New IntelliAM chair Keith Harris says South Yorkshire AI firm will continue its 'strong growth'
The high-profile new chairman of a South Yorkshire AI firm helping major food and drink manufacturers to increase their productivity levels says he expects the business to continue its “strong growth”.
Former Football League chairman Keith Harris, who is an experienced investment banker and corporate strategist, took over as chairman of Dinnington-based IntelliAM last month.
In the company’s newly-published annual report Mr Harris praised his predecessor David Richards, who had chaired the board in the company’s initial stages.
The firm has come out of the maintenance engineering and asset management specialist 53North which served half of the world’s top 12 food and beverage groups.
IntelliAM acquired 53North last year after becoming publicly listed and raising £5m from an IPO. The firm is currently valued by market capitalisation at almost £23m.
The company uses AI models to harness data from production line machines and provide near-instant feedback on how to improve operating efficiency.
IntelliAM is part-owned by Mr Richards’ Yorkshire AI Labs, which invests in promising regional businesses that make use of artificial intelligence in their operations.
Mr Harris said the company has already “accomplished a huge amount”. "As the incoming chairman, I have been impressed by the resilience of the business, the clarity of its strategic direction and the depth of expertise across the board and executive team.”
He said 2024/25 had been a “landmark year” for the business, with a 400 per cent increase in annual recurring revenues.
Mr Harris said: “As we move into financial year 2026, our outlook remains positive. We are focused on scaling our presence both domestically and internationally. Our international strategy will be partner-led – a capital-efficient route to global expansion that leverages trusted local players.
"We have already announced our first US customer and have announced a strategic hardware partner in the US.
"The board expects continued strong growth in FY26, including more than doubling annual recurring revenues, particularly as we leverage new partnerships.
"With a robust customer pipeline and increasing product depth, we believe IntelliAM is well-positioned to continue delivering exceptional shareholder value.”
CEO and founder Tom Clayton said: “We have positioned the company to not only lead the AI-driven manufacturing sector but continue transforming it with innovative solutions.
”With our strong cash position and the expertise within our team, we are excited about the future. Our progress has been remarkable and I’m excited about what lies ahead.”