Ateb Marks Decade of UK-wide Growth From Two-Person Start-up to Five-Staff Consultancy
Welsh language consultancy Ateb marks its 10th anniversary, having expanded from a two-person start-up into a five-person team operating from M-SParc on Ynys Môn. Founded in 2016 by Rhys Evans and Llinos Iorwerth, the firm now supports national organisations across the UK in bilingual communications and public relations.
The business was established after Evans and Iorwerth identified a gap in support for organisations implementing the Welsh Language Standards. At the time, both worked for an organisation in Gwynedd where the language was a natural part of everyday life. They recognised that entities in areas with fewer Welsh speakers faced significantly greater challenges in meeting practical requirements.
After registering the company, the founders worked evenings, weekends and holidays to build a website and secure initial clients while maintaining full-time jobs. Following a launch event in Cardiff, their first major contracts were secured, providing the confidence to leave their permanent positions.
Rhys Evans reflected on the early days, stating: “Early contracts with the BBC, Wales Millennium Centre, Welsh National Opera and The Open University gave us the confidence to leave our permanent jobs and focus on the new business.”
He added: “The decision wasn’t without risk, with some of our former colleagues warning that Ateb might not even survive beyond its first year.” But the introduction of the second phase of Welsh Language Standards regulations brought growing demand from national organisations looking for specialist support, and we haven’t looked back.
A decade later, many of Ateb’s earliest clients continue to work with the firm, a longevity Evans and Iorwerth are particularly proud of. The team now operates from their offices at M-SParc, serving the public, private and third sectors across the UK.
Llinos Iorwerth explained the evolution of their services, noting: “Alongside our Welsh-language work, we also provide public relations and bilingual communications support.” The two areas have developed alongside each other over the past decade, with our team working with clients on everything from language planning to media relations, social media and communications.
She continued: “As our client base grew to include organisations operating across all four nations, our work took us to all sorts of unlikely locations to talk about the Welsh language.” Over time, our work has evolved too, and we’ve found ourselves working across Welsh language, communications and PR in ways we probably wouldn’t have anticipated when we started.
As it marks its tenth anniversary, Ateb remains focused on helping organisations understand the Welsh language, communicate in both languages and build stronger connections with audiences across Wales.
Eli Nathan
Eli Nathan covers Wales news, politics, community stories, and sports for The National Wales (thenational.wales).
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