Veeqo, a Swansea-based tech company, was acquired by Amazon in 2021, and its shipping and inventory management software is available for free to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) selling on Amazon.
With support from Amazon, Veeqo’s employees have doubled from 70 to 140, and the company now has team members based around the world – from London to Seattle. The Swansea team has moved into brand new premises at Amazon’s first development centre in Wales, which opened its doors in 2022.
The new Veeqo jobs created after Amazon’s acquisition include highly-skilled tech roles such as software development engineers, technical product managers, and knowledge engineers, as well as UX designers and business analysts. Veeqo also works closely with nearby universities, including the University of Swansea and The University of Wales Trinity Saint David, to provide placements for software and engineering students.
We chatted to the Veeqo employees who build the tools, as well as the Amazon sellers using them to thrive and scale their businesses.
“The one consistent has been Veeqo. Veeqo always works”
Carmarthen Cameras started as a second-hand camera store and grew rapidly to a much larger operation that sells brand new and used cameras, lenses, and all the specialist accessories that every photographer needs. Having access to Veeqo has helped Carmarthen Cameras to simplify the order management process and shorten the time it takes to complete orders, giving the team more time to focus on growth.
“It does the niche thing we needed, we needed stock to be consistent on all platforms,” said owner, Joe Rosie. “Even if it just did that we would use it, but it does so much more. We changed all our systems whilst growing, the POS, website, and premise. The one consistent has been Veeqo. Veeqo always works.”
Naissance, a beauty and wellness retailer based in Neath, specialises in naturally-produced oils, ingredients and beauty products. Jem Skelding started the business in 2005 inspired by a childhood spent in Africa, where it was commonplace for people to use natural ingredients to make their own products.
From its base in South Wales, the company sells to customers all over the world, thanks to partnerships with Amazon and Veeqo. Naissance uses a range of Amazon’s seller services, Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), alongside Veeqo’s technology to reach customers globally.
“Working with Amazon and Veeqo has really helped our business grow,” said Jem. “Amazon’s global sales platform and Veeqo’s e-commerce technology make it possible for us to create products here in South Wales that are then exported to customers around the world.”
Developing a pool of exceptional talent in Swansea
South Wales native, Aisling Miller, joined Veeqo as a Product Marketing Manager in 2022. When she first graduated from Cardiff University, she moved to London to find promising job opportunities that she felt weren’t available closer to home.
"A couple of years ago I decided to move back to my roots in South Wales and was thrilled to discover that Amazon was hiring in Swansea. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to grow my career with a leading technology company right here in Wales.
"I'm truly excited to be part of the Veeqo team and contribute to the growing tech talent pool in my home region.”
Software Development Engineer Jordan Price joined Veeqo as a full-time employee following completion of a software engineering degree at Swansea University. Having spent time working at Veeqo both on a placement year and part-time basis during his studies, Jordan was drawn to the company as a friendly, local employer that would give him the tools needed to succeed and progress in his career.
“I can’t wait to be part of Veeqo’s growth in Swansea,” said Jordan. “The company already has an excellent relationship with Swansea University and local students, but with Amazon’s investment, we have even more potential to become a leading employer in the area for new and emerging tech talent. I would love the city to be known as one of the biggest tech development hubs in Wales.”
Magdalena Motyl joined Veeqo in Swansea in pursuit of a new career in software engineering. Magdalena had an interest in software engineering throughout her career as a project manager for start-ups, but it wasn’t until 2021 that she decided to make the switch to find a full-time position in the industry following a period of freelancing.
Magdalena said: “At Veeqo, we have the unique opportunity to have the look and feel of a start-up, combined with the ample educational resources available to us through Amazon. It’s been a pleasure to get to know the team in Swansea and I’m excited to develop my skills as we pursue great things together.”
Since 2010, Amazon has invested over £2 billion and created 2,000 full and part-time jobs in Wales. With over 75,000 permanent employees, Amazon is one of the top 10 private sector employers in the UK.
Learn more about Amazon’s investment in Wales and other regions.
