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 Nanotechnology 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.
Sandy Chen
Founder and CEO of Graphene Composites
Sandy Chen came up with the idea of a graphene/aerogel composite six years ago. However, since he was committed full-time as a City analyst, there was little time to pursue the idea. Sandy Chen gained prominence as the analyst who called the Great Financial Crisis of 2007-9, identifying key weaknesses in the UK banks (e.g. Northern Rock, RBS) and in the financial system overall. Since then, he has written a book on bank analysis and valuation, and testified on banks at a Parliamentary committee hearing. He is a regular media commentator on banks and macroeconomic issues.
Follow Sandy Chen:
About Graphene Composites, Unity Trust Bank: Graphene Composites is a nano-technology startup that combines graphene with aerogel .
Atif Syed
Founder, Chairman and CEO of Wootzano
I am the Founder, Chairman & CEO of Wootzano Ltd where we are making robots feel and sense like humans do by using our unique electronic skin and robotic systems which can save an average fruit and vegetable packaging facility around £2.5 million at minimum a year. Ask me how we do it! Along with a PhD in Electronics and Nanotechnology Engineering from University of Edinburgh, I have extensive experience in Robotics and AI. I am also a Member of the Executive Committee for Robotics and Mechatronics at the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET). I am also an Enterprise Fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng). Since early age, I have had a crazy obsession with electronics and was fascinated by software development as it required not much need for any sophisticated lab. When I am not working on the business, you can find me working with machine learning algorithms, advocating why computer programming should be taught at schools from an early age and travelling.
Follow Atif Syed:
About Wootzano: Wootzano manufactures robots which can sense and feel like humans do using a unique electronic skin, machine learning, and electronics.
Sumanta Talukdar
Co-Founder of WaveOptics
Sumanta is WaveOptics’ co-founder and CEO. Immersed in computer science, optics and photonics since university, Sumanta has worked across displays, medical systems sensors and HUD for the likes of Oxsensis, BAE Systems, Sharp and Honeywell Analytics.
Follow Sumanta Talukdar:
About Gardin, WaveOptics: WaveOptics designs Augmented Reality (AR) wearables with enhanced features.
David Grey
Co-Founder of WaveOptics
David founded WaveOptics with Sumanta and is its Chief Technology Officer. Optical design, imaging and illumination have been David’s specialism for over 25 years. Previously, at Carclo Optics, he led the design of Passive Infrared lenses for high volume, high quality security and lighting control, and as head of Optics at BAE Systems, David led the development of head-up its displays.
Follow David Grey:
About WaveOptics: WaveOptics designs Augmented Reality (AR) wearables with enhanced features.
Bart Markus
Co-Founder & Chair of Hexagem
Follow Bart Markus:
About First Light Fusion, Hexagem, Ubiqu: Hexagem develops dislocation-free GaN substrates for RF Electronics based on nanowire technology from Lund University.
Vivek Nair
Founder,Inventor of Damascus Fortune
Vivek is a budding entrepreneur & inventor behind the Damascus Fortune technology. He was listed in the Forbes “30 under 30” – energy category and also received the India – MIT Technology Review (TR35) award in Material Science category for his Invention. Vivek has been featured in several magazines and newspapers for his work about Damascus Fortune. He is also the winner of National Award for Meritorious Invention from NRDC, India and hold membership at many prestigious societies. He is also an INK fellow, Tehelka’s “Tipping Point Innovator” & India Today’s “Indian of Tomorrow” for the year 2012. An engineer by degree, currently, he is pursing a double doctoral research in Material Science Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, England.
Follow Vivek Nair:
About Damascus Fortune: Damascus Fortune produces low-cost carbon nanomaterials by converting greenhouse carbon gases emitted by industrial factories.
Sergey Usov
Director & Founder of Cambridge Nanotherm
Follow Sergey Usov:
About Cambridge Nanotherm: Cambridge Nanotherm produces the industrys most efficient thermal management technology for LED applications and high powered electronics.
Henry Snaith
Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder of Oxford PV
In December 2010, Professor Henry Snaith co-founded Oxford Photovoltaics to commercialise the solar technology transferred from his laboratory at the University of Oxford. Henry undertook his PhD in organic photovoltaics at the University of Cambridge. Following his PhD, he spent two years at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) as a post-doc, where his research focused on developing the technology behind and understanding of the operation of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. In 2012, Henry was awarded the Paterson medal and prize by the Institute of Physics for his important contributions to the field of excitonic solar cells. The following year his discovery of high efficiency metal halide perovskite photovoltaics was recognised as one of the top breakthroughs of 2013 by Science. In 2013, Nature named Henry for its list of ten people who mattered, in recognition of his work on next generation solar power technology and was one of the youngest ever elected Fellow of The Royal Society in 2015. In 2017, he was named a Clarivate Citation Laureate and in 2018 he received the UK Blavatnik Awards Laureate in physical sciences. In addition to his role as Chief Scientific Officer at Oxford PV today, Henry also leads the Photovoltaics and Optoelectronics Device Group at the University of Oxford.
Follow Henry Snaith:
About Oxford PV: Oxford PV is a provider of perovskite solar cells.
Ferdinando Randisi
Co Founder & CTO of FabricNano
Follow Ferdinando Randisi:
About FabricNano: FabricNano is a cell-free biomanufacturing company that develops a DNA-based flow reactor to unlock the future of biochemistry.
Grant Aarons
Co-Founder & CEO of FabricNano
Follow Grant Aarons:
About FabricNano: FabricNano is a cell-free biomanufacturing company that develops a DNA-based flow reactor to unlock the future of biochemistry.
