Headcount: 21 (+320%)
Specialism: Cisco
HQ: Cheltenham
This Cisco specialist makes a second successive appearance in Fast-Growth 50 on the back of a 320% rise in average monthly headcount between its fiscal 2022 and 2025.
Boasting offices in Cheltenham and Prague, Original sees hybrid work, cloud transformation, collaboration, enterprise networking, cyber security, datacentre and Internet of Things as its sweet spots.
It is one of three B Corps in this report.
Sales Director Matt Dunn pinpoints AI-driven infrastructure transformation as the mega-trend that will shape Original’s 2026 (see below).
View the wider Fast-Growth 50 here.
Q&A with Original Sales Director Matt Dunn
How have you been able to increase headcount in a flat market?
It’s been entirely organic. We’ve made strategic hires to build capability ahead of demand, particularly as we’ve expanded into new practice areas like AI and cloud infrastructure.
What mega trend will most shape the year for your company?
AI-driven infrastructure transformation, without question. Every conversation we’re having with customers right now comes back to how their network, security and collaboration estate needs to evolve to support AI workloads.
Which competitor or peer do you respect the most, and why?
Rather than single out one company, I’d say the broader Cisco partner ecosystem in the UK is genuinely impressive. There’s a lot of quiet excellence out there and the rising tide lifts all boats.
What’s a fact or quirk about your company most people won’t know?
We’re a team of 27 and a five-time Cisco360 Preferred Partner, but we’re probably the biggest small company you’ll find in the Cisco channel. The scale of what we deliver consistently surprises people.
Does the rise of AI make it less likely you’ll continue to add headcount?
Quite the opposite. AI is creating entirely new categories of work and customer demand. We see it accelerating our growth, not replacing it.
One thing you have planned for the next 12 months
We’re building out our own AI tooling and IP, moving from purely advising customers on AI to developing proprietary solutions that sit at the intersection of AI and enterprise infrastructure. (ISO/IEC 42001).
