Plane meeting leads to new deal for tech firm aql and CircleLoop

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.

The deal was struck on a flight to San Francisco from Manchester by the the respective companies’ founders, Dr Adam Beaumont and David Hague.

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

Strong links were also forged with incubation experts, such as Rocketspace - the springboard of names such as Uber and Spotify.

Dr Beaumont said: “We realised that CircleLoop were our ideal customer and we were their ideal supplier within a few minutes of conversation.

“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.”

CircleLoop founder David Hague said: “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.”

aql is the UK’s largest provider of wholesale telephone numbers to smart software companies who need to communicate with their customers – supplying some of the most prominent household names via a suite of partners, including some of the largest San Francisco telecoms startups.

Tom Riordan, chief executive, Leeds City Council said: “The combined scale and capability of the digital sector across the North’s cities is massive.

“We are now seeing unprecedented levels of cooperation across the north.”