A Sunderland-based IT service provider is looking to create jobs and build on its recent success a year on from securing £100,000 of funding from the Finance for Business North East Proof of Concept (POC) Fund, its founder has told Insider.
Affinity Systems was set up in 2010 by Al Yong and received the investment from Northstar Ventures-managed POC in September last year.
A year on, the company is aiming to build on the success it has enjoyed since.
Yong told Insider: "The past year has gone very well. The investment was used to create Rymote, a new strand of the business which remotely provides IT services to users, which has now gone to market.
"We have a global reach and we're now looking to build on its success, increase revenues and attract further investment. We are always actively seeking investment."
The business has partnerships with BT and Cisco, and in the past year has begun working with other Cisco partners.
Based in the Sunderland Software Centre, the company is aiming to hire eight staff over the next year in tech and sales, adding to its five existing employees.
"We're also looking to bring ourselves to office capacity."
Yong was particularly proud of the work the company carries out with smaller companies.
"I'm delighted to be working more with local businesses in the North East, particularly in the retail sector where we have had a lot of success.
"Smaller businesses which are not usually able to access powerful technology can do so at a competitive price because of what we do."
Yong added that businesses being able to access this technology is "boosting regional growth".