Bath-based cloud pioneer Zynstra and SETsquared, the highly-successful business incubator backed by the University of Bath, have been named among the winners in the Sparkies, the region’s tech sector ‘Oscars’.
The awards, staged at Bath’s Komedia last week, emphasised the West of England’s growing role as one of the UK’s most innovative regions and showcase the achievements of its ambitious digital companies and entrepreneurs.
Judges had to choose from a record field of 225 nominations across 14 categories with winners ranging from hardware innovators and those competing on the global stage to minnows enhancing the region’s reputation as a game development cluster.
Zynstra recently received funding worth $8.4m (£4.9m) to continue its growth, invest in further innovative products and enter the North American market,
Its hybrid cloud solutions offer users the security and performance of local IT combined with the economics and ease of the cloud.
SETsquared, whose Bath base is in the university’s Innovation Centre at Carpenters House, has won a clutch of major awards for its success in supporting 1,000-plus entrepreneurs over more than a decade.
The two stars of the awards were Bristol-based incubator games developer Opposable Games and Ultrahaptics, also based in Bristol, which is developing pioneering technology allowing users to ‘feel’ and change a screen without physical contact. Both businesses won two Sparkies.
Sparkie’s founder David Maher Roberts said: “The judges’ thinking reflected the growth of the local tech industry and they’ve tended to reward companies and individuals with big ambitions.” 
Pictured: SETsquared's Simon Bond, left, and Nick Sturge, centre, collect the Best Service Provider award
Other winners included Coull, the Bristol-born data-driven video advertising technology firm that has expanded to New York, Santa Barbara and London, Bristol-based discount code innovator Vouchercloud, and Swindon game developer Fayju.
The full list of winners is . . .
‘One To Watch’ …. and ‘From Chips to …’
Ultrahaptics has pioneered a system using ultrasound and tiny vibrations that allow people to ‘feel’ and manipulate a screen without physical contact – reminiscent of the science fiction film Minority Report. The innovative software was developed from car parking sensors which use ultrasound to detect obstacles when reversing.
The Good Award
Using its OneTouchConnect software, the Bristol-based game developer works on titles across multiple platforms and devices, and focuses on the potential of second screen and other emerging technologies such as virtual reality.
Best Game
Amazing Frog
Produced by independent Swindon-based game developer Fayju, the Amazing Frog combines ragdoll physics, a crudely rendered approximation of Swindon and a flatulent frog prone to slapstick falls.
Best App
Wriggle is a mobile app that sells last-moment opportunities for food and drink at a reduced price. Already a hit in Bristol, it will soon be expanding into London and Bath.
Best Service Provider
With offices in both Bristol and Bath, the SETsquared Partnership is the enterprise collaboration between the universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey.
Established in 2003, it specialises in supporting high tech start-up companies, providing student enterprise and enabling academics to maximise the impact of their research.
Totally Killing It Abroad
Bristol-based Coull has disrupted online video advertising sector, creating lucrative new revenue streams for publishers and new opportunities for advertisers. It allows video publishers to monetise their content by connecting viewers with bespoke advertisers.
Founder Of The Year
Joel Gibbard – Open Bionics
Emerging from the University of West England’s robotics lab, Open Bionics uses 3D printers to produce low cost robotic prosthesis – at a fraction of the price available via the NHS.
Biggest Success Story
Bristol-based vouchercloud is now Europe's biggest mobile voucher app, allowing shoppers to save money on well-known international brands, independent retailers and local services via codes sent to their mobile phones.
Best Start-up
A pioneer in cloud-managed server appliances for SMEs, Bath-based Zynstra’s hybrid cloud solutions offers users the the security and performance of local IT combined with the economics and ease of the cloud.
Individual Contribution To Technology
Ben is a co-founder of both Opposable Games and the Bristol Games Hub, a collaborative space for companies and academics to explore games and games technology. His support has helped grow Bristol’s games development community from 20 to 140 professionals and hobbyists.
Best Mentor
Mark is the founder & CEO of Bristol-based Mubaloo, Europe's largest independent enterprise app development agency and mobile strategist.
Future SPARK
Jake Chandrasakera – Android Developer at Somo Global
Coder Of The Year
