Digital tech scaleups double Manchester headquarters

Two of Manchester’s digital tech scaleups have more than doubled the size of their operations in the city, choosing to continue their growth journeys at the Bright Building on Manchester Science Park, which now sees the 70,000 sq ft building fully let.

Multi-award winning Cubic Motion, which has provided the cutting-edge facial animation software behind blockbuster video games such as Hellblade and Call of Duty, has seen rapid growth in the past 10 years as the accolades for its work continue to roll in. The company has now moved into almost 9,000 sq ft of space, having attracted significant investment and more than doubled its headcount. It now employs a team of more than 100 tech workers, including computer vision researchers, engineers, animators and producers.

Also relocating to the Bright Building is DigitalBridge, a company which has already been backed by John Lewis. It utilises the latest in artificial intelligence technology to empower and enable people to design their dream bathroom or kitchen on any device, at a time that suits them. Its continued expansion has seen the company take 7,300 sq ft of space in the Bright Building.

Tom Renn, managing director, Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP), said: “Cubic Motion and DigitalBridge are established names in Manchester’s digital tech sector and are quickly making their names known across the country too. They’ve attracted backing from sector-savvy investors, scaled quickly from their existing bases at Manchester Science Park, and grown their headcounts substantially over the last decade.

“They now employ hundreds of the digital industry’s brightest minds and are integral members of the MSP community. Both companies stand as blueprints for tech scaleup success, which other promising startups can draw inspiration from.”

Andy Wood, president of Cubic Motion, said “We have always felt privileged to be amongst the wealth of innovative, creative and global companies based at Manchester Science Park. We are delighted to be able to rapidly expand Cubic Motion, whilst remaining true to our Mancunian roots. 2019 will be our biggest year yet, growing our roster of global clients, launching new products to new and existing marketplaces and expanding our services across multiple sectors.”

David Levine, CEO and founder of DigitalBridge, added: “We have ambitions to tap into the huge opportunity offered by the home renovation market on a global scale, and are in an excellent position to power this expansion in the coming months and years. Manchester Science Park provides an excellent base, and moving into the Bright Building is an exciting step in the next phase of our growth.”

The Bright Building describes itself as a ‘living lab’ digital test bed, frequently trialling ground-breaking technology to revolutionise the user experience for everyone who steps through the door. It deploys smart building technologies, including Tesla Powerpack battery technology to enable the building to be taken off grid and become an ‘Energy Island’.