Anna Perdrix Rosell
Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Sixfold Bioscience
Anna Perdrix Rosell is the Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Sixfold Bioscience.
Follow Anna Perdrix Rosell:
About Sixfold Bioscience: Sixfold Bioscience develops and researches on biotechnology advances for RNA therapies.
George Foot
Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Sixfold Bioscience
George Foot is the Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Sixfold Bioscience.
Follow George Foot:
About Sixfold Bioscience: Sixfold Bioscience develops and researches on biotechnology advances for RNA therapies.
Ben Jensen
Founder and CTO of Surrey NanoSystems
Ben’s background is in the development of novel reactors used in Nanomaterials growth. Prior to founding SNS he was responsible for developing new technologies used in the hard disk drive industry and in sputter processing. He leads technical development of Vantablack coatings, and is involved with commercial engagement in new technology sectors from defence to luxury goods. Personally, I’m an explorer, creative thinker and solver of problems at the nano and commercial scale. Someone with serious commercial sense and a great ability to develop new business and close deals, especially in a start-up environment where competition and gaining traction are tough.
Follow Ben Jensen:
About Surrey NanoSystems: Surrey NanoSystems manufactures nanoscale materials for use in engineering and product applications.
Matt Dalby
Co-Founder of Nanokick Technologies
Follow Matt Dalby:
About Nanokick Technologies: Nanokick Technologies develops a spin-out, focussing on nanovibrational bioreactor technology for bone regeneration from stem cells.
Peter Childs
Co-Founder of Nanokick Technologies
Follow Peter Childs:
About Nanokick Technologies: Nanokick Technologies develops a spin-out, focussing on nanovibrational bioreactor technology for bone regeneration from stem cells.
Rotimi Alabi
Founder & CEO of RAB Microfluidics
Follow Rotimi Alabi:
About RAB Microfluidics, University of Aberdeen: RAB-Microfluidics is a Research & Development company developing cutting-edge microfluidic technology to solve oil analysis problems.
Neciah Dorh
Co-Founder and CEO of FluoretiQ
Neciah Dorh is a Co-Founder and serves as the Chief Executive Officer at FluoretiQ.
Follow Neciah Dorh:
About FluoretiQ: FluoretiQ is a medical device company designing simple and effective bacterial detection systems for rapid diagnosis of infection.
David Lane
COO and Co-Founder of EProfiler Solutions
Follow David Lane:
About EProfiler Solutions: EProfiler Solutions develops technology solutions to diagnose diseases.
Mervyn Miles
Co-Founder & Director of NuNano
Mervyn is Professor of Physics at the University of Bristol. His research over the last 25 years has focused on the development and application of new scanning probe microscopes, including the invention of two new types of high-speed AFM and the use of nanotools controlled by holographic optical tweezers to act as a new type of AFM probe. Mervyn has also co-founded Infinitesima Ltd, to bring high-speed AFM to the semiconductor industry. He is also Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Institute of Physics Publishing and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) in 2011.
Follow Mervyn Miles:
About NuNano: NuNano is a UK manufacturer of AFM probes and bespoke cantilever sensors.
Heinrich Hoerber
Co-Founder and Director of NuNano
Heinrich is an Emeritus Professor of Nanobiophysics at the University of Bristol. His research interests are focussed on scanning probe microscopy and high resolution optical instrumentation. Previous posts have included working with Prof. G Binnig, the co-inventor of the AFM, in Munich, and working at the European Molecular Laboratory in Heidelberg.
Follow Heinrich Hoerber:
About NuNano: NuNano is a UK manufacturer of AFM probes and bespoke cantilever sensors.
James Vicary
Managing Director, Co-Founder of NuNano
James has 14 years of experience in AFM, of which 9 were spent designing and manufacturing unique cantilever sensors for various research projects at the University of Bristol. Seeing his microfabrication endeavours yielding new science led James to found NuNano, in order to bring novel AFM probes to the wider scientific community.
Follow James Vicary:
About NuNano: NuNano is a UK manufacturer of AFM probes and bespoke cantilever sensors.
Amy Farrington
Co-Founder of Nanoflex
Amy Farrington is a Co-Founder at Nanoflex.
Follow Amy Farrington:
About Nanoflex: NanoFlex is a company that designs and manufactures high performance electrodes suitable for use in diagnostic and analytical sensors.
Pritesh Hiralal
CEO, Co-Founder of Zinergy
Pritesh Hiralal, CEO/CTO, studied Physics and completed his Ph.D. in Engineering at the University of Cambridge. He has spent time in business in Spain and set up Casa Hiralal S.L. and Zendal Backup. He has spent time in industry at the Nokia Research Centre working on high power energy storage, and has published 30+ papers and 8 patents in the field. He has consulted for materials as well as energy storage device companies. He spent time as a Research Associate as well as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Cambridge and is now a founder and CEO at Zinergy.
Follow Pritesh Hiralal:
About Zinergy: ZInergy UK is aiming to manufacture thin, printed and flexible batteries at low cost which could power wearable devices.
Pritesh Hiralal
CEO, Co-Founder of Zinergy
Pritesh Hiralal, CEO/CTO, studied Physics and completed his Ph.D. in Engineering at the University of Cambridge. He has spent time in business in Spain and set up Casa Hiralal S.L. and Zendal Backup. He has spent time in industry at the Nokia Research Centre working on high power energy storage, and has published 30+ papers and 8 patents in the field. He has consulted for materials as well as energy storage device companies. He spent time as a Research Associate as well as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Cambridge and is now a founder and CEO at Zinergy.
Follow Pritesh Hiralal:
About Zinergy: ZInergy UK is aiming to manufacture thin, printed and flexible batteries at low cost which could power wearable devices.
