Newcastle attracts investment from international technology firm Xplor who will create over 200 jobs this year

Early in 2020, just before the government announced a UK-wide lockdown, Xplor visited the region, with Invest Newcastle and Invest North East England showing off the city’s strengths and offering as a place to innovate, collaborate and grow a business.

Newcastle’s city centre is an attractive location for Xplor’s new UK service delivery centre because of its ability to attract and retain talent, proximity to the region’s universities and transport links.

Xplor offers enterprise software solutions for businesses in five fast-growing ‘everyday life’ industries: Education, Health and Fitness, Boutique Wellness, Field Services and Personal Services as well as a global, cloud-based processing platform that allows clients to seamlessly and securely process payments for their services. Xplor already employs more than 2,000 colleagues across offices in the UK, Europe, Australasia and North America.

Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes, said: “Newcastle is a city on the global stage. We are now building a strong digital sector, which includes a growing FinTech base, that can compete with other big cities and have the ingredients we need – good transport links, culture, beautiful open spaces, a vibrant night-time economy and a skilled versatile workforce to attract investors.

"Xplor is a global leader, and any ambitious city would have been delighted to be host to their new UK base, but they chose Newcastle which underlines real confidence.

“In the short term Xplor will provide over 200 jobs for residents with the prospect for many more to come which is exactly what we need as we begin to recover from the pandemic. I welcome Xplor to the city and want other investors to know we are business friendly and will work hard to help them make their businesses a success in Newcastle.’’

Part of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Invest Newcastle’s mission is to help businesses locate, expand, and thrive in Newcastle and Gateshead. They champion the city on a national and international stage, working collaboratively to drive forward economic growth.

Jennifer Hartley, Director, Invest Newcastle who has been working closely with Xplor, supporting its plans, introducing Xplor to the North of Tyne Inward Investment Fund and wider regional support said:

“Working closely with our partners including Invest North East England and the North of Tyne Combined Authority, I had the pleasure of showing off our city and its strengths to Xplor just before lockdown. From applying for funding, Xplor being awarded £965,000, to providing introductions to partners, supporting on recruitment and information on the wider business base in the city, all throughout lockdown, this investment is also a collaboration story. It is testament to the support of everyone involved and their commitment to providing opportunities and jobs for our people.

“Xplor is the perfect fit for Newcastle and this international investment shows confidence in our city as a place to attract and retain talent and build a successful business. It isn’t just the talent, connectivity, and culture we have here, people buy into our city’s aspirations. We are bold and ambitious, and we look forward to watching Xplor thrive in our vibrant city centre. Invest Newcastle will continue to support them at every step of their journey.”

North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll said: “Jobs are the foundation of our economy. These are good, well paid jobs that will go to the people of our region. And they're hi-tech exporting jobs, developing software for global use, exporting over the internet.  

“It's fantastic news that Xplor has chosen to create hundreds of jobs here. They could have chosen to go anywhere. It shows that when we work together as a region, we can we be winners. This is what the North of Tyne devolution deal was all about – improving life for our people.”

Camilla Sunner, Chief Commercial Officer for the UK & Europe, Xplor said:

“We’re incredibly excited to be building a brand-new customer service delivery centre in the city centre of Newcastle to better serve our health and fitness, and business clients across the UK and Europe. As their needs change and grow, we will continue to invest in intelligent solutions, greater automation, and in our talented people, to build a world-class service delivery model capable of meeting their needs now and in the future.”