Top Tech Companies in Reading and the Thames Valley

Reading, part of the Thames Valley region in southern England, is one of the strongest tech hubs in the country. It’s particularly strong for artificial intelligence, IoT (Internet of Things) and cyber-security firms.

It’s easy to see what attracts technology companies to the area. Reading has the greatest cluster of “big tech” companies outside of London, housing the headquarters for Cisco, Microsoft and Oracle. That, a 30-minute train journey into London and easy access to Heathrow make it an ideal spot for emerging businesses.

But with such diversity, who’s worth watching? Here are our top six tech companies in Reading.

Altitude Angel

If you’ve flown a drone, you will be aware that strict rules govern where you can actually fly. Altitude Angel develops free software for drone users, including live maps of the sky displaying where you can fly, ground hazards and even where other drone users are flying. Altitude Angel also offer services to industry, consolidating relevant airspace information and drone activity on a case-by-case basis.

Austin Fraser

Hiring new employees is tough; searching for jobs even tougher. Austin Fraser specialises in recruitment for tech companies, providing a service for employers and prospective-employees. One of its most important values is reputation; to find suitable opportunities for its users, it focuses on building good relationships with local businesses, learning exactly what each company values. That’s what sets Austin Fraser apart, and explains how it has been able to expand from a two-man startup to an international organisation in just over ten years.

CloudFactory

For projects dealing with a huge amount of complicated data, analysis and management is often the most backbreaking (and boring) task. CloudFactory provides highly qualified teams specialised over three sectors: image and video analysis, natural language processing and data processing. Using a blend of artificial intelligence and machine learning, CloudFactory provides a comprehensive and transparent database of fully processed data.

FullCircl

FullCircl provides insights for financially regulated companies expanding their professional affiliations, reducing the workload required to research, onboard and retain new customers. New deals are risky – to ensure consistent compliance, FullCircl’s Customer Lifecycle Intelligence model gathers the most important information about a company in one place, allowing its clients to make more informed decisions backed up by real data.

Parking Energy

Founded in Finland, Parking Energy create EV chargers and outlets. Electric vehicles are growing in popularity and power, but the lack of widespread EV outlets is still a problem. Now, after raising over $5.5 million, it is expanding into the UK market, aiming to install charging outlets in residential areas and car parks. Most excitingly, its charging points are modular, allowing for any compatible charger to work, no matter the manufacturer. This not only futureproofs its infrastructure but also – albeit to a tiny degree – our planet.

Thingitude

Reading leads the UK in companies specialising in IoT technology, and there’s no company more dedicated than Thingitude. Its work focuses on making the LoRaWAN network accessible for the public and helping individuals develop their own IoT projects. (LoRA is a low-power, long-range networking protocol.) It also supported the development of “MyWay”, an app for female students at the University of Reading to stay safe when travelling home at night. This uses 120 sensors, deployed over 100 streets in the city centre, to monitor movement, temperature and light level, all live on an interactive map.