Online camera business MPB plans to recruit 60 new staff in Brighton in the coming year, the company said today (Thursday 3 June).
It said that it planned to “bolster its presence in Brighton” with the new jobs as it “doubles down on its commitment to its home city”.
The new posts represent a 50 per cent increase in its current workforce of about 120.
The jobs boost comes shortly after another digital business with a base in Brighton, Applied Systems, said that it had created 80 posts locally during the coronavirus pandemic.
And Just Eat, the online food ordering and delivery firm, is recruiting 300 people in Brighton and Hove, although they will be out and about bringing meals to the doorstep.
MPB said: “MPB, the world’s largest online platform for used photography and videography equipment, has been an established employer in Brighton for over a decade, currently employing 120 people in the city.
“The company recently closed its ‘series D’ funding round – securing £49.8 million – and it is now focused on achieving ambitious growth both in Brighton and around the world.
“MPB is investing in its workforce to enhance its growth potential and is prioritising expanding its flourishing technology team.
“As a company driven by its custom-built software, constructed by a creative team of in-house developers, MPB is committed to investing in technology to innovate. This has enabled its rapid growth over the last 11 years.
“Of the 60 new roles the business is creating, 40 new roles for software engineers, data scientists and IT specialists will be created to support the company as it continues to transform the way that people buy, sell and trade photo and video kit.”
MPB founder and chief executive Matt Barker said: “As a company, we are heading into a new and exciting growth phase, which has allowed us to create more jobs in this incredible city.
“Not only is Brighton where our journey started, it is also our home, and we are excited to offer more skilled roles to the passionate and creative talent-pool that is based here.
“Building a team of highly skilled people means that we can drive our business forward and, ultimately, better serve our customers.”
The company afded: “The new Brighton-based roles are being made available between now and March 2022 – visit www.mpb.com/careers or follow MPB on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date as job roles go live.
“MPB transforms the way that people buy, sell and trade in photo and video kit. The world’s largest online platform for used photography and videography equipment, MPB is a destination for everyone, whether you’ve just discovered your passion for visual storytelling or you’re already a pro.
“Founded by Matt Barker in 2011, MPB has always been committed to making kit more accessible and affordable, and helping to visualise a more sustainable future.
“We recirculate more than 300,000 items of used kit every year, extending the life and creative potential of photo and video equipment for creators around the world.
“Headquartered in the creative communities of Brighton, Brooklyn and Berlin, the MPB team includes trained camera experts and seasoned photographers and videographers who bring their passion to work every day to deliver outstanding service.
“Every piece of kit is inspected carefully by our product specialists and comes with a six-month warranty to give our customers peace of mind that buying used doesn’t mean sacrificing reliability.
“MPB was recently recognised as one of Britain’s fastest growing private tech companies by the Sunday Times and named the 2020 Mid-Sized Growing Business of the Year at the Growing Business Awards.
“The company recently secured a £49.8 million investment from Vitruvian Partners with support from Acton Capital, joining existing investors Mobeus Equity Partners, Beringea and FJ Labs – the largest ever funding round for a Brighton-based company.”
