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 CEO’ operating in the Subscription Service 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.
Timo Boldt
Founder and CEO of Gousto
Timo is the co-founder and CEO of Gousto, which he started in 2012 as an easier way for families to cook and share good food together.A few years – and a LOT of recipe boxes – later, and it’s pretty clear that he was onto something… Timo’s interests include gender equality, sustainability, technology and food (of course!).
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About Gousto: Gousto is an online meal-kit manufacturer and retailer, using AI and automation to provide extensive choice and personalisation.
Ceanne Fernandes-Wong
CEO and Co-founder of Cocoon
Ceanne Fernandes-Wong is the CEO and co-founder of Cocoon.
Follow Ceanne Fernandes-Wong:
About Cocoon: Cocoon is a handbag subscription service that gives its members access to luxury designer handbags.
Dan Ziv
Chief Executive Officer of TouchNote
Dan Ziv has been Managing Director of TouchNote since May 2017. He joined TouchNote as Chief Product Officer in 2016. Prior to this, Dan co-founded Uncover, the award-winning premium restaurant reservation app, which was acquired in 2015. He was previously an M&A lawyer in the technology sector, in addition to roles at PayPal Europe in Paris and VC fund Index Ventures in London. Dan is an advisor and board member in several early and late stage startups, mentors at Techstars London and is a founding member of Founders of the Future. Dan completed his MBA at London Business School.
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About TouchNote: TouchNote helps you send thoughtful cards and prints to loved ones, right from your mobile, tablet or desktop.
Kevin Brown
CEO & Founder of FanCircles
Follow Kevin Brown:
About Brandaisy, FanCircles: Reach followers and fans through your own fan club platform built for music artists, YouTubers, television shows and celebrities
Melissa Snover
Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Board Member of Nourished
Melissa Snover CEO and founder of Nourished.
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About Goody Good Stuff, Nourished: Nourished provides a customized nutrition product that uses patented 3D printing technology to create bespoke gummy vitamins on demand.
Tess Cosad
Co-Founder & CEO of Bea Fertility
Tess Isabelle Cosad is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Bea Fertility.
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About Bea Fertility: Bea Fertility is a monthly subscription program that provides users with at-home fertility treatment and ovulation tracking.
Justin Hsu
CEO / Founder of MarcoPolo Learning
Justin Hsu is one of the founders of Marco Polo Learning.
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About MarcoPolo Learning: MarcoPolo Learning is an award-winning digital curriculum developer for early learners.
Nahuel Candia
Founder & CEO of Rebill
Entrepreneur
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About Rebill: Payments orchestration and recurring billing platform for companies scaling in Latin America.
Aubone Tennant
CEO of Billforward
A focused and determined leader with a the ability to identify and execute key strategic objectives and a track record of building, motivating and developing outstanding teams to deliver the strategy. Key areas of expertise include sales and marketing, corporate finance, business development and strategic partnerships. An in-depth understanding of the fixed and mobile data connectivity market in the UK with a particular focus on business Network as a Service (NaaS) and consumer Pay as you Go (PAYG) offerings in both public and private sector.
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About Billforward: Billforward develops and sells cloud based unified billing applications for businesses in the United States.
Daniel Berg
CEO & Co-Founder of NextUp
Daniel Berg joined NextUp Comedy as CEO & Co-Founder in 2016.
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About ComComedy, NextUp: The home of stand-up, showcasing all the wonders of live comedy worldwide.
Sébastien Louit
CEO of mondaycar
Sébastien Louit is the CEO and founder of mondaycar. He also co-founded magic makers, coding classes for kids. This edTech startup ranked in the top 10 French edTech startup in 2016. He exited in 2018.
