Hermann Hauser and Chris Curry founded Acorn Computers Ltd in Cambridgeshire in 1978. Production included the Acorn Electron, the BBC Micro and the Acorn Archimedes. Acorn is best known for its BBC Micro model B computer and its involvement in the BBC's Domesday Project around 1984-1985. Many British IT professionals gained their early experiences on Acorns, which were technically advanced when compared with more commercially successful hardware. Acorn Computers Ltd's subsidiary company Arm Ltd worked with Apple to develop the RISC chip. Another subsidiary, Online Media, pioneered set top boxes and video-on-demand, but the company was broken up from 1998 and ceased trading in 2000.

Bug-Byte was founded in 1980 by two chemistry graduates, Tony Baden and Tony Milner. The business developed a pioneering range of 8-bit computer games during the early 1980s. Bug-Byte was best known for its games for the Spectrum, but the firm also developed games for Sinclair, Commodore and other home computer brands. Of these games, Manic Miner and Twin Kingdom Valley were the best known. The company was based in Mulberry House, Canning Place, Liverpool, and would help to generate other software businesses in the area, including Imagine Software and Software Projects. After a difficult financial year, in June 1985, the company went into voluntary liquidation. The rights to their games and the Bug-Byte brand were purchased by Argus Press PLC. Argus' subsidiary company Argus Press Software Ltd would go on to release new games and budget versions of their own software under the Bug-Byte name. Following a management buy-out, Argus Press Software Ltd became Grandslam Entertainment in 1987.

Kevan Earl was a 16 year old O level student at Turton High School, Bolton. He developed the software game "Backgammon" using an Acorn Computer. Kevan had Leukaemia. He was a gifted mathematician with a strong sense of humour who liked to solve complex puzzles and enjoyed games of chance. He became interested in computing at school where he studied electronics and computer studies. He learned to write programmes and build circuits, He made and used jokes such as electronic whoopee cushions. At school he used PET computers. This motivated him to buy and build the Acorn Kit which he researched himself. On hearing about Kevan's illness his father's colleagues at NORWEB raised some of the funds and arranged its urgent delivery (normally about 6 weeks). Amongst several items of software purchased, his favorite was The Acorn Atom Magic Book. He was a keen chess player but was motivated to write the backgammon program because there was not a commercial one available. During this time Kevan was in and out of hospital for chemotherapy, his computer travelled with him and was an absorbing interest up until he died. After spending several weeks writing the backgammon programme, Kevan wrote to Bug Byte himself to generate their interest. In August 1981 Colin Earl wrote to Bug Byte to report that Kevan had died, it was then that a connection with a leukaemia charity was set up. Bug Byte dealt with and paid for all the legalities and business costs. Royalties from the game were paid to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and the Haematology Department at Hope Hospital, Salford.