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 United Kingdom based Managing Partner operating in the Software space. If you think a Managing 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.
Simon Murdoch
Managing Partner of Episode 1
Simon set up online bookstore Bookpages in 1996 and sold it to Amazon in 1998. As VP Europe for Amazon, he managed huge growth from start-up through to multimillion turnover and hundreds of staff. As an Angel investor, he has invested in Shazam, been chairman of VideoIsland (now merged with and renamed LoveFilm, and purchased in Feb 2011 by Amazon.com), Zoopla! and Shutl (currently chairman). Simon founded and funded FriendsAbroad.com, a social network for developing language skills and contacts abroad which was successfully sold to Lesson Nine GmbH, operators of language learning site Babbel.com. Simon is currently CEO of StormForward, an e-commerce conversion consultancy which helpsonline retailers to increase their online sales and profits.
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About Episode 1, StormForward: Episode1 Ventures is a venture capital fund set up to invest in early-stage technology companies based in London, UK.
Mark Beeston
Founder & Managing Partner of Illuminate Financial
Mark Beeston founded Illuminate after a 25+ year career in capital markets where he had been both the consumer of capital markets technologies as well as the entrepreneur, operator, and funder of capital markets businesses. Prior to founding Illuminate, Mark was the CEO for the Post Trade Risk and Information business at ICAP (now Nex) where he oversaw the creation of ICAP’s own investment subsidiary. Prior to ICAP Mark launched T-Zero (now ICELink) during his time at Creditex before the company was acquired by ICE in 2008. He started his career with 13 years at Deutsche Bank in derivatives trading and management, including periods as COO for both the Global Rates and Global Credit businesses. Mark has an undergraduate degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Mark was listed on the Institutional Investor Fintech Finance 35 and top 40 Lists, Financial News Fintech 40 Power List, Institutional Investor Trade Technology Top 30 and Top 40 Lists, and Derivatives Intelligence/Derivatives Week Rising Stars.
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About Illuminate Financial: Illuminate Financial is a venture capital firm backing companies that solve problems in financial services.
Stephen Chandler
Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Notion Capital
Stephen Chandler is Co-founder and Managing Partner at Notion Capital. An entrepreneur, investor and company builder, with 20 years experience in forming, funding, running, advising and investing in technology businesses, he has been a co-founder of over ten businesses with involvement in dozens more, where he helped a number of leading tech companies develop and execute winning market strategies. He has primary responsibility for the external fundraising activities of the firm and is active in deal origination in SaaS, FinTech and eCommerce enablement in the UK and Nordic region. He is / was the Notion Capital representative on the boards of Tradeshift, Mojn, Selfnet and Star.
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About Notion Capital, SeedCloud: Notion is an early-stage venture fund that focuses on technology and cloud computing markets.
Sebastian Ribbentrop
Managing Partner of Join Capital
Sebastian Ribbentrop has over 22 years of experience in private equity, real estate and venture capital. He founded WunderHouse in 2015 a specialist investor and operator in the hospitality sector providing flexible community-enhancing co-living opportunities for young professionals and students. Most recently he was the Director of platforms Nido Student Housing and DB Deutschland Property Partners. Nido Student Housing Ltd was the largest student residential direct-let platform in London. Previously, Sebastian spent 11 years in Private Equity in London and Frankfurt. His last position was Managing Director of West LB’s €3bn venture capital & private equity practice in London where he chaired the Investment Committee for global direct and indirect investments. Prior to his position at WestLB, he focused on private equity & venture capital in Europe and was a principal at Steadfast Capital from 2001 to 2007 and Schroders from 1995 to 2001.
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About Join Capital: Join Capital is a Berlin-based early stage venture capital firm investing in enterprise technology and industry 4.0 startups.
Craig Netterfield
Managing Partner of Columbia Lake Partners
CLP’s Founding Partner. Over 13 years’ venture lending experience in North America and Europe. Previously Partner at Wellington Financial. Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and MBA from the Ivey School of Business.
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About Columbia Lake Partners: Columbia Lake Partners is an experienced team of investors providing growth loans to European technology companies.
Mark Pearson
Managing Partner of Fuel Ventures
Mark is an award winning digital entrepreneur having achieved multiple successful exits over the last decade. Mark takes an active role in mentoring the Fund’s portfolio of companies.
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About Fuel Ventures, Groupola.com, HushHush, MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, MyVoucherCodes.co.uk: Fuel Ventures is a technology fund investing in marketplaces, fintech, platforms, and SaaS companies.
