At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top London based CEO’ operating in the Hardware space. If you think a CEO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Tania Boler
Founder and CEO of Elvie
Tania is an internationally recognized women’s health expert and has held leadership positions for various global NGOs and the United Nations. Passionate about challenging taboo women’s issues, Tania founded Elvie in 2013, partnering with Alexander Asseily to create a global hub of connected health and lifestyle products for women.
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About Elvie: Elvie is a British femtech company developing smart technology for women.
Roland Lamb
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of ROLI
After leaving school in the UK, Roland moved to Japan to practise Zen Buddhism. He then moved on to Harvard University, and a degree in Classical Chinese and Sanskrit Philosophy. This – naturally – led to an interest in technology and industrial design, so he won a scholarship to pursue an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art. While at RCA, he invented an award-winning new approach to building pressure-sensing interfaces and ROLI was born. Roland is joined on ROLI’s board of Directors by Salahdin Imam, Sarah Chalfant and Tahmima Anam.
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About ROLI: ROLI is a London-based music technology company that produces musical instruments and software products.
Tim Griffin
CEO / VP & GM Dell UK of Dell
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About Dell: Dell transforms computing and provides high quality solutions that empower people to do more all over the world.
Jamie Grant
CEO of Carv
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About Carv: Carv is the first wearable dedicated to skiing that speaks to you as you ski, serving as a digital ski coach.
Alex Klein
Co-Founder and CEO of Kano
Alex Kleinis Co-Founder and CEO at Kano Computing.
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About Kano: Kano provides a system of kits and coding platform that enables users to develop apps, games, and music.
Greg Mesch
Founder & CEO of CityFibre
With over 25 years of telecom, internet and technology-based experience behind him and five companies successfully built from start-up phase, Greg is an expert when it comes to business plan development, management team building and the capital formation of high growth, fibre optic based telecom companies. Greg had extensive involvement in the founding of Esat Telecom, assisting them in raising all their early stage capital, their core product positioning and network implementation. Esat was later sold to BT for over €1 billion. He went on to make the founding investment in Versatel Telecom NV. Versatel operated in Holland, Belgium and Germany building one of the largest fibre based infrastructures in those markets. He was instrumental in the development of its business plan, recruiting the core management teams and raising over €1.5 billion in capital. Versatel was sold for over €2 billion to Tele2.
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About CityFibre: CityFibre Infrastructure Holdings plc is the UK’s largest independent provider of fibre infrastructure in secondary cities
Sergei Nossoff
CEO & Co-founder of Teslasuit
An international hands-on senior executive, private equity and investment banking professional with over 20 years of experience. Creative, with clear strategic vision, excellent interpersonal, negotiation and problem-solving skills, with a proven ability to manage and build winning teams. Committed to the highest levels of professional and personal excellence and credibility. Currently focused on New Technologies (VR/AR/MR) and MedTech sectors.
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About Teslasuit: Teslasuit is a team of talented developers and designers, creating innovative products for XR and MedTech.
Del Titus Bawuah
Chief Executive Officer of lili
Del Titus Bawuah is a London based entrepreneur with a background in real estate management and alternative investments.
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About lili: Outdoor City pods offering flexible stay which can be accessed via smartphone or unique code on the move by the hour.
David Mills
Chief Executive Officer, Ricoh Europe of Ricoh Company
David Mills is Chief Executive Officer, Ricoh Europe. David is responsible for the strategic direction of the company as well as the operations of Ricoh’s 20 operating companies across EMEA, marketing operations and the supply chain. He joined the Ricoh Group in 2008, having already held several senior roles in our industry including President of European operations at IKON. He then became the Managing Director of Ricoh UK, before joining the Ricoh Europe Board as Executive Vice President, and then COO. He became CEO of Ricoh Europe in April 2014.
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About Ricoh Company: Ricoh is a global technology company provide office imaging equipment, document management systems and IT services.
Hammad Kayani
CEO, Founder of BitFutr
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About BitFutr: BitFutr is the home of your Crypto. The BitFutr app helps you spend your crypto, get up to 8% in saving and invest your crypto 24/7.
Hongbin Zhuang
Co-Founder and CEO of Emotech LTD
Hongbin was the product director of Renren.com and assisted it to become one of the largest SNS in China with over 35 million monthly login users, which went to NYSE IPO in 2011. He graduated from UCL with a distinction in the degree of MSc HCI & Ergonomics and strongly believes that the revolution of human computer interaction will make a better world.
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About Emotech LTD: Emotech is an AI startup aiming to redefine the relationship between humans and technology.
James Griffith
CEO & Co-founder of Mous
James Griffith is the CEO and co-founder at Mous.
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About Mous: Mous is a fashion tech brand that designs and manufactures protective accessories.
Philip Ellis
Co-Founder ,CEO & COO of Beryl
Phil is here to make sure that it happens. Phil approaches cycling with the same ripped down simplicity he does most outdoor pursuits, look good and go fast. In his case one or the other is usually achieved but rarely both. With a law degree, accountancy qualifications and consulting experience, Phil brings a triple threat of legal, financial and operational experience to Blaze.
