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At the beginning of this year, we countered that these five tech firms would be ones to watch over 2019. All based in Wales, and making the most of the country’s tech hubs, these five were poised for big things in the final year of the decade. Now, one year on, we look back to see how our predictions held up.

In 2014, Silicon Valley companies began disclosing the demographics of their workforce for the first time, in part in an attempt to become a more diverse and inclusive sector. Ensuring each sector has a diverse workforce is of high importance. It’s one of the essential ways in which the technology sector can continue its developing success in both its own field and when crossing over into others. At the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees that the company would be “as innovative in advancing diversity as we are in developing products.”

Since 2010, the number of jobs in Wales’ technology sector has sky-rocketed by 83 per cent – and on average, 400 new roles are created each month. This staggering growth is extremely encouraging for recent graduates and those just starting out in their tech careers. Whether they’re Cardiff-born and bred, or have moved to the city to work or study, the Welsh capital also offers these young professionals an impressive balance between quality of life and cost of living. Better still, technology companies are investing in Cardiff-based workspaces left, right and centre – with tech, media and telecoms businesses responsible for the greatest proportion of office leasing deals made in the city.

Remember the Windows Phone? Just like its predecessors Betamax and the 8-Track, it made big waves before ultimately failing to sustain the interest and imagination of consumers, becoming consigned to the history books. But, according to Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates, the Windows Mobile software would have been as big, if not bigger, than its main competitor Android had it not have been for an on-going scandal, damaging trust and the reputation of the brand during Windows Mobile’ launch.