With guidance and support from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), French entrepreneur, Stéphane Lusoli, has set up a new UK company, SOFYNE Active Technology, recruited local staff and built up a list of business prospects to help it achieve a projected turnover of £2.5 million.

Running a business is more of a science than an art. These days, there are software solutions available that help to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of all the different parts of an enterprise. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), for example, manages the entire lifecycle of a product from inception, engineering design, manufacture, service and disposal when it’s no longer needed. People, data, processes and business systems are aligned and integrated, and the technical data that the PLM system generates becomes a crucial factor for managers to use in making decisions. Similarly, Manufacture Execution Systems (MES) are used in manufacturing to capture current conditions on the plant floor in

real time, so that they can be optimised to improve production output.

In 2005, French entrepreneur Stéphane Lusoli set up Sofyne, a consultancy and integration company that sells PLM and MES services and additional software. The company now has two offices in France, over 70 employees and is heading towards a turnover of £5 million in 2014.

“Before I started Sofyne, I spent over ten years selling software and IT services to some of the biggest names in sectors as diverse as energy, textiles, network management and aerospace,” says Stéphane. “My job was to help them to select and implement business intelligence tools that manage and analyse technical data and make it meaningful, so that it can be used to optimise business performance, improve efficiencies and ultimately increase profit. I became something of a trusted adviser and I saw how there are many issues and processes that different businesses have in common. At Sofyne, we forge long-term relationships

with our clients. We work closely with them to understand their business needs and how to address the real issues that they face.

We then build a solution, run and deploy the software and provide ongoing maintenance services.”

Support system

In 2013, Stéphane embarked on an international growth strategy. With plans to set up first in the UK, he met the UKTI team at the British Embassy in Paris to find out what support was available. UKTI provided practical information about IT clusters in the UK where the company could set up base, employment regulations, labour costs, taxation matters and finding office space.

UKTI lines up Sofyne for successFast facts

Company: SOFYNE Active Technology

Sector: ICT

Country of origin: France

Investment location: Reading, South East of England

www.sofyne.fr

“ We knew nobody in the UK but UKTI became our partner. Their teams are very proactive and efficient”Stéphane Lusoli, Founder of Sofyne

“ It has been easier for us to grow our UK business globally from London, than to grow our French business from Paris. UKTI have helped us access new markets”Stéphane Lusoli, Founder of Sofyne

Published June 2014 by UK Trade & Investment © Crown Copyright

Stéphane set up a new company, SOFYNE Active Technology, initially based in Reading. UKTI introduced him to local lawyers and potential business partners, as well as its own regional partners, the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and London & Partners. At the end of 2013, UKTI invited SOFYNE Active Technology to showcase its products and services in front of UKTI advisers from around the world and local companies, some of whom have since become new business prospects.

“When you start out in a new country it can be hard to know where to begin,” says Stéphane. “We knew nobody in the UK but UKTI became our partner. Their teams are very proactive and efficient. As well as guiding and advising us, they created an opportunity for us to present to people who could help us to advance our business or become new clients. This approach was very effective. What’s more, UKTI’s network not only covers the UK, but it reaches across the globe. Having met and presented to the teams from Los Angeles and San Francisco at the Thames Valley event, it was easy to contact them when we needed support setting up in the US.”

Growing fast

Since opening in the UK in September 2013, SOFYNE Active Technology has hired nine local employees and various other business partners across recruitment and human resources, accountancy and legal services. In September 2014, the company will be expanding again into two new offices: one at Uxbridge Business Park, London which is close to clients; and one at Level 39, Europe’s largest technology accelerator space in Canary Wharf, close to its global vendor and business/ channel partners.

A strong pipeline of business opportunities means further growth and SOFYNE Active Technology plans to hire a further 15 people and generate a turnover of around £2.5 million from its

UK operations in its first 12 months in business.

“Global business is the reason we chose the UK and UKTI,” says Stéphane. “We quickly recognised and understood that UKTI could not only help us set up in the UK but they are perfectly placed to assist with our global growth strategy. In fact, it has been easier for us to grow our UK business globally from London, than to grow our French business from Paris. In 2015, we plan to set up in the US and Canada, China and Hong Kong. UKTI have helped us access these new markets and tap into the local business community for opportunities and to find future partners and service providers who can help our business grow. We’ll be meeting further with the local UKTI teams in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Hong Kong and Shanghai.”

The UK - Springboard into Europe

The UK is a fantastic place to do business, and an ideal springboard into the rest of Europe. It provides a unique gateway of international connections, is a recognised leader in the fields of creativity and innovation and is the sixth largest economy in the world.

The UK is also one of the easiest places to set up and run a business. With low tax, less regulation and a talented workforce, the UK is one of the easiest places to start a business and access the European Union’s 500 million customers.

The UK is home to four of the top 10 globally ranked universities, including Cambridge University which is ranked first. It is also the number one location for European business headquarters: more overseas companies set up their European headquarters in the UK than anywhere else.

For more information visit: www.gov.uk/ukti

Setting up your company in the UK

Deciding where to locate your international business is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make and can be daunting. UK Trade & Investment helps businesses coming to the UK with every aspect of setting up their new operations.

As the UK Government’s inward investment agency, it’s our job to know the UK’s strengths and where investment opportunities exist.

This means we can help your company to do all the research you need to make an informed decision, and then get up and running as quickly as possible.

UK Trade & Investment can help you to:

• Do your research

• Build key contacts

• Choose your location

• Set up your new office

• Grow your business internationally.

UKTI was delighted to support SOFYNE Active Technology in its investment in the UK.

To find an adviser in the UK and begin your own success story now, scan this code with your smartphone, visit www.gov.uk/ukti call +44 (0)20 7333 5442 or email enquiries@ukti-invest.com

UK Trade & Investment is the Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high-quality investment to the UK’s dynamic economy. We provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage.