A Welsh data management company has raised £200,000 for a major expansion programme to double turnover by entering new markets.

Scan & Collate of Ebbw Vale have received second-round funding of £75,000 from Tata subsidiary UK Steel Enterprise, the cornerstone of a £200,000 investment package. The investment, says director Andrew Clarke, will take the business to another level and help their move into new markets.

The firm is now moving to larger premises within the Ebbw Vale Innovation Centre to build their new in-house ‘scanning suite’, which will enable them to handle greater volumes of data more efficiently. They also plan to double the workforce to around 40 in coming years.

Scan & Collate was launched in 2007, with a unique proposition for its customers. The firm visits their clients, scanning and securely storing their data, which can then be easily accessed, or sent on to third parties as required.

From small beginnings, the firm has a UK wide portfolio of mainly medical clients. “GP practices and hospitals are the main clients,” said Mr Clarke. “There is a constant need for their records to be transmitted securely to third parties, for example for legal work. We also do a lot of work for public bodies and local authorities.

“Data management can be a huge headache for organisations, of all types and sizes. These days, people are more aware that data has to be handled securely and they want it done in a professional manner.”

Scan & Collate works with leading health boards throughout Wales and the rest of the UK, including Guys & St Thomas Hospital in London, University Hospital Wales in Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham Children’s hospitals and many others. A great many GP practices throughout the UK also use their services.

The new facilities at Ebbw Vale Innovation Centre will mean that the firm can now widen its horizons, moving into new areas such as financial services and the professions. “We see financial advisers as a potential market for our services, as well as the legal and accountancy professions. “

Turnover this year will be just under the million pound mark, and the company’s business plan aims to double this in three years.”We feel we can achieve sales of £2 million in that period, as well as increasing the workforce from the present 22 to around 40,” added Mr Clarke.

Scan & Collate has an office in Luton to cover the South East, and plans are afoot for further bases to be opened in coming years, possibly in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Glyn Thomas, of UK Steel Enterprise, said:”We are delighted to support Scan & Collate again to help the firm move to a higher level. We are also pleased that the Innovation Centre has proved an excellent home for them to launch, and then expand into larger premises.

“Being able to provide both financial support and premises has proved a virtuous circle, as we have seen with other companies we have worked with here and at our other centres. We wish them all the best with their plans for growth in the next three years.”