Best Startup
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 Founder operating in the Innovation Management space. If you think a Founder 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.
Nick Hynes
CEO & Founder of Somo
A true business visionary, Nick has established some of the most successful fast-growth digital companies of the last two decades. In recognition of his contribution to the digital industry, he was recently shortlisted as one of the top 20 most influential and inspirational Britons in the BIMA Digital Hall of Fame. Nick founded Somo in 2009 with Carl Uminski to help companies make sense of the huge opportunities and the disruptive potential of mobile technology. In his role as CEO, Nick defines the overall strategy, has recruited the team, and shaped the culture of Somo, establishing corporate-scale governance in this rapid-growth business. Nick was formerly CEO and owner of The IMW Group, comprising search marketing agency, The Search Works, and digital tech business, The Technology Works. He launched operations across Asia, with offices in Tokyo and Seoul, and established The Search Works as Europe’s largest search agency, before the group was acquired by TradeDoubler AB in 2007 for $112 million. Before that, Nick was founder, CEO and President of Overture Europe. Here he launched the paid search industry in Europe, building Overture from a start up to an established billion dollar business across 16 countries, in just 30 months. Acquiring AltaVista FAST Technology Search along the way, Overture secured exclusive, multi-year distribution deals with every premium portal and ISP in Europe. The company was sold for $1.63 billion to Yahoo! in 2003 and became Yahoo! Search Marketing. In his early career, Nick created the electronic points system for Air Miles, transforming a struggling paper voucher business into a $62 million per annum profitable business in four years. Nick developed and implemented Air Miles loyalty schemes across NatWest, BT and Vodafone (building their first customer database). He also introduced the world’s first national Smart Card programme for Shell, and the ‘Reward’ loyalty scheme for Sainsbury’s. Nick’s career began as a fast-track graduate at British Airways, where he led a number of global initiatives. Appointed as BA’s youngest senior manager at the age of 29, he was sponsored by the airline to complete an MBA at the University of Bath in 1992.
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About : Somo, part of the CI&T family (NYSE: CINT), is a leading digital product agency, delivering digital ambitions at pace and scale.
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Carl Uminski
COO & Co- Founder of Somo
Carl is an internet industry pioneer with over 16 years’ experience creating new products, platforms and executing scalable growth strategies for businesses across the globe. Carl’s impact on the mobile industry was recently acknowledged by The Drum, who named him the most influential person in mobile.As COO & Co-Founder, Carl takes hands on leadership for the delivery of all Somo’s products and advertising businesses, splitting his time between our international offices. Carl has a unique knowledge of the mobile industry ranging from technical challenges to the commercial opportunities for brands to succeed in mobile. He has advised and executed for over 60 international brands on their mobile strategy, working with the leaders of companies including Audi, Groupon, Zynga, Fidelity Investments & BP. Prior to founding Somo, Carl was co-founder at Overture Europe, the company to pioneer the multi-billion dollar pay-per-click advertising industry into Europe. As CTO, he was integral in leading the business to success in 15 European countries, and its eventual sale to Yahoo! for $1.63 billion in 2003. A leader in search and social networking, he was headhunted to the Silicon Valley, where he created the Yahoo! One Search mobile platform, working with some of the world’s largest mobile brands. Previously, Carl was responsible for running real-time systems such as aircraft parking, flight information and security at seven British airports including London’s Heathrow Airport.
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About : Somo, part of the CI&T family (NYSE: CINT), is a leading digital product agency, delivering digital ambitions at pace and scale.
Rusty Johnson
Co-Founder & CTO of SharpCloud Software
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About SharpCloud Software: Data visualization software that transforms business data into engaging visual stories, helping you make smarter strategic decisions.
Faisal Butt
Founder, CEO & Chairman of Pi Labs
Faisal is CEO, Founder and Chairman of Pi Labs Ltd. Faisal founded Pi Labs Ltd in 2015, after leading the first round of investments in PropTech start-ups Hubble and Trussle as an individual investor. Faisal and his team have built a portfolio of 50 PropTech companies across UK and Europe, making Pi Labs one of the most active investors in PropTech start-ups globally.
