Ultraleap selected for prestigious Future Fifty growth programme
Posted; April 29, 2021
19 April 2021 – Ultraleap has been selected to join the 2021 cohort of Tech Nation's Future Fifty – the leading growth programme for late-stage technology companies. The 22 companies accepted onto the prestigious programme in 2021 hail from across the UK, from a broad range of tech sub-sectors, and are all driving the growth of UK technology
The Future Fifty programme is run by Tech Nation who is partly funded by the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The programme is designed to bring together, empower and accelerate the growth of the most successful tech companies in the UK. Programme alumni include Monzo, Bulb, Starling Bank and Darktrace. 131 companies have taken part in the programme since its inception, collectively raising $11bn, with nine companies going on to IPO.
Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “The UK tech’s sector is set to be the cornerstone of UK economic growth after the pandemic, and the companies in this year’s Future Fifty cohort are a shining example of our nation’s innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience. Nurturing the growth of these scaling companies at such a critical stage is a national priority, as these are the businesses who are already shaping our future both locally and globally.”
Steve Cliffe, CEO and President of Ultraleap, commented: "Ultraleap is proud to have been selected to join the Future Fifty programme in 2021, one of the top growth programmes in the UK to support scale-up companies. As we look to expand our business further, the Future Fifty network of partners and peers will be sure to provide invaluable support and expertise that will help us become the world’s leading interaction company."
Ultraleap is one of three high-growth South West scale-ups accepted into the exclusive programme along with Immersive Labs and Pure Planet. The inclusion of three South West companies strongly reflects data that shows the region’s tech sector is continuing on its impressive growth trajectory. According to the Tech Nation Report 2021, Bristol is currently the UK’s third-biggest tech hub, raising £339mn in VC investment last year.
Ultraleap’s inclusion in the programme comes off the back of an extremely busy 2020 for the company. With the advent of COVID-19, Ultraleap saw an increased demand for its touchless technologies. It developed TouchFree, a specific solution that makes public touchscreens touchless in a bid to help businesses continue operating without spreading germs during Covid-19. The company also signed a major multi-year deal with technology heavyweight Qualcomm to bring its hand tracking to the Snapdragon XR2 5G reference design.
As part of the newest cohort of the programme, Tech Nation and the Future Fifty team is committed to supporting and accelerating these companies’ growth as they enter a new era of innovation and opportunity.
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About Ultraleap
Ultraleap’s world-leading hand tracking and unrivalled mid-air haptic technologies allow you to engage with the digital world naturally - without touching surfaces. No touchscreens. No controllers. No keypads. From enhancing 2D screens to developing fully immersive 3D experiences, Ultraleap powers natural, safe and effortless digital interaction in the increasingly connected world.
Ultraleap employs more than 150 people across Europe, North America and Asia. It has become the first to offer the full vertical stack of software and hardware to enable spatial computing for the automotive, out of home, industrial, XR, entertainment and medical sectors.