To follow on from our maiden Tech Invest event, we’ve profiled some of the most exciting technology companies in the UK.

GrowthBusiness has now produced a new 2014 version of Tech Innovators, where we have again profiled some of the best technology ventures in the UK through interviews with founding entrepreneurs.

PIE Mapping

Based in: London Founded in: 2002 No. of employees: 26 Company founder: Freddie Talberg

Founder profile:

Serial entrepreneur Freddie Talberg has 15 years’ technical experience within the telecommunications sector and ten years spent working in the mapping and navigation industry. He founded PIE in 2002 following the sale of his telecom software engineering company to a competitor and has a degree in electrical engineering.

Background business profile:

PIE began as a traditional printed map publisher but has moved into the location-based (GPS) mapping industry and is an innovator in terms of both data capture and distribution processes for online and in-vehicle navigation and routing products.

Inside track:

Despite being self-funded to date, PIE Mapping has secured itself some commercial contracts and partnerships than many could only dream of.

Being able to be cash-generative so early in its life has contributed largely to not hitting the fundraising trail so far.

The entrepreneurial Freddie Talberg has been using big sporting events to serve as a test for his mapping technology, which provides data and routing for specific customer requirements.

PIE Mapping acted as the official ‘Supplier of Journey Planner (LOCOG) to the London 2012 Games’ and has seen been touted about by the Technology Strategy Board as a shining beacon for British innovation.

Next year, the business plans to make the most of the Brazilian World Cup, where traffic and efficiency will be tested to limits never seen by the South American country.

The investment that Talberg and PIE Mapping are now going after will be used to fund the overseas travel and marketing that goes on – as well as finding more foreign partners.

Having built companies at various stages over the past 25 years, Talberg is reflective when it comes to describing what it is like today.

‘This business has been a lot harder, but a lot more secure than the telecom days. Back then you could do anything and people would buy it, and it was only those that had proper companies and cash that did ok when the crash hit.

‘What I’ve learnt is that it is a good experience to go through that, any my challenge now is tot keep turning over the kind of opportunities we’ve had. This business has been really hard, but hard because things are normal now.’

Recent milestones:

• Acted as official ‘Supplier of Journey Planner (LOCOG) to the London 2012 Games’ and delivered TfL Freight Journey Planner used during the Games
• Acceptance and take-up of the cloud-based annuity model for routing HGVs into London for compliance with the London Lorry Control Scheme
• Creation of the PIE Data Exchange, which compiles on-street data from local authorities across the UK
• Launch of the first download route to SatNav service from the TfL Freight Journey Planner

Upcoming milestones:

• Contract for the delivery of Freight Journey Planner for New York City (NYC DOT) and licensing model for other North American cities
• Contract for delivery of Smart Travel routing solutions in one of the 12 Brazilian cities for World Cup 2014
• Contract for annuity-based model for managing G4S cash-in-transit business
• Integration of compliant route generation including live data into a major tracking and scheduling system to enable direct routing data into all fleet operators in the UK

Recent technology:

• The technical platform that PIE has developed is significantly more advanced in its flexibility, data-handling capacity and performance. It is capable of handling more and more evolving live data feeds and linking to mapping networks used for urban city street routing and re-routing products.

Alliances:

• UKTI (UK Trade and Investment)
• Dell – Founders Club
• HDR Inc
• LOGIT (Brazil)
• Rapp Trans UK
• IRU (International Road Union)

Investors:

• Two shareholders – the founder and the founder’s wife

See also: 25 of the most exciting fast growing technology companies in the UK