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About Pi Labs, Spire Ventures: Europe’s first and most active VC firm investing in early-stage proptech entrepreneurs.
Cassandra Harris
Founder of Venturespring
Founder at Venturespring
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About Venturespring: A digital transformation firm and early growth venture capital fund that match makes corporates with game changing startups.
Charles Sermon
General Counsel & Co-Founder of Mereo Biopharma
Charles is Mereo Biopharma’s General Counsel, Company Secretary and a co-founder. He has over 20 years’ experience in corporate law and biopharmaceuticals. He started his career as a corporate lawyer at Freshfields before joining Nomura as an Associate Director in 1998 where he worked for Nomura’s life science investment team investing globally in biotechnology companies. Charles was part of Phase4 Partners’ MBO from Nomura in 2010. Charles has an LLB (Hons) from Hull University. Charles is a Board Member of Phase4 Partners and a Member of the Mayor of London Enterprise Panel’s Digital Creative, Science and Technology Working Group. Prior to Nomura Charles was a corporate lawyer in London with Freshfields. Charles holds a LLB (Hons) from the University of Hull and a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.
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About Mereo Biopharma: Mereo is a new UK-based speciality biopharmaceutical company.
Alastair MacKinnon
CMO and Co-Founder of Mereo Biopharma
Alastair joined the team in 2005. He serves as Board Observer for Albireo and Chroma. Further to these he has been actively involved in the investments in OncoMed (OMED), Proteolix and Nabriva. Prior to joining, Alastair was a practising physician, with a breadth of experience across cardiovascular and oncology surgery and intensive care. He holds a Physiology BSc (Hons) and MBBS from King’s College London, is a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (Ed) and hold s a Diploma in Corporate Finance from the London Business School.
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About Mereo Biopharma: Mereo is a new UK-based speciality biopharmaceutical company.
Simon Hill
CEO & Founder of Wazoku
Simon Hill is the CEO of Wazoku.
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About InnoCentive, INSEAD, The Future Shaping Media Company Limited, Wazoku: An Enterprise Innovation Platform comprising: Idea Management, Open Innovation Marketplace, Innovation Consulting, Portfolio Management
Mark Perera
Founder & CEO of Vizibl
CEO of Old St Labs / Founder of Procurement Leaders / Vizibl co-founder
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About Vizibl: Vizibl’s application puts collaboration, innovation and sustainability at the heart of supplier relationships. Their best in class digital platform enables enterprise organisations to tackle their most ambitious challenges collaboratively with suppliers and partners, to drive mutual value & sustainable business growth.
Alex Short
Founder of Vizibl
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About Vizibl: Vizibl is a global cloud platform that enables enterprise companies to manage their innovation lifecycle.
Josh Thomas
Co-Founder, Head of Innovation of Karakoram
I’m Josh Thomas, an engineer, designer and innovation specialist with a career devoted to discovering and exploiting opportunities that arise when emerging technologies or business changes create new consumer and user needs. I build and lead cross-disciplinary teams of designers, engineers, developers, strategists, stand-up comics, and experiential artists who focus on new approaches to creating digital and physical products, platforms and organizational design.
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About BuyLevel, Glorious Labs, Karakoram: Karakoram is an award-winning innovation consultancy that creates breakthrough solutions for the world’s toughest humanitarian challenges.
Barry Shrier
Co-Founder & CEO of The Health-Tech Innovation LABS
Barry Shrier is Founder and CEO of Health-tech Innovation LABS, Barry is a serial entrepreneur with a history of successful exits .
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About GIANT Health Events, The Health-Tech Innovation LABS: The Health-Tech Innovation LABS (HTI-LABS) are a group of businesses that improve the healthcare sector.
