Innovative Business of the Year 2014

Start-up name: Cambridge Intelligence
Founder: Dr Joe Parry, 46
Started in: 2011
Based in: Cambridge
Business description: Big Data visualisation and analysis technology

If there’s one thing you associate with Cambridge it’s intelligence. Home to one of the world’s top universities and a community of science and technology minds to match any other, there’s much to live up to when you name your business Cambridge Intelligence.

But the Startups Awards’ Innovative Business of the Year for 2014 is making a damn good fist of it and out-competed solar energy product 4eco and urinal-controlled videogames product Captive Media, both incredibly unique and innovative businesses.

And true to a company hot on detail, with its visualisation applications pulling out patterns and trends hidden deep within Big Data, it brought a smile to the Startups team’s faces seeing a Vine video of the award winners polishing their trophy the next morning.

Dr Joe Parry’s KeyLines product enables government agency customers to extract intelligence vital to helping the security services find terrorists and fraud prevention services detect fraud and identity theft, among other uses.

In addition to strong year-on-year growth, the judges were suitably impressed by its global growth prospects and recognition of its government-grade technology. Already selling KeyLines in five continents, Cambridge Intelligence’s revenues tripled in 2013 and were set fair for 200% growth in this financial year. But as important is the sense that the company has produced something truly innovative in a competitive market seemingly bereft of flexible, web-based solutions. What’s more, its starter edition data visualisation product designed for smaller businesses and start-ups distinguish it from corporate customers intent on winning lucrative public sector contracts alone.  

And the KeyLines toolkit is just the start. With an enviable research and development team in place, innovation will flow freely.