ANDREW Lee describes his venture as “a small business that packs a big punch!”.

As a specialist provider of technology, telecommunications and IT services, Awaken IT is a success story in every sense of the word according to managing director Mr Lee.

The entrepreneur started the Market Weighton-based company in 2009. It has since grown consistently and now has customers of all shapes and sizes both locally and nationally, and is entering the Small Business of the Year and Business Innovation of the Year categories.

A true start-up business, Awaken IT was born from a spare room in Mr Lee’s family’s home. Nine years on the business has offices in York and Sheffield with a strong reputation for quality and an innovative approach to cloud technology and its usage in SME’s.

Mr Lee comes from a background of working within the IT industry since leaving college at 17. With little in the way of formal qualifications he started the company in 2009 after realising there was a niche in the market.

He said: “All too often large businesses have access to the latest cloud-based technologies, support and consultancy services, with large budgets at their disposal to invest.

“SME’s on the other hand have all the potential to grow but find themselves all too often hindered by technology, support and a lack of provision for their needs by managed service providers.

“This is where Awaken IT fits in, Awaken IT is different and has grown consistently by adhering to a core set of values.

The firm’s success and journey to date hasn’t gone un-noticed as in July 2018 Blue Box IT Ltd which is part of the Blue Box Group acquired a substantial stake in Awaken IT.

Blue Box IT is a specialist provider of IT managed services to the education sector. This strategic partnership is not only recognition of Awaken IT’s success to date but also its plans for the future, joining the Blue Box Group means Awaken IT is on track to realise the next phase of its growth and to bring its services to even more SME’s across the UK.