Ipswich-based records management software company Inform Direct has passed a new milestone with the number of companies registered on its platform passing the 5,000 mark.

Inform Direct, which provides a cloud-based solution for businesses and their professional advisers to manage their company records, reached the figure when law firm General Standards Lawyers incorporated a new company called L8nd8n Ltd.

Henry Catchpole of Inform Direct said: “We have worked with General Standards for a number of months. We have been delighted to assist them in the formation of a number of start-up companies and we look forward to helping them in the future.”

Campbell Unsworth of General Standards said: “We launched our London office in 2014, as General Standards expanded from Australia into the US and UK.

“I was looking for the best partner to help us form companies quickly and easily for our start-up clients. We now recommend the platform for existing companies too.

“We very much like the Inform Direct service. It is highly automated but if you ever do need to speak to someone, the staff are terrific. We look forward to working with Inform Direct as we both grow.”

The Inform Direct service provides an online platform for a range of actions including submitting annual returns, updating shareholder records, creating share certificates, changing your company name, producing dividend vouchers and forming a new company.

Inform Direct was set by Ipswich entrepreneur Henry Catchpole who in late 2013 aimed to raise £300,000 in funding via crowdfunding platform Syndicate Room.

The company managed to attract notable angels, high net-worth individuals, and sophisticated investors, who helped the company achieve a remarkable £450,000 in total funding in less than two weeks, making it the fastest close record ever on the platform.

Mr Catchpole said: “The platform is a helpful tool for all businesses, whether you are an accountancy practice managing the records of hundreds of clients, a bookkeeper managing ten or a small business owner looking after your own affairs.

“It saves you time and ensures everything is all in one place. It also helps you by ensuring actions such as company returns are completed on time.”