Kinewell is poised for growth
OFFSHORE tech company Kinewell Energy is poised to grow to a team of 80 staff in the next two years after launching a new head office in Newcastle.
The North Shields electrical engineering consultancy is relocating from North Tyneside to Newcastle as it gains increasing attention from clients around the world who are keen to tap into its technology.
Set up by Andrew Jenkins in 2015 when he was a PhD student at Newcastle University, the business has now opened a new head office at Wizu Workspace at Portland House.
The company’s software solutions have been used to deliver some of the world’s largest offshore wind farms.
The company has also worked with some of the world’s largest renewable energy producers, helping them to save hundreds of millions of pounds and slash development times by calculating the most economical way of arranging subsea cable layouts, and pinpointing the best turbine locations.
Kinewell, which has been taken part in the North of Tyne’s TIGGOR (Technology, Innovation and Green Growth for Offshore Renewables) programme, said the new office would lead to the creation of up to nine new jobs, doubling the company’s headcount to 18.
With more projects in the pipeline, the company wants to build on its growing momentum as it recruits for roles ranging from developers to a chief financial officer, chief technical officer and chief commercial officer.
Dr Andrew Jenkins, founder and CEO, said: “The opening of the new head office marks the beginning of an incredibly exciting new chapter.
“We have ambitious plans to continue building on the success of our KLOC, KDOTS and KWOTA software in the year ahead with the launch of new products and services. Our new office will be a focal point for our team to continue innovating, delivering global technological leadership, and creating substantial value for our clients worldwide.
“While we will still have some staff working remotely, it will provide us with a central base where we can onboard our new recruits and bring people together in a collaborative environment that allows us to continue bringing new innovative solutions to the market. The space aligns with our sustainability goals of minimising our carbon footprint, and its audiovisual (AV) facilities enable hybrid inperson and remote meetings which is ideal for our team operating globally from Newcastle.
“The hiring of a CFO, CTO and CCO too will enable us to continue growing at our rate of doubling every year. We anticipate our team to reach 80 people within a couple of years and this new office will be central to helping us achieve that.”
Dr Jenkins added: “We’ve been working on a concept for a new software solution for some time which has the potential to be a further stepchange beyond our existing solutions that are already recognised as gamechanging by RenewableUK’s 2023 Global Offshore Wind Awards. Our 2024 has started with a real buzz, building on multiple prestigious awards won at the end of 2023, moving into our new office, and recruiting to double the team to fulfil our rapidly expanding order book. The future of Kinewell Energy is very exciting.”
Dawn Dunn, digital and tech sector lead at Invest Newcastle, said: “We are thrilled to see Kinewell Energy open their new headquarters in Newcastle as they plan to double their headcount. Andrew and the team are doing some phenomenal work in driving innovation and sustainability in the energy sector and their commitment to the North East will help ensure that we remain at the forefront of the clean tech revolution.”