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 Founder operating in the Content Creators 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.
Alex Vratskides
Co-Founder & CEO of Persado
Alex Vratskides is the CEO of Persado, which he co-founded in 2012. Previously, Alex co-founded Upstream in 2001 and served as the company’s CEO between 2004 and 2012. During his tenure, the company grew to become a global leader in mobile marketing, with mobile operator clients in more than 40 countries. Alex was responsible for setting Upstream’s strategic direction and spearheading its international sales expansion and product innovation. Prior to founding Upstream, Alex worked as a management consultant at OC&C/McKenna Group, based out of Boston. He is the first angel investor for Luluvise, where he is also a board member, and serves on the board of advisors of Seyyer. Alex holds a BS in Applied Mathematics from Columbia University and a Masters of Engineering in Operations Research from Cornell University.
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About Persado: Persado Marketing Language Cloud delivers AI-generated language that resonates the most with any audience, segment or individual.
Matt Barker
Founder & CEO of MPB
Matt’s focus and passion is on verticalized online marketplaces within the secondary goods sector, with particular emphasis on managed marketplaces that take ownership of the product through the customer transaction process Matt founded mpb.com having developed his interest in markeplaces whilst studying Economics at The University of Warwick. Matt has since grown MPB into the largest marketplace in Europe for photographers and videographers to trade equipment. Matt believes that key to a successful product marketplace are strong network effects and an end to end focus on customer experience, delivered by the best AI and CX led technology at every stage of the transaction cycle. MPB is now internationalising, with a full US launch completed in November 2016. Matt continues to lead MPB as CEO and plans to grow MPB into the largest marketplace in the world for photographers and videographers.
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About MPB: MPB is an online platform specializing in used photography and videography kit.
Farid Haque
Co-Founder ,CEO & Chairman of Erly Stage Studios
Farid Haque is the Co-Founder ,CEO & Chairman of Erly Stage Studios.He attended to the University of Toronto.
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About AssetVault, DataKiwi, Erly Stage Studios: An Education Venture Studio and digital publishing business, our mission is to make learning fun through engaging content and technology.
Rafe Offer
Founder and Executive Chair of Sofar Sounds
Rafe Offer has held senior marketing positions such as Global Marketing Director of Coca-Cola, Director of Global Marketing at The Walt Disney Company and Director of innovation for Diageo. Rafe is an internationally lauded specialist in teamwork, leadership and brand innovation. Now he’s focusing his energy on SofarSounds.com
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About Sofar Sounds, Sofar Sounds: Sofar Sounds is a global community hosting curated, secret performances in more than 400 cities around the world.
Victor Riperbelli
CEO and Co-Founder of Synthesia
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About Founders, Synthesia: Synthesia is an AI video avatar platform that creates professional videos from a text in different languages.
Lourdes Agapito
Co-Founder of Synthesia
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About Synthesia: Synthesia is an AI video avatar platform that creates professional videos from a text in different languages.
Steffen Tjerrild
COO, CFO and Co-Founder of Synthesia
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About Synthesia: Synthesia is an AI video avatar platform that creates professional videos from a text in different languages.
Simon Ward
Founder and CEO of Team ITG
Simon Ward ITG and Simon Ward SP Group: Simon Ward is CEO of ITG (Inspired Thinking Group) and former Commercial CEO of SP Group, a part of St Ives Group. Simon founded ITG in 2009 and has played a key role in the company’s growth, running the business and obtaining investment for expansion and acquisitions.v ITG delivers best-in-class marketing software, procurement and studio services to numerous blue-chip clients, including PUMA, M&S, KFC, Audi and Heineken. In 2015, ITG joined the London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. Prior to founding ITG, Simon Ward was commercial CEO of SP Group, based in Redditch. He joined the printers in 1999, as co-founder and head of SP Digital. This soon became the most profitable part of the business, and Simon took over the reins of SP Group in 2000. In 2004, Simon sold SP Group to St Ives, becoming the group’s commercial CEO, remaining with the company until the launch of ITG.
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About Team ITG: Team ITG is a technology-led provider of outsourced multichannel marketing services.
Mats Stigzelius
Founder of Takumi
Having started his career at McKinsey & Company, Mats Stigzelius has spent the last dozen years working in Strategy Consulting and Private Equity. His experience includes developing brand strategies, implementing business plans and arranging financing for companies across a number of industries in Europe and North America, including Retail, Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Media and Telecoms sectors. Before joining Rainmaking in January 2010, Mats spent five years in Private Equity with a focus on the Retail sector, completing 15 acquisitions, refinancings and exits in that period, in addition to sitting on the board of a number of companies as a Non-Executive Director. Mats holds a 1st Class Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Manchester University and over the years he has lived in Finland, Holland, USA and the UK. Mats currently lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife and two young sons.
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About Rainmaking, Takumi: Takumi is a platform that gives large brands and advertising agencies access to branded influencer creative at scale.
Gummi Eggertsson
Co-Founder,COO & CFO of Takumi
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About Sidekick Health, Takumi: Takumi is a platform that gives large brands and advertising agencies access to branded influencer creative at scale.
