Gareth Williams, Founder of Bristol-based YellowDog, celebrated being announced as an upcoming ‘one to watch’ entrepreneur of global number one university business incubator, SETsquared, at the House of Commons.
Gareth was on an exclusive list selected from over 1,000 entrepreneurs who have been supported by SETsquared during the last 15 years. The enterprise collaboration supports high growth tech companies that have significant economic impact, having collectively raised over £1bn of investment and created over 9,000 jobs.
The announcement took place on 29 March – the historic day that Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 to leave the EU – serving as a reminder of the UK’s strength in innovation and entrepreneurship in the global market. The companies honoured have reached milestone achievements, including raising significant investment, exporting products globally, creating thousands of jobs or achieving a world first.
YellowDog is building the world’s fastest supercomputer without physically owning any computers; using unique technology that harnesses and monetises underutilised computer power whether in the cloud or in other businesses. Today YellowDog delivers an unrivalled fast and cost controlled cloud rendering service to the animation, CGI and virtual reality industry, which has won them two Oracle awards for their innovation in disruptive technology. The render company saw a surge of growth last year as they activated over 500 customers in just 12 months, including an impressive number of customers internationally. YellowDog also managed to secure over £1.2million in capital investment in 18 months.
Speaking of the achievement, Gareth said: “We’re delighted to be nominated for this honour and it shows real testament to the knowledge and support provided by SETsquared, helping our start-up to achieve great local, national and international success. The tech cluster in Bristol is particularly strong, and important in the country’s economic success, so we’re very proud to be recognised for our innovative work having a positive impact on the wider economy.”
SETsquared worked with an expert panel of investors and innovation corporate leaders to select the Top 50 Entrepreneur which includes companies from across various industries such as health, green technology and 5G and wireless communication.
Michael Queen, an investor on the panel, said: “Creating a successful business requires talented entrepreneurs and a great idea but this isn’t enough. SETsquared acts as a catalyst providing support, logistics, training and mentoring to turn dreams into reality. Over the last 15 years, SETsquared has made a major contribution to building a dynamic technology based business sector in the UK.”
The reception at the House of Commons was an opportunity for the entrepreneurs to celebrate their achievements along with MPs and special guests, as well as sharing stories on how they have successfully raised investment, exported products globally or had a major impact on their industry.
Simon Bond, Innovation Director at SETsquared, said: “When I look back on the last 15 years, I am overwhelmed by the talent and achievements of the entrepreneurs that SETsquared has supported. They have brought world-leading innovations to market and these have been exported across the globe. SETsquared has provided support and a network for these entrepreneurs including access to mentors, experts, international markets and investors, and they are now out there doing SETsquared and the UK proud.”
To see the full top 50 list, visit the SETsquared website.