THE INNOVATION Award went to Microsoft technology experts Cloud2, based at Hope Park Workspaces in West Bowling.

Its co-founder and managing director, Taran Sohal, was overjoyed after being presented with the accolade.

“We are all delighted as a Bradford-based company, which is part of the broader BCN Group, to have won at the Bradford Means Business Awards,” he said.

“I’m proud to be here today and to be recognised, especially for our work with large organisations and the NHS.

“We are very excited to be creating new and innovative products which are sought by customers across the world and internationally, including as far afield as Australia.

“We have huge hope for Bradford. If companies like us can do it, there’s a tremendous amount of opportunities for other people who also want to fill their careers in this space.”

The business was founded in 2008 and became a leading Microsoft partner within just six months.

Taran previously added that he was “proud” that Cloud2 is in the “top tier” of Microsoft partners in the local area.

Other nominees for the Innovation Award were Shipley-based children’s furniture specialist Room to Grow and digital innovation and artificial intelligence brand Excelledia Ventures.

Room to Grow owner Anne Davies said, after being nominated, that: “With Room to Grow you can add a little sparkle to a room of any size.

“I remember growing up in the ‘box room’ in the 80s and cramming all my childhood treasures under the bed, as there was nowhere else to put them. Thankfully we can offer a little more today.”

Anne was a mother to a young daughter before founding the business, and wanted to help parents just like her create exciting, magical bedrooms for their children.

Mark Burns, European Managing Director at Excelledia Ventures, said earlier: “We are a company which has innovation entirely at its heart.

“We build new digital concepts and one of our key products is Dezign Space, which enables anyone, wherever they are in the world, to post a business idea with us.

“We want to create 300 new digital business jobs over the next three years, which will significantly add to jobs and prosperity in the communities we serve.”