Nikita Korotaev
Co-Founder & CTO of RELAYTO Document Experience Platform
Nikita Korotaev joined RELAYTO/ Document Experience as Co-Founder & CTO in 2017.
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About Glocal Partners, RELAYTO Document Experience Platform: RELAYTO helps B2B marketers generate more leads & sales by turning static documents into interactive presentations & webpages
Jeremy Jauncey
Founder, Chief Executive Officer of Beautiful Destinations
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About Beautiful Destinations: Beautiful Destinations is a media company that shares authentic, inspirational, and immersive travel stories.
Outi Pietilanaho
Co-Founder & CEO of Vimma
Entrepreneur, Co-Founder & CEO @vimma #passioneconomy #futureofwork
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About Vimma: The OS for the Creator Economy
Daniel Nordh
Founder of Curator & Co
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About Curator & Co, Paymobil: A fast and visual tool for creative thinking.
Sophie Rochester
CEO and Founder of Yodomo | Making Made Easy
Founder of Yodomo, the creative experience platform. Improving wellbeing and supporting sustainability through making. Sophie is a digital content specialist with over 20 years experience across the digital and publishing sectors. She has worked at Random House. 4th Estate and Good Technology, and consulted for Pan Macmillan, Hachette, Penguin Random House, Nesta, British Council and Royal Society of Literature. Listed as one of the Top 10 Creative Entrepreneurs in the UK by the British Council and in the UK’s Top 100 ‘most influential and innovative’ in the Guardian Professional’s hClub 100 list, Sophie has global contacts across publishing and technology and has also consulted on a large number of digital publishing start-ups through her award-winning company The Literary Platform. In 2015, The Literary Platform was listed as #10 on the Fortuna 50 list of the UK’s fastest-growing women-led small businesses. Sophie has successfully raised funding through Arts Council England, National Lottery, Bath Spa University, Queensland University of Technology and the Jerwood Charitable Foundation for a number of digital content initiatives. She has spoken about the future of digital content at UNESCO Paris, Editech Milan, MIX Conference (Opening Keynote), Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, O’Reilly’s Tools of Change New York, London Book Fair, Bologna Book Fair and UKTI / British Council ‘Crossing the River’ digital conferences across Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. A keen maker herself, she lives in the heart of London’s designer maker community and understands the community that is Yodomo’s marketplace. Her professional network gives her access to the right tutors, businesses, brands – and staff – to bring to the Yodomo platform.
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About Meaningful Business, Yodomo | Making Made Easy: The Marketplace for Making. Discover online courses, live workshops and kits from our artists and makers.
Stuart Logan
Founder & CEO of Twine
As the Big Boss, Stuart spends his days in a large leather armchair, staring out over the Manchester skyline while smoking a cigar and plotting world domination. (He doesn’t really). Originally from Salisbury, he studied computer science at Manchester University but was always keen to break into the exciting world of start-ups, and was involved in a number of ventures before finalising his plans for Clowdy. When not wearing his chief executive hat (metaphorically speaking) he enjoys harbouring unrealistic expectations for Manchester United’s future success and live music.
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About Twine: Twine connects companies to diverse creative and digital freelancers
Fivos Pantazis
Founder of Aphetor
Fivos Pantazis is the Founder at Aphetor.
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About Aphetor: Aphetor is the next generation, creator-based sports/entertainment property for the next generation of fans
Carsten Thode
Founder of Aphetor
Carsten Thode is the Founder at Aphetor.
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About Aphetor: Aphetor is the next generation, creator-based sports/entertainment property for the next generation of fans
Phil Barry
Founder and CEO of Blokur
Phil Barry joined Blokur as Founder in 2016.
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About Blokur: Blokur is a tech company that empowers Internet of Creators using blockchain technology.
Sven Herold
CEO & Founder of LiveTube
Sven is a Media Executive with more than 15 years’ experience in Television, Communications and Reputation Management. He is an award-winning broadcast journalist who worked as a Senior Investigative Correspondent, Feature Writer and News & Entertainment Correspondent at major broadcasters across Europe and the U.S. Most recently, he was a global VP and member of the Communication & Marketing leadership team at Shell International. He built and led both Shell’s and SAP’s global Television divisions. In 2015, Sven founded LiveTube, a global media-house specialising in original live content-creation and distribution via mobile devices.
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About LiveTube: The world’s first Curated Live Video Platform.
Chad Harwood-Jones
Founder of WooContent
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About WooContent: Copywriting
Omar Nabi
Founder of Flipchart.io
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About Flipchart.io: Document collaboration tool to create and share interactive documents
Anders Sundstedt
Founder of Sundstedt Animation
Motion graphic designer, 2D/3D artist, animator & illustrator specializing in After Effects & explainer videos. After Effects artist, animator, motion graphic designer, illustrator, video editor & 3D artist based in the UK. I work in areas that require moving or still images for animation, commercials, short film, television & music videos.
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About Sundstedt Animation: Handcrafted animated film and video production
