A friendly, informal and vibrant culture is what makes people want to work at software company Breathe. That culture is reflected in an "about us" video on its website, which draws people in.

The award-winning provider of online software, based in Horsham, West Sussex, had its beginnings in an informal setting — a curry house — where two friends, Gareth Burrows and Jonathan Richards discussed the difficulty of finding human resources software that was up to scratch. What was available was too expensive or too complex, so, in 2012, Breathe was born.

Breathe is built on strong social values, at the heart of which is a commitment to workplace cultural development. It has worked hard to create a progressive, inclusive and supportive culture which puts its people above profit.

As a result, it has a highly motivated and productive team. It promotes the benefits of creating positive company cultures via blogs, videos, webinars and podcasts, as well as online and face-to-face events.

The company helps small businesses reduce the amount of time they spend on administration. Breathe's software is used by more than 9,000 businesses and charities in Britain. It supports small to medium-sized companies that employ between 10 and 250 people, thanks to recommendations from its partner network of more than 500 HR consultants.

Breathe's software helps businesses keep on top of their HR administration, communicate with their people, and maximise employee engagement, all of which are fundamental to success.