Following its acquisition by the French-headquartered ABGI Group earlier this year, the Jumpstart brand has operated alongside ABGI UK, with the former focusing on the SME market while the latter targeted larger businesses.

The decision to operate under a single brand has now been made to align the UK operation with the international group strategy.

The move is part of a £250K investment into the UK business which includes the opening of a new London office and a number of new hires.

Alongside the existing R&D tax credit and Patent Box services it provides for clients, ABGI UK has also expanded its product range to include risk assurance, grant funding, R&D advances and capital allowances.

With its headquarters in Edinburgh and existing offices in Birmingham and Manchester, ABGI UK’s new London premises will be based in the heart of the City in New Broad Street.

The company’s new recruits, which will be particularly focused on the London area, will lead to a 25 per cent rise in staff numbers with some of its sales functions doubling in size.

Scott Henderson, ABGI UK CEO, said: “The significant investment into the UK operation comes on the back of strong growth in our business. We are seeing increasing interest from companies looking to address the inherent conflict of interest and risk exposure of using their accountant or audit partner for this type of consultancy. Furthermore, we are seeing companies looking to access our expertise to optimise their claim, experience a better service or pay a more competitive price.

“Along with the new London premises, this investment from our parent company enables us to further build our UK presence and leverage decades of experience to expand our service offering both for large corporates and SME clients across ABGI’s international footprint.”

Mr Henderson added: “While Jumpstart will now fall under the ABGI brand, the talent, ethos and spirit that built it into a hugely successful UK-wide R&D tax advisory business remains firmly in place. We now move forward as the leading adviser for accelerating and funding innovation for UK companies.”