Tax relief specialist’s top man charts new growth trajectory for Edinburgh-based business

● Former soldier to turn attention to key areas such as software and engineering

The name may give little away but Edinburgh-headquartered Jumpstart has grown to become one of the leading players in its field.

Established just under a decade ago, the research and development (R&D) tax expert claims to have recovered £100 million in reliefs for UK businesses, submitting thousands of claims in the process, predominantly in the software, IT and manufactur- ing sectors. Around half that total relates to clients north of the Border but the firm has been actively pushing out beyond its Scottish roots.

It recently outlined plans for fresh investment in the south east of England, a year on from establishing an office in Slough. According to official data, the south east region has the highest uptake of R&D tax relief in the UK outside of London – accounting for almost a fifth of all money claimed Uk-wide last year.

Earlier this year, Jumpstart opened an operation in the manufacturing heartland that is the West Midlands, promising to help engineering firms and factories unlock millions