Bristol based true-cloud finance software solution Xledger UK has been named the UK’s top technology scale-up business at the annual Business Leader Scale-Up Awards.
The awards, which took place on Thursday 3 November, saw over 500 hundred high-growth businesses enter across all categories. In the Technology Scale-Up of the Year category, Xledger UK faced stiff competition from the likes of HyperFinity, OnePlan, Innovative Physics and Ultraleap, representing a significant accomplishment for the South West business.
Judging for the awards was based on business growth, financial performance and future plans for expansion. As one of Bristol’s fastest growing businesses, Xledger has seen a 36.4% increase in turnover between 2020 and 2021, as well as doubling the team in the last 12 months.
No stranger to picking up awards after being named the top technology company in the 2021 UK’s Best Workplaces ™ list, Xledger CEO Mark Pullen tell us, “This achievement represents the continuous hard work and dedication of everyone at Xledger, and it’s fantastic to see that recognised with this award.
“We were shortlisted alongside some brilliant tech companies doing some fantastic things; it’s a great feeling to come out on top.
“We’re an ambitious business that’s committed to scaling effectively, but our community will always be at our heart. By taking an active involvement with charities such as the Bristol Bears Community Foundation – who help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to overcome the challenges of modern life – we’re dedicated to being a business with a local ethos that has a national impact”.
Scaling up in the South West
Last year we caught up with Xledger to find out more on their scaleup journey. Ian Halliwell, Sales & Marketing Director shared with us some of the company’s focus whilst scaling the business: “A business, it’s the people. Xledger is centred around culture, because we understand that without our employees, we’re nothing.
“The biggest challenge to scaling up is ensuring you have the right people in place who are able to collaborate with one another effectively and are dedicated to doing the best job possible.”
To startups and SMEs who are looking to grow their organisation, Ian gives these pieces of advice: “Ensure you maintain your culture and identity. You have to build the business around people who want the same things as you do. As a business scales, it’s important to not lose sight of what brought you to a phase of growth in the first place. Really think about the company culture and the experience you want your employees to have day-to-day.
“Our culture is central to the organisation and is one of collaboration and trust. It’s about enthusiasm and it’s about being fun.”

Shona Wright
Shona covers all things editorial at TechSPARK. She publishes news articles, interviews and features about our fantastic tech and digital ecosystem, working with startups and scaleups to spread the word about the cool things they're up to.
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