Belfast’s Sugar Rush Creative expands business by 43% thanks to support

Belfast-headquartered mobile app development agency Sugar Rush Creative is set for growth of more than 40% with support from Ulster Bank

It has recently won significant projects with major names including Olympus UK / Ireland, Angling Direct PLC, Stryker PLC, Sandvik, and Game Of Thrones.

The company, which delivers bespoke mobile apps, software, augmented reality, and virtual reality development, now does over 60 percent of its business outside of Northern Ireland, such has been its growth beyond its home market.

Sugar Rush Creative, which has an office in London’s fashionable Shoreditch, in addition to its headquarters in The Gasworks, Belfast, has grown significantly during the pandemic, winning new contracts in markets including the UK, Europe and the US. It expects a growth rate of 43% this year.

Founded by Belfast boy Ali MacFarlane, the company has been in operation since 2003 and has won numerous awards for its work, including UK App Agency of the Year.

Ali says that the company has continued to invest in the business with Ulster Bank’s support. This has included investing significantly in its people, its technology, and its offices.

Looking to the future, Sugar Rush Creative Founder Ali MacFarlane, said: “I founded Sugar Rush Creative when the tech industry in Belfast was in its infancy and for the past 18 years I’ve grown the business organically. I have banked with Ulster Bank since day one and heavily rely on its services including the mobile banking app as, with clients across the globe, I can access it 24/7. Navigating the business through this past year has certainly been one of the toughest but it has also proven just how vital expansion is beyond 2021 as we win new clients and contracts from across the UK and further afield. I’m pumped for the future as continued support from Ulster Bank will help in my ambition for the growth and development of Sugar Rush Creative.”

Liam Bradley, Business Development Manager at Ulster Bank, added: “Sugar Rush Creative is a great example of a locally-based company that is winning business in major markets such as the UK and USA by harnessing the skills and talents of people here in Northern Ireland. The company works for some of the biggest names in business and its awards speak volumes about the quality of its work. Ulster Bank has provided financial support to help the company invest so that it can continue to expand its customer-base and win high quality work across its markets.”

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