Northern Powerhouse Mission results in telecoms collaboration for Leeds tech firm aql and CircleLoop

Aql, the Leeds-based provider of voice and messaging technology for software systems, has announced a new telecoms partnership with Manchester’s CircleLoop.

The partnership was announced after the companies’ founders, Dr Adam Beaumont and David Hague, struck a deal on the outbound flight of the tech trade mission from Manchester to San Francisco.

A delegation of 30 tech industry entrepreneurs, led by Beaumont, alongside Manchester-based Scott Fletcher of ANS, represented the Northern Powerhouse on the first trade mission of its kind via the first ever direct Virgin Atlantic Manchester to San Francisco flight.

The mission saw relationships get established within the delegation as well as with investors and startups. The mission also gained insights into how to build the ecosystem to support scaling at the rate of the global tech platforms, such as LinkedIn and Salesforce.

As well as the forging of international relationships, CircleLoop’s Hague and aql’s Beaumont soon realised that there was business to be done between themselves.

Dr Adam Beaumont, aql founder and chief executive officer, said: “We realised that CircleLoop were our ideal customer and we were their ideal supplier within a few minutes of conversation.

“Leading the trip and visiting several aql partners in the San Francisco Bay Area allowed the delegation to get a feel for how we work – which is about embracing an ecosystem. We look at not only how we can supply a start-up, but how we can drive opportunities for them, and we look forward to working with the CircleLoop team in the same way.

“I’m sure the aql-CircleLoop story is not unique and there are many opportunities for similar collaborations across the Northern Powerhouse cities and the clear benefits of bringing together dynamic businesspeople from the Northern cities.”

David Hague, CircleLoop founder, added: “We are delighted to be working with aql as a part of our telecoms technology stack. They are proven leaders in the communications space and their quality technical infrastructure and industry expertise is something we will benefit greatly from.

“We believe telecoms remains a painful, complex and expensive area for many small businesses.

“CircleLoop has been built to offer a simple, flexible, self-service business telephone system, and with aql’s support we believe we can take on traditional telecoms providers and be a compelling alternative for businesses.”

CircleLoop is a cloud-based business phone system that can be setup online in seconds. CircleLoop desktop and mobile apps let customers make and receive calls anywhere, making phone lines, desk-phones and business mobiles redundant.

aql is the UK’s largest provider of wholesale telephone numbers to smart software companies who need to communicate with their customers.