One of the UK’s fastest-growing financial tech brands has made its new Hull home in the heart of the city’s digital community in the Fruit Market. Dojo creates the tools and technology that empower over 50,000 businesses across the UK to thrive.
The “fintech” brand provides rapid integrated card machines, a mobile app allowing businesses to track their transactions in real time, and WalkUp by Dojo, which enables customers to access a queue management system used by over 800 restaurants across the UK.
Dojo has relocated its 190-strong Hull team to a new home in the £3.75m fourth building within developer Wykeland Group’s @TheDock tech campus, which is also home to the Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI), in the city’s Fruit Market.
The Dojo team is occupying a large part of the first floor and all of the second floor, with the new offices accommodating customer service, commercial and IT teams.
Dojo has moved its Hull team from its previous offices at Warehouse 6 in Princes Dock Street in the city centre. Dojo chose @TheDock as it offers high-quality accommodation forming part of a tech community within the vibrant Fruit Market urban village.
It means the 20,000 sq ft, three-storey building is now fully let, having been speculatively developed during the pandemic, underlining the success of the @TheDock development in creating a focal point to enable Hull’s tech community to grow and thrive.
Meg Darling, Head of Customer Service at Dojo, said: “We’re really excited to have such a fantastic working environment, giving us more space in a brilliant location.
“We’re huge investors in our people and culture and moving to such a vibrant area of Hull makes it an even better place to work for our teams.
“The space is great, both internally and externally, and we’re delighted to be surrounded by like-minded businesses in this growing tech community.”
The company, which also has bases in London, Bristol and Belfast, is continuing to offer its staff flexible work arrangements, splitting their week between the new Hull office and working from home.
Commercial Support Manager Ashleigh Sainsbury said: “The Fruit Market area is stunning. It’s great to see how much it has grown and developed and it’s the perfect place for us to continue to attract fresh talent.
“During lockdown, my team doubled in size and it’s great to be able to welcome them all into the office in such an exciting new working environment. Working together in person and collaborating with each other really enhances the customer experience, too.”
John Gouldthorp, Asset Manager at Wykeland, said: “Securing Dojo is a major coup for C4DI and @TheDock, as it brings a big national tech brand and almost 200 jobs to this thriving digital community.
“It underlines the positive impact of establishing a hub to bring the city’s leading digital businesses and specialists together. Just a few years after the opening of the first C4DI building, the tech community has grown into one of the UK’s most powerful digital clusters.
“Dojo’s decision also emphasises how attractive the Fruit Market is as a workplace. Companies are recognising that their staff and potential recruits want to work in a location that offers a vibrant lifestyle and opportunities to socialise during breaks and after work.”
The Dojo move is the latest in a series of investments bringing high-quality tech jobs to C4DI and @TheDock.
The building where the Dojo team is now based welcomed its first occupier last October when leading digital retail marketing agency Summit Media opened a new office for its 60-strong team on the first floor.
The Next Door by Nibble takeaway café is on the ground floor, while the building also features a media suite and meeting rooms area, which is available to hire, and offers ground-floor undercroft parking for 25 cars, for use by occupiers.
The @TheDock development has also seen further investments by leading tech businesses in recent months. Vertual, a leader in virtual reality radiation training systems, relocated to @TheDock, while Saab UK increased its presence, opening a larger office for its growing Public Safety and Security business.
Pictures: R&R Studio.
