In the last of our end-of-year pieces, business writers Coreena Ford and Tom Keighley pick their five companies to watch in 2026
Precursor Technology Group
The cyber security specialist has seen significant growth since first launching on Tyneside last year. The company announced a significant investment into its secure operations centre at Portland, initially creating 10 jobs, but over the last year it has created even more skilled jobs on the back of rocketing demand for its services.
Launched seven years ago, Precursor provides solutions to help businesses stay secure, with its 24-hour service offering cloud security, continuous security testing, back-up and restore solutions, compliance services, incident response and penetration testing.
And the firm’s CEO Scott Cardow picked Newcastle because of the North East’s strong investment ecosystem, and access to tech talent and institutions like Newcastle University, which is known for its computing and cyber security expertise.
Sayturk Group
Newcastle-based hospitality company Sayturk Group has spent the year bucking challenging trends to expand its presence in the North East.
While many leisure firms have battled rising costs, with a number of high profile firms closing in the region, Sayturk Group has grown significantly. This year it swooped for the popular bar and restaurant Bar Loco, adding to other venues including the lease of the popular European-style cafe bar Société on Grey Street, as well as the former Chicken Coop restaurant adjoining Metropolitan House.
Sayturk Group is also behind the rapidly-expanding Flower Cafe brand, with cafes in Sunderland, Newcastle, Jesmond, Alnwick and Whitley Bay.
Atelerix
With a name that takes its inspiration from hedgehogs, biotech business Atelerix is aiming for one of the world’s biggest life science markets following a deal it struck earlier this year
The Newcastle University spin-out is revolutionising how cells are stored and transported, after forming seven years ago to disrupt the cell preservation market. Its work is based on the behaviours of hedgehogs – which have the genus name Atelerix – and in particular the African four-toed pygmy hedgehog, which hibernates when the temperature dips below around 20C.
This year saw it sign an exclusive distribution agreement with MineBio, a leading Chinese supply chain and logistics organisation, which sees Atelerix enter a market which accounted for 37% of global clinical trials in 2024, positioning the firm to support and scale within the region. And earlier this month the firm also entered into a partnership with French company Cherry Biotech as it continues to expand its “commercial traction”
GeoPura
The hydrogen power firm is on a mission to replace diesel generators with its green hydrogen power units (HPUs), which are manufactured in Newcastle. Having won a Kings Award for its work in zero emission technology, the business has recently talked of securing a clutch of customers that present an opportunity for it to scale up.
GeoPura was launched in 2019 and shares its base with long term partner Siemens Energy at the Parsons Works site. Its HPUs are intended to give customers flexible access to power, unlocking grid constraints, decarbonising operations and keeping essential systems running – even in remote or demanding locations.
That is why the firm has been successful in selling its technology to construction and industrial customers, the Ministry of Defence, and film and TV sets, in the UK and Europe. The only by-product is water and heat – no air pollutants, and no particulate matter – making it a powerful alternative to fossil and even biofuels like HVO.
Inflo
North Shields-based audit technology firm Inflo announced earlier this year that it was creating a number of jobs to support growth in the UK and US. It was founded nine years ago by four experienced auditors who had noted inefficiencies and frustrations with software that was already on the market.
They set about creating a system that reduced manual input and gave users insights. Inflo said it had seen a surge of US firms joining its platform this year, with new customers including SingerLewak LLP – a top 100, private equity-backed firm; Wolf & Company and Geffen Mesher.
The firm says it supports more than 20% of the top 100 firms in the US. Its new hires will help it develop technology, its products and to bring new customers on to the system.
