Somo, the largest independent mobile solutions company in the world, has chosen Bristol to set up a specialist engineering with a plan to create 60 jobs in the city.
The fact Bristol sits within a cluster of over a dozen respected universities made it an obvious choice for Somo’s expansion, given its plans to develop a graduate and apprenticeship programme at the new facility.
The move by Somo adds to the city’s growing reputation as a global hub for technological innovation. It follows a series of recent announcements that demonstrate the region’s emergence as a national centre for technology: including the acquisition of Bristol-born SecondSync by Twitter, Somerset-based solar-powered drone maker Ascenta being acquired by Facebook, and digital solutions company Kainos announcing the opening of a new office in Bristol.
Somo has grown by over 100% in the last year, hiring 60 additional staff around the world (London, New York, Singapore, Berlin, San Francisco and Los Angeles) and working with clients including Audi, DeBeers, BP, The New York Times, AirAsia Expedia and many other significant global brands.
Invest Bristol & Bath (IBB), the inward promotion agency responsible for attracting companies into the region, has been working with Somo on the decision, taking just six weeks to convince the company to set up in Bristol. IBB helped Somo host a series of innovation showcases at the Engine Shed to increase awareness of its activity in the area and boost recruitment.
Speaking about the opening of the new operation in Bristol, Somo’s CEO and Co-Founder, Nick Hynes, said: “The expansion of our business is testament to Somo’s veracious demand for top quality software engineers. Due to its increasing reputation as a tech hub and the fact it is situated within a stone’s throw of some of the UK’s most renowned universities, Bristol was an obvious choice. We’re proud to nurture new engineering talent and spearhead the tech recruitment drive, both in London and here in central Bristol.â€
Prof Joe McGeehan, Chair of Invest Bristol & Bath and director of Toshiba’s Telecommunications Research Laboratory, said: “This is fantastic news for Bristol & Bath and is another example of how the region’s tech cluster is gathering momentum and competing on a national stage.
“Bristol’s high quality of life is becoming increasingly well known, with high profile accolades such as last month’s nomination from the Sunday Times of Bristol as the best city to live in Britain. There’s a growing opportunity for the regions to capitalise on the growing appetite among companies to set up in locations outside London where they can avoid the high costs of the Capital but still attract and retain the right staff, and Bristol & Bath offers all this and more.â€
