to greater innovation. 

Congratulations to all techUK members on the list:

Check out techUK's website to find out how you can be part of a tech network and develop meaningful partnerships with like-minded companies. 

Heather Cover-Kus, Head of Central Government Programme, techUK

"We are thrilled to partner with Tussell for the 2nd edition of the Tech200. The list showcases the diversity of fresh, innovative solutions that tech companies are offering to the public sector today. We're especially pleased to see a number of techUK members make it onto the list."

Concluding Remarks

Diving into the Tech200 and talking to the companies on the list helps give meaning behind the data, and how it fits in with the state of wide public procurement. 

In the coming weeks, we will be releasing interviews from Public View and Open Medical discussing the trends from this year's Tech200, as well as further content looking at the creation of the Tech200 and how you could be on it next year. Subscribe to the Tech200 mailing list to not miss out!