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 CTO’ operating in the Infrastructure space. If you think a CTO’ 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.
Joe Baguley
Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, EMEA of VMware
Joe Baguley is VMware’s Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for EMEA. He joined VMware in July 2011 and helps develop and communicate VMware’s strategy and vision with customers and partners, using his wealth of experience to help organisations reduce costs and better support users and business needs. As part of VMware’s Office of the CTO and its representative in EMEA, Joe assists VMware’s customers in understanding how to use today’s advances in technology to deliver real business impact as well as working with them to inform VMware’s R&D processes. Joe is a recognised leader within the European technical community and is considered one of the world’s most influential IT global leaders, currently positioned 26th on Tenfold’s global list of the top 79 Chief Technology Officers. He has played a key role in CloudCamp and other events, communicating how cloud technology fits into the broader IT landscape. He is a regular commentator on BBC World News, last appearing in January 2018 talking about edge computing with Aaron Heslehurst on Talking Business. In addition, Joe is also on several advisory boards at the European Commission and ETSI and is a founding committee member of the Data Centre Specialist Group at the British Computer Society which helped shape the European Code of Conduct for Data Centres.
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About VMware: VMware is a software company providing cloud and virtualization services that powers complex digital infrastructure.
Tommy Armstrong
Senior Director of Mobile Products & CTO Office of VMware
Tommy Armstrong is the Senior Director of Mobile Products & CTO Office at VMware.
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About VMware: VMware is a software company providing cloud and virtualization services that powers complex digital infrastructure.
Paddy Byers
CTO & Co-founder of Ably Realtime
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About Ably Realtime: Ably is the platform to power synchronized digital experiences in realtime.
Dan Selman
Co-founder and CTO of Clause
Dan Selman is the co-founder and CTO at Clause.
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About Clause: Clause is a digital contracting platform connecting agreements to trusted systems, verifying data, and accelerating actions.
William Montgomery
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Thought Machine
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About Thought Machine: Thought Machine is a Fintech company that builds cloud-native technology to revolutionize core banking.
Ian Pattison
International CTO of Mavenir
As International CTO of Mavenir, Ian is responsible for developing and communicating Mavenir’s technology and product strategy in the EMEA and APAC markets. Ian has more than thirty years experience in mobile, telecommunciations and high availability distributed systems. Prior to joining Mavenir, he was the CTO of 724 Solutions before becoming Chief Architect at Mobixell Networks. Having started his career developing signalling stacks for the 5ESS at AT&T/Phillips, Ian went on to be a member of Tandem’s High Performance Research Center (HPRC). Ian holds an Honors Degree in Computer Science from Heriot-Watt University and multiple patents.
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About Mavenir: Mavenir is an end-to-end network software provider, redefining network transformation and economics for CSPs.
Josef Karthauser
CTO of TrueSpeed Communications
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About TrueSpeed Communications: Innovative fibre optic infrastructure and telecoms company.
Alex Metaxas
Co-Founder and CTO of Cloud Maker
Alex Metaxas is Co-Founder and CTO at Cloud Maker
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About Cloud Maker: Cloud Maker is a Visual DevOps platform that enables organisations to easily design and build scalable cloud solutions.
Lee James
CTO of Rackspace
Lee James is responsible for helping Rackspace’s customers maximise their cloud investments across people, process and technology, as well developing new products and services. As the Chief Technical Officer EMEA Lee’s experienced in developing and delivering industry-leading cloud, analytics and SAP services for global organisations. He’s also previously been awarded for innovation after building BP’s first multi-cloud platform. In a prior role at Betfair, Lee was responsible delivering a DevOps-driven platform that performed more transactions than all the European stock markets each day. He particularly enjoys leading on global cloud transformations, advanced analytics platforms and cloud-inspired organisational transformation which delivers significant business value to customers.
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About Rackspace: Rackspace provides hybrid cloud-based services that enable businesses to run their workload in a public or private cloud.
Lee James
CTO of Rackspace
Lee James is responsible for helping Rackspace’s customers maximise their cloud investments across people, process and technology, as well developing new products and services. As the Chief Technical Officer EMEA Lee’s experienced in developing and delivering industry-leading cloud, analytics and SAP services for global organisations. He’s also previously been awarded for innovation after building BP’s first multi-cloud platform. In a prior role at Betfair, Lee was responsible delivering a DevOps-driven platform that performed more transactions than all the European stock markets each day. He particularly enjoys leading on global cloud transformations, advanced analytics platforms and cloud-inspired organisational transformation which delivers significant business value to customers.