Kaan Akın
Founder, CEO of Hackquarters
Tech investor, startup mentor and founder of Hackquarters Startup Accelerator. He is involved with corporate accelerator programs.
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About Hackquarters: Hackquarters accelerated 150+ startups and helped 40+ corporates to innovate with startup collaboration
Seonaid Mackenzie
Founder Partner of Sturgeon Ventures
Seonaid founded Sturgeon Ventures LLP as a “single family office” in 1998 investing in public and private companies in the capacity as a manager/advisor with the family as the Active LP. Seonaid Mackenzie has had an award winning 33-year career in the City with positions including stockbroker, fund manager, an operator of UK funds; fund raising for private companies and funds; and multiple non-exec of financial service firms and SMEs. Sturgeon took a new active business line in 1999 and became the pioneer coining the phrase “The Regulatory Incubator” for financial services known by some as an FCA Umbrella, or Regulatory Hosting Platform, taking the AR/Tied Agent into a wholesale market in 2003. In 2013, Sturgeon Ventures became an Investment Advisor with the SEC and in 2014 a sub threshold AIFM (Alternative Investment Fund Manager), laterally an EU VECA manager in 2016. The firm has now incubated over 150 start ups since this business model began, including a number of disreet families. The Incubator clients include fund managers with various strategies, third party fund raisers, corporate finance firms. Although jurisdiction neutral; Sturgeon have assisted in a number of firms setting up funds in Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Cayman, BVI and the UK. Seonaid is also regulated by the MFSA as an investment manager and sits on a number of investment committees in Malta, and by the Central Bank of Ireland sitting on UCITs Boards. Seonaid has previously been approved as a member of the investment committee of Guernsey regulated entities.
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About Sturgeon Ventures: Sturgeon Ventures are the most established FCA Regulated Regulatory Incubator, having coined the phrase Regulatory Incubator in 2001.
Nick Patience
Co-Founder and Research Vice President of 451 Research
Nick Patience has over 20 years experience in the technology industry in the US and Europe, and manages 451 Research’s software analyst team. Probably best known as being a co-founder of The 451 Group, Nick helped grow that company into a significant force in the technology industry analyst market in the US and Europe, as well as developing into a thought leader in the information management sector of the software industry. A highly experienced and adaptable marketing professional, Nick moved to the vendor side with Recommind, running product marketing and strategy, and then influencer relations and competitive intelligence, all the while remaining one of the company’s principal global evangelists. Nick now manages 451 Research’s software analyst team, spanning software development, DevOps & IT Ops, through data platforms and analytics to business applications. Nick will join a multi-angle panel discussion in which the conversation will focus on how digital transformation has impacted the world of IT research and Analyst Relations, and perhaps more importantly, how this will continue to do so in the future.
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About 451 Research: 451 Research is an information technology research and advisory company providing essential insight for the pioneers of the digital economy.
Gregor Hoefter
Founder of GridDuck
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About GridDuck: GridDuck is a cloud-based hardware, dashboard & API enabling control of your clients’ energy
Colleen Wong
Founder & CEO of Techsixtyfour
Techsixtyfour was founded in September 2015 by Colleen Wong, an investment banker turned entrepreneur. As a new mum on a day out with her children she witnessed a parent’s panic when their child when missing and was inspired to develop something that would help children and their parents stay better connected but without tying them to a smart phone, which comes with so many unnecessary distractions. Techsixtyfour’s first product, the Gator watch, is a wearable mobile phone and tracker made for young kids and now available to purchase at John Lewis, Amazon and at Bentalls Kingston.
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About Techsixtyfour: The UK’s coolest wearable mobile phone and tracker made just for kids.
Antoine Baschiera
CEO and Co-Founder of Early Metrics
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About Early Metrics: Early Metrics is the first startup rating agency.
Sebastien Paillet
President and Co-Founder of Early Metrics
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About Early Metrics: Early Metrics is the first startup rating agency.
