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 Partner operating in the Internet of Things space. If you think a Partner 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.
Michael Szalontay
General Partner of Flashpoint
Michael Szalontay joined Flashpoint Venture Capital as General Partner in 2010.
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About Flashpoint, Forbes Finance Council, IntelliBoard, QMENTA: Flashpoint is an international asset management firm investing in tech businesses.
Alexander Konoplyasty
General Partner of Flashpoint
Alexander Konoplyasty is the co-Founder at Flashpoint Group. Alexander Konoplyasty serves as Managing Partner Flashpoint Venture Capital. He co-founded an investment company focusing on start-up investments in Internet in CEE/Israel/CIS. He was Independent Financial Advisor for the sale of 100% in Ventrade; with Ivan Tavrin in 2010 and helped in the acquisition of a significant minority stake in Net-By-Net Holding in 2010 for debt/equity restructuring of OJSC RBC Information Systems, including restructuring of c. US$260 million of debt, sale of 51% stake for US$80 million to ONEXIM, sale of RBC Bank. Alexander Konoplyasty was Director and Associate in Investment Banking at UBS. He was coverage banker for media/telecom and financial services in the CIS and completed over 20 investment banking transactions in Russia and Ukraine. He was Investment Banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley in the European Telecom Media Technology group and the Leveraged Finance group. He was Consultant of Transaction Support at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Alexander Konoplyasty has wide experience of leading all types of corporate finance transactions: M&A, IPO, private placements, leverage buy-outs, raising and restructuring debt. He mostly acted as execution “deal captain”. Alexander Konoplyasty studied Advanced Bachelor of Arts (Specialist) in Economics from 1998 to 2003 from Moscow State University for International Relations (MGIMO).
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About Flashpoint: Flashpoint is an international asset management firm investing in tech businesses.
Donatella Callegaris
Managing Partner of Flashpoint
Donatella joined Columbia Lake Partners in 2014. She is involved in the entire deal life cycle including assessing, evaluating and post investment monitoring. Donatella is focused particularly on CLP relationships with the equity sponsors ecosystem and on identifying high growth technology companies in need of growth financing that best suits CLP’s investment criteria. Prior to joining CLP, Donatella spent seven years working at Kreos Capital, managing several aspects of the investment process on a pre-term sheet and post-term sheet basis as well as managing the portfolio for technology and life science companies based in the UK, continental Europe and Israel. Donatella also managed various levels of the fund corporate governance for Kreos II, Kreos III and Kreos IV funds. Prior to this, Donatella worked in trust management. She holds a degree in Business Management from Birkbeck College, University of London and speaks both Italian and English.
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About Flashpoint: Flashpoint is an international asset management firm investing in tech businesses.
Tim Stone
Partner & Co-Founder of Breed Reply
Tim is one of the founding partners of Breed Reply, who are an active operational investor dedicated to early stage businesses in the Internet of Things. He leads the bespoke support programme to develop and accelerate the commercialisation of their growing portfolio of seventeen companies. His career started in sales and rapidly moved through to Executive roles covering all aspects of creating and operating a successful business. His key roles have ranged from Business Development Director, CCO and CEO in both corporate organisations and startups, with a focus on the Telecoms industry A thread throughout his career has been creating success through partnerships. In Vodafone Tim created from scratch the wholesale strategy, then executed this taking market share from 0 to 30%+ in less than three years. This success was delivered through the strategic development of major new brands. He has also seen a significant exit to a major operator from one his startup ventures.
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About Breed Reply, Graystone Strategy: Breed Reply is Europe’s active operational investors for early-stage companies delivering ‘internet of things’ solutions.
Gabriele Dini
Associate Partner of Breed Reply
Investment and corporate finance professional with track record in life sciences and technology, specializing in bridging innovation and finance. Solid technical expertise, with a MSc in engineering and experience in multinational academic and industrial environments, complemented by an MBA with focus on strategy and finance and a Masters in Finance. Strong knowledge of research, product development, and operations, enriched by a continuous interaction with corporate-level functions; extensive venture capital experience, from origination, to due diligence, deal structuring and strategic support to the entrepreneurs as in-house consultant and board member.
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About Breed Reply, Breed Reply: Breed Reply is Europe’s active operational investors for early-stage companies delivering ‘internet of things’ solutions.
Michael Edwards
Managing Partner & Co Founder of Inspire Group Investments
Michael Edwards is Managing Partner & Co Founder of Inspire Group Investments.
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About Inspire Group Investments: The Inspire Group is an integrated internet group of companies that prides itself in being there from the beginning.
Sophie Cohen
Executive Search Partner of Mitchellake Executive Search
Senior Executive Search / Head Hunter / recruitment professional with focus on high standard delivery. Passionate about digital and technology start-up and helping them acquiring the best talent for a healthy international growth or digital transformation. Experience in managing executive search, market intelligence, succession planning, salary surveys, talent mapping and pipeline projects across EMEA, North America, Russia, Asia Pacific (Australia, China, India, Philippines,..), UAE and LATAM. Broad sectorial experience in digital, advertising, marketing, media, pharmaceutical, industrial.
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About Mitchellake Executive Search: MitchelLake provides executive search, specialist recruitment and embedded talent solutions.