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About Rackspace: Rackspace provides hybrid cloud-based services that enable businesses to run their workload in a public or private cloud.
Michael Huth
Chief Technology Officer of Xayn
Michael Huth is CTO of XAIN AG and a Professor of Computer Science at Imperial College London. He is a Diplom-Mathematiker (TU Darmstadt, Germany) and obtained his Ph.D. in 1991 (Tulane University of Louisiana, USA). His research focuses on cybersecurity (notably the interplay of trust, security, risk, and economics), as well as security and privacy in machine learning. Michael served as the technical lead of the Harnessing Economic Value theme at PETRAS IoT Cybersecurity Research Hub in the UK. Professor Huth is an active research and product advisor within London’s cybersecurity startup scene.
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About Xayn: Xayn builds Web Search as it should be.
Mark Skelton
Chief Technology Officer of Cancom
Mark Skelton heads heads up CANCOM’s Professional Services division with overall responsibility for the UK’s technology strategy. Prior to joining CANCOM his background was with big system integrators and large business-focused consulting firms. An expert in digital transformation, workplace transformation and hybrid IT strategy.
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About Cancom: The Cancom group is a provider of IT infrastructure and IT services.
Daniel Jones
Chief Technology Officer of Chirp
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About Chirp: Chirp uses existing speakers and microphones to enable frictionless M2M communication to seamlessly and securely transfer data via sound.
Katarina Wagnerova
Principal Technologist (OCTO) of Creative ITC
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About Advecti, Creative ITC: Creative deliver real-world IT infrastructure solutions for today, to take you where you need to go tomorrow.
Rob Smith
Chief Technology Officer of Creative ITC
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About Creative ITC: Creative deliver real-world IT infrastructure solutions for today, to take you where you need to go tomorrow.
Seb Matthews
Chief Technology Architect (Defence & National Security) of Fujitsu
Seb Matthews is the CEO at ProvisionPoint
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About AdeoPoint, Fujitsu, ProvisionPoint: Fujitsu is a information & communications technology equipment and services firm providing IT & IT infrastructure and other services.
Ian Bradbury
CTO – Financial Services, UK and Ireland of Fujitsu
Ian Bradbury, Chief Technology Officer for Financial Services in Fujitsu and a Fujitsu Distinguished Engineer – Ian delivers thought-leadership into business-led transformational engagements in the areas of agile working, digital workplace, customer and colleague journeys, cloud adoption, AI and Intelligent Automation, Open Banking and DLT (blockchain).
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About Fujitsu: Fujitsu is a information & communications technology equipment and services firm providing IT & IT infrastructure and other services.
Robert Neave
Co-Founder, CTO & Vice President of Product Management of Nlyte Software
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About Nlyte Software: Nlyte automates the management of DCIM so organizations can become more agile, reduce costs and operate more efficiently.
Andy Jeffries
CTO and Co-founder of Civo
Andy Jeffries is an Advisory Board Member at DevNetwork. Prior to that, he was the CTO and Co-Founder of CIvo.
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About Civo: Cloud hosting specialists running the the world’s first Kubernetes service powered by Rancher Lab’s K3s.
Tim Lukins
Co-Founder & CTO of Machines With Vision
A software professional with a background in AI and computer vision focused on combining engineering and research excellence to create amazing technology.
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About Machines With Vision: Transforming the maintenance of linear infrastructure using millimetre-accurate mapping.
Michael Jervis
Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of FourNet
Michael Jervis is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of FourNet.
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About FourNet: FourNet is a cloud and managed communications service company providing cloud, collaboration, and contact center solutions.
Ross Spearman
Chief Technology Officer of Tait Communications
Ross Spearman is the CTO for Tait Communications. He has been with Tait Communications since Jan 2016, and has responsibility for directing the company’s technology investment strategy. Mr Spearman joined Tait after returning to New Zealand from the United States where he was the CTO for Ericsson in Seattle. Mr Spearman has 25 years experience in the telecom industry, working with radio, switching and transport technologies in fixed and mobile networks. The first half of his career was spent in Research & Development, and the second half with Customer Units, working with leading Telecom Operators.He was with Ericsson in North America since 1999, most recently as CTO for a Tier 1 mobile operator account, where his team had solution responsibility for all technology provided by Ericsson to the Operator, and also consulted on strategic technology/business initiatives – including their nationwide LTE roll-out.Previously Mr Spearman was VP of Technology, driving Strategic Initiatives with IMS, IP/ATM/SONET transport products, and soft-switching in North America. In Europe he ran Product Management within Ericsson’s Access business, and began his career in New Zealand in HW and embedded SW design. Mr Spearman holds Masters and Bachelors’ degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Canterbury.
