A Tyneside creative media agency is set to create new jobs after securing a six-figure investment from the North East Small Loan Fund.
Newcastle-based Media Borne provides video production, photography, animation and creative services to a growing number of clients, ranging from North East SMEs to international blue chip companies and the NHS. The agency was set up five years ago by managing director Chris Thompson, who at first ran it as a side venture alongside his civil engineering job before turning it into a full-time career.
Now Media Borne is using its investment, secured with help from regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers, to build on its range of creative services with a focus on live-streaming technology, e-learning and high-end video production. The agency is also boosting its presence in the broadcast sector, with a number of creative documentaries in development, and says it will invest in the new staff it needs to support its growth.
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Four new jobs are expected to be created over the next year as the business grows, as it aims to break through the £1m turnover barrier by the end of 2024. Managing director Mr Thompson said: “Our business model is based on developing long-term relationships with clients and providing all the different cutting-edge media services that they require from a single point of contact.
“We’ve built a strong business over the last five years, but with demand for advanced services like live-streaming and media assets continuing to increase extremely quickly, we felt there would be a lot more for us to achieve with the right resources. We’ve also made significant progress in the broadcast market this year and it’s an area where we feel there will be a lot of opportunities for us to grow in the future.
“The team is growing, and having put this new growth capital in place, we’re confident that we’ll go past the one million pound turnover mark within the next two years. The NEL funding model fit with our growth capital needs, and the advice and support that the team gave us right through the investment process made it easy for us to manage.”
Mike Guellard, senior investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, added: “Chris and his team’s expertise in emerging video techniques and technologies has helped turn a side venture into a thriving business that has the knowledge, ambition and resources to achieve a great deal more.”
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