An IT company has found the right angle for growth at an innovation centre in Solihull.
Pythagoras, which was established in 1999, opened its West Midlands office at Blythe Valley Park in 2012 and has just moved into the University of Warwick Science Park’s Innovation Centre on the site.
The firm, which provides a range of IT services specialising in education, financial services, local and regional government, not-for-profit and professional services, has grown rapidly in that time and has now expanded into a new office at the centre.
The business, which also has offices in Maidenhead and London, employs more than 100 staff – 16 of which are based at the Blythe Valley location full-time – and is continuing to recruit to meet growing demand, including in the further education sector.
The company works with a range of universities across the UK helping them to manage the student experience from before they go to university through to when they graduate and become alumni.
Pythagoras brings together several different Microsoft solutions to help the university track all communication with students and they have found it helps in attracting students and with retention.
Russ Hardy, pre-sales consultant at Pythagoras, said: “We have enjoyed a very strong period of growth and, as such, needed to expand and it’s great for us to be able to do that at the Blythe Valley Innovation Centre.
“We wanted to maintain the central location because it’s convenient for travel to and from client sites and is great to host client presentations. The fact that we have been able to grow into the Innovation Centre has been a huge benefit and has made it a seamless expansion.
“We were established in 1999 by our CEO Julian Stone and he remains focused on driving the company’s vision and that has led to us becoming a Microsoft Gold Partner and President’s Club Member.
“That is what helps us to continue to ensure our clients stay one step ahead of their competition when it comes to IT and also gives us an additional edge when pitching for new business.”
He added: “The work we are undertaking with universities is a case in point. This is a growing market for us and it highlights how we can integrate several pieces of software to offer a full solution for the client.
“We are now working with many universities across the country as they want to track the way they work with students throughout the whole process and we are getting very positive feedback on that.”
Mark Homer is the manager of the Blythe Valley Innovation Centre and he said it was a testament to the region and the centre that Pythagoras had chosen to grow there.
He said: “There is no question that Blythe Valley is a great location for businesses to be based – especially when they need to travel around the region.
“And the fact that we can offer space on a flexible basis means companies such as Pythagoras can grow here and, if the need arises, expand further with us.
“The fact that they have like-minded businesses also based in the same building is an additional factor in this being the perfect base for their Midlands office.
“It’s great news for the region that they continue to grow and create new jobs here.”
