Bluefruit turns 25: From spare room to the global stage

It’s not every day that you get to celebrate a quarter-century in business. That’s right: Bluefruit Software is now 25 years old.

To mark the occasion, we’re indulging in some well-earned nostalgia before setting our sights firmly on the future. But first, we’d like to thank everyone who’s contributed to our success both past and present.

Bluefruit is a specialised tech company operating in a county that many once saw as decidedly un-tech-y. Yet our enduring success reflects Cornwall’s transformation into the thriving tech hub it is today, shaped by the resilience and creativity of its ever-growing community.

So, a big thank you to all our colleagues, clients, and contemporaries—past and present. And here’s to another 25 years of innovation from the heart of Cornwall.

Humble beginnings

The Bluefruit story began in 2000 when our Founder and Director, Paul Massey, started developing commercial software under the name Absolute Software Ltd. from his spare room in St Agnes, Cornwall.

Paul had been programming commercially since his teens, and his negative experiences working for a local engineering firm were formative. In response, his company was built on the principles of mutual respect, continual improvement, and grounded leadership.

Fast-forward 25 years, and Bluefruit is now a world-class embedded software provider with more than 60 specialists spanning software development, test engineering, quality analytics, UX, and more. Our list of accolades include: Best Place to Work in Cornwall and Growth Business of the Year at the Cornwall Business Awards.

25 years later

2025 has been a milestone year for Bluefruit. Not only did we achieve our highest-ever monthly turnover, but our headcount also grew by more than 10%­—with more hiring underway. These include talented junior hires, who receive dedicated training to help them meet our exceptional coding standards.

We remain committed to creating opportunities for local talent in Cornwall and empowering them through continuous learning, open collaboration, and flexible career paths. Building device software for a wide range of applications and industries, it’s a huge advantage to have team members with diverse experience and unique perspectives. And we’re proud that 70% of our engineering team have come up through our in-house training track.

This year also marks the sixth anniversary of Bluefruit becoming an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). That means our employees own 51% of the business, allowing them to keep it accountable and operating in their best interest.

What’s next for Bluefruit?

As well as throwing a special 25^th anniversary party, Bluefruit has plans to continue growing, welcoming new partners, and expanding our team. It’s been quite the journey, and we have many exciting plans in the works—so watch this space.

And once again, thank you.

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