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About Tait Communications: Tait Communications is a global leader in designing, delivering and managing critical communication solutions that help utilities.
Darren Anstee
Chief Technology Officer of Arbor Networks
Darren Anstee is the Chief Security Technologist within the CTO office at Arbor Networks, based in the UK. Darren has over 20 years of experience in the pre-sales, consultancy and support aspects of telecom and security solutions. Prior to joining Arbor, Darren spent eight years working in both pre- and post-sales for core routing and switching product vendors. Currently in his twelfth year at Arbor, Darren is involved in both the research and strategic activities at Arbor in relation to their enterprise and ISP network threat detection, mitigation and traffic visibility solutions. Working with Arbor’s Security Engineering & Response Team (ASERT), Darren is able to identify trends and monitor the current threat landscape through ATLAS, research infrastructure that uses anonymous data from over 300 customers to monitor approximately one-third of all internet traffic. This previous experience and involvement with ASERT means Darren is au fait with attack methodologies and well placed to advise organisations on how to protect their networks threats ranging from DDoS attacks to Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). He speaks regularly at shows such as Infosec Europe, and is often quoted on a range of topics in media outlets such as BBC, Forbes and SC Magazine UK.
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About Arbor Networks: Arbor defines the leading edge of network security and management for today’s network operators.
Mat Clothier
CEO, CTO and Founder of Cloudhouse Technologies
Mat Clothier, CEO, CTO & Founder of Cloudhouse Technologies, has over 20 years’ industry experience. He started his first business whilst at university, providing CIO services to SMEs in the South West of England, and has since founded multiple organisations focusing on provisioning enterprise IT solutions. Mat is an expert in enterprise IT technology, virtualization and distributed management of applications, and devotes his time to developing solutions that simplify user access to modern enterprise IT applications. Mat is a motoring enthusiast and enjoys experimenting with new technologies. His focus is on producing IT solutions that make users’ lives easier, a promise that Cloudhouse Technologies constantly works towards. Mat graduated from the University of Plymouth with a BSc Hons in Computer Systems and Networks.
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About Cloudhouse Technologies: Cloudhouse Technologies is an infrastructure software vendor that liberates client and server applications to run on operating systems.
Paul King
CTO of The Bot Platform
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About : Empowering people to build a better employee experience using bots, digital assistants and automation tools.
Tarquin Dunn
CTO & Director of Carbon Cloud
With over 30 years experience in the IT industry, with an in-depth technical background, Tarquin has held a variety of senior positions within a partner and reseller environment covering CTO, Technical Director, Technical Consulting, Large Outsourced/Managed Services, Service Desk & Senior Management. Tarquin started Carbon Cloud in order to bring all the Enterprise-grade benefits of Cloud Computing to the wider market and also validates new technical products and vendor solutions.
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About Carbon Cloud, Education IT: Cloud Consultancy, Azure, AWS, Google, IT Support, Service Desk, Infrastructure, Storage, Virtualization, Networking, Security, Repair, AV
Jon Topper
CTO/CEO of The Scale Factory
DevOps, Linux, cloud infrastructure and automation specialist.
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About The Scale Factory: DevOps & Cloud Infrastructure Consultancy
Garth Berry
CTO of Scafld
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About Scafld: Helping acquire and convert customers with clever ways to create and deliver engaging customer journeys.
Neil Edwards
CTO of Synaptix
Neil is among the foremost experts in Wi-Fi technology in Europe. He provides the technical leadership for our engineering team, and regularly works directly with customers to help them solve the most difficult technical problems. An experienced engineer with a hands-on approach, Neil will regularly work on-site with our technical team to tackle unusual or particularly difficult problems. He is the creator of STORM, our unique in-house engineering management tool, which underpins our high levels of service to customers. Neil likes to unwind by taking to the roads on his motorbike.
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About Synaptix: Synaptix leaders in the provision of technical services to public WiFi network operators.
David Trossell
CEO / CTO of Bridgeworks Ltd
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About Bridgeworks Ltd: Bridgeworks’ Accelerates datay even encrtpted/compressed flow up to 40Gb/s across WAN without changing or modifing the data.