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About mondaycar: Hassle-free car subscription
Rich Jacobs
CEO of Player+ (PlayerPlus Limited)
Rich Jacobs is Co-Founder & Chief Executive of PlayerPlus (Player+). He is an experienced media, entertainment and sports rights executive, working with broadcasters, publishers, digital media companies and brands. Rich began his broadcasting career as an award winning producer with LBC and talkSPORT. Successfully founding NetFM, the UK’s first independent online radio station, Rich has spent more than 15 years developing business, leading sales, account management and marketing activities for service and solution providers addressing the media, entertainment and sports rights marketplace, including: WRN Broadcast; the US-based interactive television specialist Ensequence, the leading pay-TV specialists Paywizard (formerly MGt), FTSE 100 company Babcock International and SoCloudMedia, a media technology supply chain management company and managed services partner of Microsoft. In 2019, Rich co-founded PlayerPlus (Player+) – a unique, co-operative streaming aggregator bringing together premium content from multiple providers into single genres. Delivered in stand-alone products, direct to consumers. NewsPlayer+ (newsplayerplus.com) beta launched in January 2021. StagePlayer+ (stageplayerplus.com) is coming soon. Follow StagePlayer+ on Twitter @stageplayerplus for updates.
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About : OTT, SVOD, PayTV, Content Aggregators, Direct To Consumer
Paolo Zanelli
Co-Founder and CEO of Pulp
Paolo is Pulp’s in-house sommelier and CEO. Prior to founding Pulp, Paolo worked in the financial industry, including the Singaporean sovereign fund GIC. Paolo is a WSET and UKSA certified sommelier and lifelong wine lover.
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About Pulp: Pulp allows its users to get the most diverse selection of wines from independent producers.
Rory Brown
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AgriBriefing
Rory co-founded Briefing Media in 2010. Prior to that, Rory has spent over 20 years in senior positions across a wide range of international business media companies.Rory began his career in marketing at commodities and financial information specialist Metal Bulletin before joining Emap to help develop a digital subscription business for the Middle East. After marketing director positions at Risk Waters Group and Incisive Media. Rory became a divisional managing director for Incisive Media in 2005 leading an acquired division in North America. Rory currently serves as the company’s CMO with specific responsibility for agribusiness content, price discovery, subscription development and the event portfolio. He is a former director of the Specialised Information Publishers Association.
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About AgriBriefing, SIPA, The Media Briefing: AgriBriefing is a business media company that specializes in pricing, data, marketing solutions, news, market intelligence, and insight.
CEO & Co-Founder of Garçon Wines
Entrepreneur & co-founder in drinks & travel: Garçon Wines – inventors of flat wine bottles Nightly.travel – hotel bookings with switch & save option
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About Garçon Wines: Inventors and granted IP holders of multi award-winning, flat wine bottles in 100% recycled PET
CEO and Founder Alchemiya.com of Alchemiya Media Limited
Follow Navid Akhtar:
About Alchemiya Media Limited: Alchemiya Media is a subscription based Video on Demand service, offering video content about Islam and Muslims.
Louis Hall
CEO and Founder of Cerillion
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About Cerillion: SaaS charging, billing and CRM solutions provider, primarily to the telecoms industry
Gregory Geny
Co-Founder & CEO of BeRightBack
Gregory is the Founder & CEO of BeRightBack, the world’s first travel subscription service billed as the ‘Netflix for Travel’ by The Telegraph. BRB is an early stage travel start up whose mission is to remove all the hassle for travellers by delivering 3 surprise trips per year to Europe, with flights and hotel included, for a fixed monthly cost. The company was voted by Skift as one of the ‘Top 25 Startups to Watch in 2019’, was featured on the CNBC documentary ‘The Edge’ about the ‘Future of Travel’ and made it to the final of the PITCH competition at Web Summit in 2019. Originally from France, Greg has spent the last 17 years building and growing start-ups in a range of dynamic industries including Sports & Fitness, Media / Publishing, Music Publishing, Financial Services, Fintech, Education and has spent over 10 years in Travel tech.
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About BeRightBack: The world’s first fixed price travel subscription service.
Umut İlhan
CEO of Wufwuf
Bachelor: Studied for Marketing – Master: Advertising Venus Digital: He started one of the first digital marketing agencies in EU (2008). www.venusajans.com Venus Ajans won tax awards 4 years in a row. (2012-2017) He worked for international brands such as Turkish Air Lines, Opera, Ulker. HAVHAV: He started Havhav.com.tr in December 2017. HavHav is the biggest subscription business in Turkey. www.havhav.com.tr has the same business model with WUFWUF. WUFWUF: After HAVHAV experience, he moved to London and started WUFWUF in 2018.
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About Wufwuf: Monthly joy box subscription for your dog