Mat Hunter
Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Plus X
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About Plus X: Plus X creates workspaces that unlock potential, business growth and innovation, community collaboration, and positive social impact.
Phil Stevens
Co-Founder & COO of Wayv Technologies Ltd
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About Heat Wayv, Wayv Technologies Ltd: WAYV products provide up to 30 minutes of instant and constant heat, whenever and wherever you may need it.
Paul Atherton
CEO & Co-Founder of Wayv Technologies Ltd
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About Wayv Technologies Ltd: WAYV products provide up to 30 minutes of instant and constant heat, whenever and wherever you may need it.
Anushka Sharma
Founder of Naaut
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About Naaut: Innovation and Frontier Technology Strategy and Consulting
Ben Goldsmith
Founder of Weedingtech
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About Weedingtech: Weedingtech is a British company that designs and manufactures innovative weed control technologies for the amenity and utility markets.
Ben Goldsmith
Founder of Weedingtech
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About Weedingtech: Weedingtech is a British company that designs and manufactures innovative weed control technologies for the amenity and utility markets.
Tony Fish
Founder/Managing Director of AMF Ventures
I focus on how the future of corporate governance, decision making and judgement will be affected by complex data at the board. My focus leads me to imagine a board meeting in 2025, and the implications and unintended consequences. Tony thrives in complex, ground-breaking & uncertain environments; bringing proven judgement and decision-making skills with cross-sectorial experience. He has a track record of sense-making and foresight; his enthusiasm and drive are contagious & inspiring – definitely a maverick and unintentional rule breaker. He has founded, co-founded, sold and listed many businesses but remains passionate about new ways of creating value which has the capability of scaling fast, are at an early stage and creates value for many people.
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About AMF Ventures, Mashup Event: AMF Ventures was founded in 2002 by Tony Fish. AMF Ventures work on a variety of intellectually challenging assignments conducted in a
Ralf Gehrig
Co-Founder and CXO of Brilliant Basics
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About Brilliant Basics: Brilliant Basics is a global digital product and customer experience studio.
Alison Saunders
Co-Founder of Two Birds
Alison worked in PR for and was co-founder of Three Sixty Communications before selling the agency to Exposure. She worked on campaigns for many food and drinks brands including New Covent garden Food Company, Associated British Foods brands Ryvita, kingsmill, Patak’s, Blue Dragon, as well as Coors Brewing, Guinness and Smirnoff. Alison is co-founder of Two Birds Breakfast Boosts – a range of nutrient-dense super seed toppers that can be added to any breakfast to deliver additional protein and the goodness your body needs. Two Birds are stocked on Ocado, Planet Organic, Revital, Selfridges and many online and independent health stores.
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About Two Birds: Two Birds offers delicious, energizing blend of super seeds and bee pollen seed cereals.
Dave Ward
Founder & Creative Director of CreateFuture
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About CreateFuture: CreateFuture is a design and innovation firm that puts creativity to good use.
Chris Skitch
Founder & CEO of Didgeroo
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About Didgeroo: DIDGEROO HELPS CREATIVE AGENCIES BUILD INNOVATIVE WEBSITES.
Ahmed Shahrabani
Co Founder of Locum’s Nest
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About Locum’s Nest: Locum’s Nest is an award-winning software platform, connecting healthcare professionals to vacant work through innovative technology.
George Liarikos
Founder, CEO of OOf
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About OOf: Innovative furniture empowering mobile work
Jimmy Costello
Co-Founder of Innovate Circle
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About Innovate Circle: Platform to experience and meet producers and consumers of innovation across the fintech industry.
Elliott Grant
Founder & CEO of HOOF
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About HOOF: HOOF is an innovative travel and location app which allows users to store, share and log their travels and experiences.
Loren Barton
Founder, Managing Director of Kaleidoscope Group Ltd
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About Kaleidoscope Group Ltd: Consultancy and advisory firm focused on bridging the gap between innovation and performance in the market
