Elements Software

Elements Software, formerly known as Helveta, is a supply chain management software company and "provider of technology solutions for the timber industry"^[1] based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. With revenues of £2.1 million in 2010, it has been recognized for its work in forestry conservation, specifically illegal logging prevention.

History

Patrick Newton founded Helveta in Abingdon, Oxfordshire in 2004. The company developed supply-chain management software Control Intelligence (CI) World to allow customers to track assets. Supported industries include biofuel, food processing, and forestry.^[2] In 2010 Helveta's revenues reached £2.1 million.^[3]

In 2008, the Forest Development Authority hired Helveta and SGS, an inspection firm, to develop a technology barcode scanning system to track lumber in Liberia, where the United Nations banned the logging trade in 2003.^[4] Helveta also earned clients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo^[5] and Cameroon, where a similar project ran from 2008 to 2011. The Cameroon project met many of its goals but failed to secure a long-term commitment in part due to changing government authorities.^[6]

Leadership

Karim Peer is the chief executive officer (CEO) after replacing Newton in 2011.^[3]

Awards and recognition

The Financial Times recognized Helveta as a "Boldness in Business" 2012 award winner for finding profit-making opportunities in sustainable development.^[7] In 2015, Helveta was selected as a top ten finalist in the EY Startup Challenge.^[8]

References

^ "Helveta ready for next level". Growth Business. 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
^ "Company Overview of Helveta Ltd". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
^ ^a ^b Jacobs, Rose (2012-03-20). "Chipping away at deforestation". Financial Times. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
^ "Protected by bars". The Economist. 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
^ Henley, Will (2013-08-14). "Tracking timber: could new technology help clean up the supply chain?". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
^ Lewis, Jerome; Nkuintchua, Teodyl (2012). Accessible technologies and FPIC: independent monitoring with forest communities in Cameroon (PDF). International Institute for Education and Development. pp. 152–163. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
^ Authers, John (2012-03-20). "Good judgment". The Financial Times. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
^ "Winning tech firms announced for the 2nd EY Startup Challenge". Cambridge Network. Retrieved 2015-08-30.