Innoscripta launches UK R&D claims software with new hire

Innoscripta has launched in the UK, bringing its Clusterix software to the British R&D tax claims market.

It is entering a market where many claims are still prepared through interviews, spreadsheets and year-end paperwork, even as HMRC has tightened scrutiny of supporting evidence.

The UK launch also includes a senior hire. Innoscripta has appointed Josh Perry as Head of Sales, UK & Ireland, as it builds a local presence.

Clusterix is designed to record R&D activity and project documentation in real time, rather than rely on retrospective collection when a claim is due. The approach is intended to reduce administrative work and create a more traceable record for tax submissions.

The UK R&D tax relief system has undergone a series of reforms, including the introduction of the merged R&D expenditure credit scheme. That has increased pressure on businesses to provide detailed evidence of qualifying work and show how claims are assembled.

Against that backdrop, software providers and advisers are trying to improve a process that has long depended on manual record-keeping. Many companies still compile technical narratives and cost data after the end of a financial period, a method that can create gaps in documentation and add pressure close to filing deadlines.

Innoscripta says it already works with more than 2,500 companies across Europe. The UK expansion follows its IPO and forms part of a wider international push.

Sebastian Schwertlein, Chief Operating Officer at Innoscripta, outlined the company's view of the market.

"Every other provider in this market continues to sell businesses a consultant with a spreadsheet while failing to secure maximum funding levels. We're bringing something genuinely unique to the UK: a platform that documents your R&D as it happens, not months later when the claim is due, thanks to the power of technology.

This matters more than ever now that HMRC is scrutinising claims more closely and demanding more detailed evidence. Manual processes weren't built for that level of rigour. Technology has now arrived to help UK businesses seamlessly secure the correct level of funding they are owed," said Sebastian Schwertlein, Chief Operating Officer at Innoscripta.

UK market

The company is targeting a segment of the tax advisory market traditionally led by consultants and specialist claims advisers. By focusing on software-led documentation, it is pitching itself to businesses that want a structured record of technical projects from the outset rather than a reconstruction after the work is complete.

Perry joins with more than a decade of experience advising UK businesses on R&D tax strategy, including work on aligning R&D positions across UK and US operations. His appointment suggests Innoscripta sees the UK and Ireland as a market that still requires strong local advisory knowledge alongside software.

He said businesses are looking for a different process.

"The demand among UK businesses for a smarter, more seamless way to claim R&D relief is obvious the moment you talk to them. So much time is still lost to manual documentation, which fails to add value to the science or the engineering itself. I'm looking forward to helping UK companies access the same technology-led approach that's already supporting innovative businesses across Europe," said Josh Perry, Head of Sales, UK & Ireland, Innoscripta.

Compliance focus

The broader issue for the sector is compliance. HMRC has increased checks on R&D tax relief claims in recent years amid concern over errors and abuse, forcing legitimate claimants to improve record-keeping and internal controls.

That shift has created demand for systems that capture technical uncertainties, project milestones and qualifying expenditure in a more consistent format. Finance teams and tax specialists increasingly need evidence that can stand up to questions from HMRC without a lengthy back-and-forth between advisers, engineers and project managers.

Clusterix has already been used across several sectors in Europe. Innoscripta positions the software as a way to help finance and tax teams manage the full claims process in a more structured environment.

Schwertlein said the company sees a wider change under way in the market.

"Innoscripta's UK launch marks the next stage in the company's international expansion plans. With Josh Perry now leading UK growth and Clusterix already proven across key sectors, Innoscripta is positioning itself to challenge the manual, consultancy-led model that has long defined the UK's R&D tax credit market.

The UK market is at a tipping point. Businesses need a faster, more transparent and more defensible way to manage R&D tax claims, and software is rapidly becoming the new standard. We believe the era of spreadsheets and retrospective paperwork is coming to an end, and we're excited to help UK innovators make that transition," said Sebastian Schwertlein, Chief Operating Officer at Innoscripta.