News: Sift - Bristol born and bred!
Sift was founded in Bristol in July 1996 by three local business professionals, Ben Heald, David Gilroy and Andrew Gray. Since then, the business has been committed to its Bristol roots and a city centre location.
No surprise, then, that when the company grew to over 120 staff, it should look for another BS1 office to replace its previous Victoria Street premises in the ‘Brann Building’. Over August Bank Holiday, Sift downed tools to make the short journey over Bristol Bridge and take residence in the top two floors of Bridge House on Baldwin Street (see full address).
Sift began when the founders committed themselves to exploring the opportunities presented by the burgeoning internet market, especially around the provision of information and ‘virtual community’ features to business professionals. The fact that the founders came from such blue-chip companies as Compuserve and KPMG certainly helped matters.
Sift’s first business award soon arrived, when at the 1997 Online Information show AccountingWEB.co.uk was named ‘European Internet product of the Year’ (the award certificate still hangs in reception). Sift was beginning to take off as a fully-fledged business, with its founders kept busy by a string of new developments, contract wins, and interesting challenges – especially as in 1999 the company secured its first round of external investor funding.
The following year, and with a turnover of £2.5m, Sift bucked a trend for technology businesses. In October 2000, against a tide of tech stock horror stories, the board secured a second round of funding and effectively doubled the value of the business. This signalled a period of investment and growth, which brings us steadily to the present.
Today, the Sift company consists of three distinct businesses: SiftGroups; PracticeWEB; and Sift Media. The culture is lively, innovative, and keeps a close eye on the work-life balance of its 120 employees. Here’s a bit more about the three businesses that make up Sift:
• SiftGroups provides consultancy and support services to organisations that need to communicate with their audiences online. Clients of SiftGroups include such household names as The Kennel Club, Mensa, the NHS, the Scottish Executive, and the Disasters Emergency Committee.
• PracticeWEB offers accountancy firms a range of online tools to help support and grow their businesses. PracticeWEB is growing quickly, and has recently secured prestigious clients such as Johnston Carmichael, Macintyre Hudson and Wilkins Kennedy.
• Sift Media, a business publisher, began life as a weekly newsletter penned by current CEO, Ben Heald. Today, Sift Media publishes twelve online communities, with over half a million visitors every month, and its advertising clients include blue-chip firms such as Microsoft, IBM, Blackberry and Vodafone.
People have come and gone over the last 13 years, however all of them have helped to create a proud and successful Bristol business. And long may it continue!
