GUEST COLUMN:
Paul Abrahams
Chief Executive
Reacta Healthcare
Building a technology business is as much about place as it is about product. The right location can shape your access to talent, infrastructure, and networks – and in our experience at Reacta Healthcare, Wales has provided the foundation to do all three.
Reacta is focused on the development, manufacturing and supply of food allergy tests to the global clinical research market. The company began life in Manchester, but we relocated our manufacturing facility to Deeside in North Wales in 2018. At the time, we took over a pharmaceutical facility that was far larger than we required, but the infrastructure was just what we needed at the time. Fast-forward a few years, and we’re now looking for additional space to accommodate our growth.
That journey reflects both the scale of the opportunity in the food allergy market and the strength of the ecosystem that surrounds us in Wales. The incidence of food allergy has risen sharply in recent years, and our products – designed to better diagnose food allergies in sufferers – are now used by many of the pharmaceutical and biotech companies developing new therapies around the world. We’ve grown from a small team of six people to nearly 80, with products distributed globally and a pipeline of new launches planned for the coming years.
When we first came to Wales, funding wasn’t our primary motivation. But as we settled here, we began to see the value of the support available to growing businesses. The Development Bank of Wales became an equity investor through its seed fund and has continued to support us through subsequent rounds. Beyond the capital itself, the Bank has opened doors to wider opportunities, connecting us with Welsh Government support for training, equipment and capital investment, and providing access to expertise that’s been invaluable for a scaling company.
That access to support has helped us focus on the things that matter most: building our team and developing our products. North Wales has proven to be a strong base for attracting talent. We draw from universities across Wales and the North West of England, giving us access to graduates with a wide range of skills. The region has a concentration of medical and healthcare companies, and that creates a healthy flow of expertise across organisations. On several occasions we’ve been able to bring in people with deep sector experience, sometimes as a result of changes elsewhere in the industry, and that’s helped us to strengthen our team quickly.
We’ve worked hard to build a culture that reflects our purpose. Our work has a direct impact on people living with food allergies, and that sense of purpose runs through the organisation. We’re fortunate to have a loyal and motivated team, with very little staff turnover. People join because they believe in what we do, and we make sure they have the opportunity to grow with the business. That sense of shared commitment has been one of our greatest assets.
Being in Wales has also allowed us to develop close links across the ecosystem, from universities and research institutions to local suppliers and professional advisers. It’s an environment that encourages collaboration, where reputation and relationships matter. That sense of community is something you can feel here. It creates trust, which in turn makes it easier to work together and move faster.
The sector we operate in is evolving quickly. Like many life sciences companies, we’ve faced challenges linked to changes in regulation, particularly in the US, but we remain optimistic. Demand for better diagnostics and treatments continues to grow, and we’re investing in new products and capabilities to meet it. We’ve launched two new products this year and have several more in development for 2026 and 2027.
Looking back, relocating to Wales was a turning point for Reacta. It gave us the space to grow, the access to people and expertise we needed, and the support to navigate the challenges of scaling a technology business. Today, we’re proud to be part of a Welsh technology community that’s ambitious, collaborative and increasingly recognised on the global stage.
Paul Abrahams talks about this and more in the Meet The Funder – The Development Bank Podcast. Listen to the podcast here.
