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 Director operating in the Software Engineering space. If you think a Director 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.
Paul Boanas
Director of Sales (EMEA & LATAM) of Catapult
Paul Boanas as Head of Europe, responsible for driving sales and business development in the key UK and European markets. Boanas is one of the key pioneers in athlete analysis, delivering innovative ways of assessing performance during his 13-year tenure with Prozone Sports as Head of Analysis Services, UK Account Manager and, most recently, Senior Account Manager.
Follow Paul Boanas:
About Catapult: Catapult is a developer of wearable sensors to monitor athletes’ sport demands.
_______
Jonathan Beddoes
Director of Engineering of Avast
Jonathan began his entrepreneurial career at school aged 17 when he founded a web-hosting company which sold within its first year of trading. After developing an early taste of business success, whilst at university Jonathan co-developed a popular music software application that was downloaded by over 30,000,000 people. For his post-graduate studies, Jonathan was the youngest person ever to complete a Masterclass in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in Belgium. Following academia, Jonathan joined Zugo in 2008 (a leading search solutions platform and aggregator) that became a cornerstone of distribution for major search engines (most notably Microsoft Bing). In late 2012, Jonathan exited from Zugo and subsequently co-founded Techtopia, a technology incubator located in the heart of ‘silicon village’ in North West London. Today, Jonathan remains a director of Techtopia, a product visionary, angel investor and an ambassador for the Internet industry.
Follow Jonathan Beddoes:
About Avast, Conscious 2, Twine: Avast is a security software development company that protects people from threats on the internet.
Jonathan Beddoes
Director of Engineering of Avast
Jonathan began his entrepreneurial career at school aged 17 when he founded a web-hosting company which sold within its first year of trading. After developing an early taste of business success, whilst at university Jonathan co-developed a popular music software application that was downloaded by over 30,000,000 people. For his post-graduate studies, Jonathan was the youngest person ever to complete a Masterclass in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in Belgium. Following academia, Jonathan joined Zugo in 2008 (a leading search solutions platform and aggregator) that became a cornerstone of distribution for major search engines (most notably Microsoft Bing). In late 2012, Jonathan exited from Zugo and subsequently co-founded Techtopia, a technology incubator located in the heart of ‘silicon village’ in North West London. Today, Jonathan remains a director of Techtopia, a product visionary, angel investor and an ambassador for the Internet industry.
Follow Jonathan Beddoes:
About Avast, Conscious 2, Twine: Avast is a security software development company that protects people from threats on the internet.
Beth Carroll
Associate Director of SEVEN
Beth has worked in the communications industry for a decade, specialising in digital and social media since 2006. Focussing on using her expertise to develop and implement social media strategies for clients (consumer and B2B) that lead to tangible business outcomes.
Follow Beth Carroll:
About Iris, SEVEN: The full-service IT company that for 11 years has been a reliable 360º technological partner
John Haines
Director of Software of JUST DEVELOP iT
Follow John Haines:
About JUST DEVELOP iT: Just Develop It (JDi) is a Hampshire based investment company that specialises in early stage and growth capital across.
Jay Francis
Director of Technology of JUST DEVELOP iT
Follow Jay Francis:
About JUST DEVELOP iT: Just Develop It (JDi) is a Hampshire based investment company that specialises in early stage and growth capital across.
Ben Rolison
Director of Sales of JUST DEVELOP iT
Follow Ben Rolison:
About JUST DEVELOP iT: Just Develop It (JDi) is a Hampshire based investment company that specialises in early stage and growth capital across.
Sophy MacDonald
Director of Operations of JUST DEVELOP iT
Follow Sophy MacDonald:
About JUST DEVELOP iT: Just Develop It (JDi) is a Hampshire based investment company that specialises in early stage and growth capital across.
Dan Short
Director of Support of JUST DEVELOP iT
Follow Dan Short:
About JUST DEVELOP iT: Just Develop It (JDi) is a Hampshire based investment company that specialises in early stage and growth capital across.
Tomo Ohno
Managing Director of Kudan
Tomo OHNO founded Kudan back in 2011. A cross-border business developer and entrepreneur. After nearly a decade as a management consultant at Accenture Tokyo, Bangkok, Amsterdam, and London, he led the turnaround of a small UK based software company into a global player, and directed successful exit of a game licensing company. The company was successfully sold to a Japanese game console manufacturer. He also successfully set up computer game publisher Zen United. Zen United created a new industry finding game content abroad and localising and deploying into local markets. Tomo’s passion is to create business value across boundaries, adapting organisations and their business models to sell across multiple countries and deliver technical value across markets.
Follow Tomo Ohno:
About Kudan: Kudan is accelerating evolution of AR/MR/VR and automobile/drone/robot by developing computer software algorithms as Artificial Perception. Kudan went public at Tokyo stock exchange in December 2018
Elizabeth Tanner
Independent Director of Sohonet
Follow Elizabeth Tanner:
About : Sohonet operates the largest private network for Media & Entertainment in the world, linking over 400 leading studios and creatives.
Andrew Blyth
Director of Research and Teaching of Merimetso
Follow Andrew Blyth:
About Merimetso: Merimetso provides skilled mentoring, coaching, and consulting, as well as designing and implementing custom cyber security education.
Alan Yeats
Technical Director and Co-Founder of Pocket Sized Hands
Experienced VR/AR and games developer. Co-Founding Pocked Sized Hands in 2017 where I work as the Chief Technical Officer leading our development team alongside working on business development and client outreach. With Pocket Sized Hands we have gone on to win the student award at Herald Digital Business Awards 2017 and reaching the world finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2017 while also nominated for a game design award at the DC Thompson Game Design awards 2017.
Follow Alan Yeats:
About Pocket Sized Hands: We specialise in creating bespoke applications and games using the latest XR technologies.
Paul Jackson
Managing Director of Castle Digital Partners
Follow Paul Jackson:
About Castle Digital Partners: Castle Digital Partners is a venture services firm that partners with management teams to invest in software that drives their businesses.
Jörundur Jörundsson
Managing Director of Orbis Tech
Jörundur Jörundsson is the Managing Director at Orbis Tech.
Follow Jörundur Jörundsson:
About Orbis Tech: Orbis Tech is a computer software company that offers custom software development for companies, businesses, and organizations.
Neil McMurdo
Managing Director of Godel Technologies
Neil McMurdo is the managing director at Godel Technologies.
Follow Neil McMurdo:
About Godel Technologies: Godel Technologies is an agile nearshore development company, working with clients to provide high performing software development.
Liam Thorpe-Young
Technical Director of Lunar Works
Technical Director at Lunar Works. Bespoke web, app, and Progressive Web App (PWA) developer. Building Tech For Good.
Follow Liam Thorpe-Young:
About Lunar Works: A specialist digital design & development agency based in Kent, UK. High performance websites, apps and PWAs for businesses & startups.
Alex Huntly
Design Director of Lunar Works
Design Director at Lunar Works. Bespoke Progressive Web App and Website Designer creating Tech For Good.
Follow Alex Huntly:
About Lunar Works: A specialist digital design & development agency based in Kent, UK. High performance websites, apps and PWAs for businesses & startups.
Claire Brooks
Director of Drywall Aptitude
Follow Claire Brooks:
About Drywall Aptitude: We develop software that can provide technologically advanced solutions for the construction industry.
