A company which protects global brands from counterfeiters is to create 80 new jobs in Caerphilly.
Incopro is expanding into offices at Britannia House on Caerphilly Business Park, supported by a £500,000 investment from the Welsh Government.
The company specialises in brand protection by tracking and removing counterfeit products from the internet. Its clients range from luxury goods companies to consumer product businesses and include the BBC and world-renowned fashion house Ted Baker.
The company was founded in 2012 by CEO and IP protection lawyer, Simon Baggs, and Chief Technical Officer and Systems Architect Bret Boivin, both passionate about IP and united in their belief that technology has a huge role to play in helping IP businesses to succeed online.
Talisman, the company’s carefully developed counterfeit detection technology, was launched in 2015 to unprecedented acclaim. The company has now outgrown its offices in London and needs approximately 80 new staff, mainly analysts and developers, based in Caerphilly.
With 2.5% of world trade counterfeited and predictions suggesting the global economic value of counterfeiting could reach $2.3 trillion by 2022, there is a critical need to deliver innovative solutions to prevent piracy, brand infringement, copyright and intellectual property (IP) theft.
Incopro combines the latest technology with multi-lingual staff enabling them to investigate suspect websites, track fraud and detect counterfeiters.
The company has also announced collaboration with WR Investigations, a company already based at Britannia House that supports investigation into the offline networks that perpetrate counterfeiting in the UK and globally.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “As we conduct more of our everyday lives online, it is vital we have the systems to protect us from a new wave of criminals. The services companies like Incopro provide are invaluable, both to the World economy and to the interests of the individual.
“I am delighted we could support their expansion, and welcome them to Wales, where I am confident they will enjoy a successful future.”
Incopro chief executive Simon Baggs said: “We are committed to making the Internet a better place for businesses to prosper. A key element in achieving this is to cut out the sale of unlawful products and content.
“We are delighted to have secured Welsh Government support to further our mission and to deliver jobs and innovation in Wales.”
I thought we were going to be thrown back to the dark ages post Brexit.
Seems like we are gradually slipping the yolk of oppression.