Third Liverpool-based firms shutter within a three-month period
Liverpool-based Tech Agency Damibu Enters Bankruptcy
In a surprising turn of events, Damibu, a Liverpool-based tech agency specializing in digital health, has announced its bankruptcy. Founded 15 years ago, the agency was included in the 2025 LCR Tech Climbers list and had once boasted a staff of 12 with a turnover of £650k. However, by last year, the workforce had dwindled to five, and the turnover had dropped to £350k.
The founder of Damibu, Dave Burrows, revealed that the firm noticed a significant drop-off in work from February 2025. The exact cause of Damibu's bankruptcy remains unclear, with Burrows expressing his uncertainty about what went wrong.
This bankruptcy comes amidst a string of closures in the Liverpool tech industry. In July, PR and marketing agency Moore Media went into bankruptcy after 13 years, and just a week later, brand and business consultancy Matchstick Creative shut its doors.
Despite the closure, several respected names in tech have spoken out in support of Damibu. Liz Ashall-Payne, founder of Orcha, described Damibu's work as 'incredible and impactful'. Phil Blything, director of Glow New Media, said Damibu's closure is a 'big loss to the industry'. Jonny Clark, CEO of Capital Enterprise, described Damibu as a 'force for good'.
The public sector budget for the NHS is being cut, which could potentially explain the drop in work for Damibu. It's worth noting that everything is done by frameworks in the public sector, making it difficult to join all of them due to their number.
Burrows was trying to move Damibu away from being a 'gun for hire' to producing its own SaaS products. One such product was their own Content Management System (called Damibu Feeds), which they were trying to sell into the NHS. However, it seems that these efforts were not enough to save the company.
As of now, there were no jobs on the horizon for Damibu. The founder, Dave Burrows, did not blame any specific entity or event for Damibu's financial struggles, choosing instead to focus on the positive impact the company had made in the digital health sector.
This news serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by tech companies in the current economic climate. Despite the difficulties, the support from the industry indicates a shared commitment to the continued growth and success of Liverpool's tech scene.
