A Manchester entrepreneur says the Government needs to be more agile when it comes to dealing with the tech sector.
In particular Jack Barmby, CEO of Bury-based software expert Gnatta, says help is urgently needed to bring experienced developers together with tech start-ups.
The 25-year-old has turned Gnatta into a 拢2m turnover business since launching it at university in 2012 but told 老九品茶Cloud: 鈥淢ost people with ideas aren鈥檛 developers and most developers aren鈥檛 businesspeople. We need each other.
鈥淥ne side doesn鈥檛 have the necessary commercial knowledge and the other doesn鈥檛 have the necessary technology knowledge. But bring the two together and you get an instant reaction.
鈥淭his is where the Government comes in. They do listen but it鈥檚 slow. The speed at which the technology scene is moving is outstripping the speed at which the Government can respond. The things they do should be less time sensitive.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a politician but I think the Government need to move with the times. There鈥檚 lot of advice available for funding, tax credits etc but there鈥檚 precious little if you鈥檙e a tech company and want help from a developer.
鈥淚f that happened I think the UK鈥檚 tech sector would grow exponentially.鈥�
Gnatta, which was one of 10 winners in this year鈥檚 Tech North Northern Stars聽event, helps companies to provide better customer care across multiple digital and social channels.
鈥淚 was lucky,鈥� explained Barmby. 鈥淢y first developer was a mate so I could get my first product out the door with him.
鈥淣ow I鈥檝e got a tech team of around 30 people but getting a guy for 拢50k as a young entrepreneur just isn鈥檛 going to fly.鈥�
Gnatta works across 95 per cent of digital channels in nine different languages.
Despite its rapid growth, Gnatta is in the enviable position of not having taken on any external funding but Barmby admitted he鈥檚 now considering external funding.
鈥淚t鈥檚 much more beneficial to be self-funded,鈥� said Barmby.
鈥淲e are having meetings and chats to see what鈥檚 out there but we certainly don鈥檛 need funding for survival, it鈥檚 something that we鈥檒l use as a catalyst for growth.鈥