Our history
thebigword has been a leader in language solutions for over 40 years, providing essential interpreting and translation services to eradicate the final barrier of communication.
Previously known as the Link Up Group, thebigword was established in Leeds, UK in 1980 by our founder, Larry Gould, and soon established itself as a leading recruitment and Language Service Provider.
In 1996, the company’s recruitment division was sold, enabling thebigword to focus solely on establishing itself as a world-class Language Service Provider.
thebigword is now a leading global provider of translation, localisation, interpreting and language technology solutions. The Group’s global headquarters are situated in Leeds, UK. We also have offices in the Netherlands, the USA, India, China and Japan.
As a top global language company, we have established a solid reputation among customers in both the private and public sectors as an industry leader in the provision of translation and interpreting services (including face to face, telephone and video interpreting).
Our organisation employs around 450 people around the world, covers all key time zones and works with more than 15,000 fully-vetted language resources and partners worldwide. Our services are backed by expert project management support, with operational delivery teams processing up to 50,000 transactions per day. In August 2021, Susquehanna Private Capital LLC (SPC) acquired a majority equity stake in the Group which will be used to support our growth objectives, particularly in relation to our technology platform and focus on unrivalled quality of service delivery.