Just over a month into his role as Exeter’s new MP, Labour’s Steve Race visited Re-flow Field Management, to discuss how investment in tech is fuelling growth in the Southwest. The meeting took place on the 6th of September at Re-flow’s city-centre office.
Re-flow’s field management software is designed to help companies with a large proportion of their workforce in the field to streamline their operational processes required for safe, efficient and profitable projects to be planned and carried out.
The topic of investment is an important one for Re-flow CEO, Mike Saunders. ‘Re-flow only exists because of external investment,’ he says. ‘It’s been a fundamental part of our journey and has allowed us to reach a level of success that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.’
The meeting was arranged by BVCA – the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association – whose membership includes key financial backers for countless successful businesses nationwide. With headline figures of £20.1 billion invested last year and nine in every ten investments directed at SMEs, the impact of private equity and venture capital on modern businesses is hugely significant.
Mike Saunders and Steve Race talked about the impact of investment in Exeter and the importance of attracting financial attention – most often focussed on London – towards the South West. It was also an opportunity to show off a little of what Re-flow as a team are up to. ‘Having Steve in the office was an opportunity to share our passion and drive for building cutting edge software that aids companies and investing in the right people to realise that vision,’ Mike Saunders said.
Steve Race said, ‘It was exciting to hear about the company’s future ambitions for growth as well as the pivotal role that private capital investment… had in supporting the company in its early years. Re-flow is a brilliant example of Exeter’s economic diversity and potential. In the relatively short time since it was founded, the company has grown into a leading player in the field management space.’
Image – Re-flow