Ali Beklen
Founder and Managing Partner of HotelRunner
After working for several financial institutions and IBM, Ali Beklen co-founded HotelRunner with Arden Agopyan, with the ambition of converting the long-tail accommodation sales and distribution management from offline to online at global scale. For the last 10 years, he has been advising many organizations and initiatives focusing on digital transformation of the travel industry globally. He has publications in international refereed journals and conferences about service and cloud computing. He is Advisory Chair for Software Service Computation at the International Academy, Research and Industry Association. Beklen holds an M.Sc. in Computer Engineering and a B.A. in Economics. He is also a PhD candidate in computer engineering.
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About HotelRunner: SaaS enabled B2B network for accommodations and travel agencies to find, contract, connect, and transact with each other online.
Arden Agopyan
Founder and Managing Partner of HotelRunner
Arden Agopyan is an experienced entrepreneur and business development executive with a proven track record. Prior to founding HotelRunner, he led IBM’s Cloud Computing Software technical sales and market creation activities across Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa. His areas of expertise also include international team management, business execution, strategic marketing and financial management. As a talented hacker coming from software development background, along twenty years of business experience in technology, Arden is a Ph.D. candidate in Finance, holds a BSc in Computer Engineering degree and an MBA. Arden speaks five languages and is also Advisory Chair for Cloud Computing at International Academy, Research and Industry Association and co-author of a book, academic journals and articles.
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About HotelRunner: SaaS enabled B2B network for accommodations and travel agencies to find, contract, connect, and transact with each other online.
Ron Martin
Managing Partner of Enapps
Over the years Ron has held various roles in product management, project management and technical positions in companies such as Toshiba, Dr Solomon’s Software, Nvidia, ATI and AMD.
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About Enapps: Enapps is an unique Business Management Software Solution Company.
Tony Morris
Managing Partner of Red LeeMor LLC
Tony Morris brings strategy, mobile, sales, and PR experience to the digital industry. He received his start in PR/marketing and media at the Federal Reserve Bank, serving as the Los Angeles media spokesperson supporting the release of the new $100 bills. Tony holds a B.A. from Yale University. He lives in Los Angeles. His specialties include Digital Media, Online Video, Mobile Advertising, Mobile UX/UI Design, Social Media, Brand Strategy: CPG, Gaming, Entertainment, Travel; Contract Negotiation, Direct Response, Advertising Sales; Presentations and Public Speaking; Business Development; Marketing.
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About Red LeeMor LLC: Red LeeMor LLC is a technology platform of mobile applications geared toward contractors and architects.
Jermaine Trotman
Managing Partner of Nimble AppGenie
Jermaine Trotman is a Founder of Nimble Appgenie, a company that provides mobile app development services in iOS and Android platforms for global clients. He loves to write on mobile technologies, app development, startups, entrepreneurship, and mobile app marketing.
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About Nimble AppGenie: Nimble AppGenie is leading Mobile App development company in the USA. Also, we provides you highly customized, cost-efficient apps.
Roheel Ahmad
Managing Partner of Forsyth Barnes
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About Forsyth Barnes: Executive Search & Senior Interim Specialists within Fintech, Software & Etail industries.
Scott Parsons
Managing Partner of Forsyth Barnes
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About Forsyth Barnes: Executive Search & Senior Interim Specialists within Fintech, Software & Etail industries.
Sassan Danesh
Managing Partner of Etrading Software
Sassan Danesh has extensive experience assisting capital markets institutions to grow their OTC market franchise by optimising the business performance of their technology offerings. Sassan’s recent focus is on the role of technology and standards in addressing industry-wide issues. He is passionate about the benefits of industry collaboration and the use of open standards to provide technology solutions that optimise inefficiencies in market structure.
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About Etrading Software: Etrading Software founded in 2005 with the goal of bringing efficiency and stability to the burgeoning electronic trading markets.
Philip Sheldrake
Managing Partner of Euler Partners
Philip is a founding partner of Meanwhile, the venture marketers.
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About Euler Partners, Meanwhile, techUK, The hi:project: Euler Partners provides performance management services to help businesses work more efficiently and effectively.
Philip Sheldrake
Managing Partner of Euler Partners
Philip is a founding partner of Meanwhile, the venture marketers.
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About Euler Partners, Meanwhile, techUK, The hi:project: Euler Partners provides performance management services to help businesses work more efficiently and effectively.