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About Beryl: The UK’s leading micromobility company
Ming Kong
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TG0
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About TG0: TG0 is an R&D start-up creating novel 3D controls.
Ben Drury
Co-Founder and CEO of Yoto
Ben began his career in 1996 as a founder of dotmusic.com, an internal venture at United News and Media which attracted over 1.8m unique users per month (in 1999). In 2000 Ben was recruited by BT Group to head up the broadband music efforts at their ISP BT Openworld where he successfully launched a major music channel. Following the partnership between BT and Yahoo! to form BT Yahoo! in 2003, Ben engineered the sale of dotmusic to Yahoo! for approx. £3.3m. Ben then founded 7digital with James Kane in 2004 with the vision of creating a digital media marketplace. 7digital operates services that bring together suppliers and consumers of digital media. In September 2008 7digital.com was the first company in Europe to launch DRM-free MP3 downloads with all four major record labels. In September 2009 HMV Group acquired a 50% equity stake in 7digital with an investment of £7.7m. Ben was named by Growing Business magazine as a Young Gun 2006 – the award for leading entrepreneurs under 35. In 2007, 7digital was awarded the prestigious Red Herring Top 100 Europe Award as one of the most promising technology companies in Europe.
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About Pimoroni, Yoto: Yoto – The screen-free audio platform for kids.
Charles Nasser
Chief Executive Officer of Claranet
Charles Nasser founded Claranet in 1996 and has grown it into an international managed service provider operating in 6 countries. Charles has led the company through a strong period of organic growth as well as several acquisitions from public and private companies. Charles holds a Masters degrees in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from Imperial College (University of London), a Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance (ACCA) and a Masters in Finance from the London Business School. A keen traveller, Charles has visited over 85 countries and participated in several expeditions, including a trek to the geographic North Pole in 2004.
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About Claranet: Claranet is an expert in modernising and running critical applications and infrastructure.
William B.
Co-founder & CEO of Doordeck
Co-Founder & CEO at Doordeck
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About Doordeck: Doordeck replaces traditional proximity cards with your smartphone.
David Mitchell
Founder & CEO of XYZ Reality
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About XYZ Reality: XYZ Reality is disrupting the Construction Industry with a unique Augmented Reality solution able to reduce project costs by up to 20%
Tom Evans
Founder & CEO of BleepBleeps – Smart Family
Tom Evans is the Founder of BleepBleeps.
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About BleepBleeps – Smart Family, Central Research Laboratory, D&AD, SapientNitro: Cute, connected gadgets that make parenting magic.
Cyrille Najjar
CEO of Sensio Air
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About HIAGO Inc., Sensio Air, White sur White: Sensio Air is a healthcare analytics company that helps people with asthma and allergy predict prevent and manage their symptoms.
Dugald Macdonald
Co-Founder & CEO of Sportable
Dugald Macdonald is a Co-Founder and serves as a Chief Executive Officer at Sportable. Prior to founding Sportable, he serves as an Investment Associate at GEM Investments for over a year.
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About Sportable: Sportable is a sports data company that changes the game for teams and audiences.
Gerard Rubio
CEO & Founder of Kniterate
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About Kniterate: Kniterate is an affordable and compact digital knitting machine for your workshop.
Ali Afshar
CEO, Co-founder of Mytos
Ali is co-founder of Cytera CellWorks.
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About Mytos: Mytos is building a fully-automated cell manufacture platform for Pharma
Pedro Nuñez Porras
Founder and CEO of Eskesso
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About Eskesso: Eskesso is smart sous vide cooking appliance and cloud platform.
Fred de Haro
CEO & Co-Founder of Pycom
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About Pycom: The world’s most integrated IoT Platform
Nat Martin
CEO of Litho – Makers of Diorama
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About Litho – Makers of Diorama: LITHO is the input device for the real world.
Paul German
CEO of Certes Networks
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About Certes Networks: Certes Networks, Inc. provides security solutions for high performance networks for government agencies and federal organizations.
Martin Metcalf
Chief Executive Officer of Basis Technologies
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About Basis Technologies: The only complete automated DevOps & Testing Platform for SAP
Max Boender
CEO of Myneral Labs
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About Myneral Labs: Myneral.me offers an all-encompassing platform for the metal and mining sector .
Jim McCoy
Founder/CEO of Q-Branch Labs
Jim McCoy joined Q-Branch Labs as Founder/CEO in 2016.
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About Q-Branch Labs: Cybersecurity protection for remote and work from home employees
Pauline Issard
CEO & Co-Founder of Trackener
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About Trackener: Trackener is revolutionising the equine care with data and technology.
John Nussey
Co-founder & CEO of Ding
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About Ding: At Ding we make beautiful smart home products. Our first is a smart doorbell which allows you to talk with the person at your door.
Riley Riley
Chief Executive Officer of Glorious Labs
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About Glorious Labs: Glorious Labs increases consumer access to 360° media through the world’s first SocialVR cameras.