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 E-Commerce Platforms 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.
Kirill Chliaifchtein
Founder & CEO of SwiftGift
Founder & CEO at SwiftGift
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About SwiftGift: SwiftGift is the world’s first Instant Gift Messenger App which allows you to send real gifts to anyone in your phone’s contact book.
Sophie Hill
Founder & CEO of Threads Styling
Sophie started her career in buying & merchandising roles at HQs of some of the leading fashion retail brands. This exposure to retail inspired her to found Threads in 2010. Threads uses unique technology to create a new world of retail. With social media & content, instant messaging & strong brand partnerships Threads is the leader in what they define as luxury chat commerce. Sophie is now dedicated with her team to continue to lead in this space and pioneer the next generation of retail. Education from Leeds & Harvard university.
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About Threads Styling: Threads Styling is a fashion technology company.
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.
Nick Robertson
Founder & CEO of ASOS
Nick Robertson is a Founder & CEO At ASOS.
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About ASOS, ASOS Ventures: Asos is an online platform engaged in the retail of fashion and beauty products for men and women.
Chris Gibbons
CEO & Founder of Laced
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About Laced: Laced is a marketplace for the buying and selling of authentic sneakers, connecting thousands of buyers and sellers worldwide.
Mahmud Kamani
Co-Founder and Joint Chief Executive of Boohoo Group
Mahmud founded boohoo.com with Carol Kane in 2006, leveraging over 30 years of experience in the fashion and clothing industry. Mahmud is an entrepreneur, with expertise encompassing all areas of the supply chain from sourcing, import and wholesale. Mahmud is an inspirational leader, having built a strong team and engendered loyalty from many long-serving employees.
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About Boohoo Group: Boohoo is an online store that offers a range of clothing, accessories, and footwear brands.
Carol Kane
Co-Founder of Boohoo Group
Carol co-founded boohoo.com with Mahmud Kamani in 2006 following their shared recognition in the opportunity for online retail. As part of her role as joint Chief Executive, Carol oversees the Group’s product, marketing and brand strategy across the UK and internationally. She has worked in the fashion industry throughout her career, initially as a designer and then as a fashion buyer. Before setting up boohoo.com, Carol and Mahmud worked together for over 20 years supplying high street retailers.
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About Boohoo Group: Boohoo is an online store that offers a range of clothing, accessories, and footwear brands.
Aneeqa Khan
Founder & CEO of eporta
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About eporta: Europe’s leading B2B commerce platform for the furnishings industry.
Eshita Kabra
Founder of By Rotation
Founder By Rotation – UK’s fashion rental app • Worked at various large buy and sell side firms as an investment analyst • Singaporean Indian living in London
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About By Rotation: The World’s First Social Fashion Rental App.
Gerald Ratner
Founder & CEO of Signet Jewelers
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About Gerald Online, Signet Jewelers: Signet Jewelers engages in the retail sale of jewelry and watches in the United States, the United Kingdom.
Max Jennings
Co-Founder of Hoop
My current obsession is Hoop – a new app designed to help families. Our mission at Hoop is to help families discover fun things to do, and to make it as easy as checking your email. Join the fun at www.hoop.co.uk Previously, co-founded VoucherCodes.co.uk, Europe’s largest coupon website (acquired by Retailmenot Inc.)
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About Hoop: Hoop is a platform for kids activities.
Vinita Rathi
CEO & Co-Founder of Systango
Vinita, Ex Vice President Goldman Sachs, London and now founder of IT agency Systango.com which helps and hand holds founders, especially, with no technology background to build their product and get it out of the door just like an in-house team would do. She has successfully put together a team, handpicked her members that work in sprints, agile and work shoulder to shoulder. When the time is right Systango then helps start up build local team and transition seamlessly. Vinita recently helped a founder who was struggling in building his product despite of having a fantastic idea. The company now has a working product, team of two in-house developers and Vinita jumps in as and when deadlines are more aggressive than what their in-house team can handle. In her community time, Vinita is Director of WomenWhoCode.com London Chapter. She is also founder of WomenHackForNonProfits.com – an initiative to increase women developer’s footprint in open source & non profit projects. It has more than 200 women developer volunteers and about 5 non profits registered to work with. In her spare time she also runs CodePunt.Today – a daily challenge website in alpha to keep developer’s developer by heart. When she is not doing one of the projects above, she is probably playing with her 4 year old son!
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About Systango: Systango is a software company provides custom web, mobile application, game, ecommerce development services.
Angela Ene
Founder of Modafirma
Angela Ene is a Technology entrepreneur, Managing Partner/ CFO. She is the founder of Modafirma a fashion technology and affiliate marketing platform that allows carefully selected brands to locate, advertise and sell directly to consumers globally. The company was nominated twice for a prestigious drapers award, and was also shortlisted for fashion website of the year in 2015 and 2018. In 2018 Angela was shortlisted as UK technology founder of the year at the Prestigious BMW i Technology awards in two categories: MAD Tech and E-commerce she subsequently went on to be selected as UK first runner up UK Technology founder of the year for Advertising and Marketing. She also serves as group CFO at Star Real Estate Group a boutique investment management firm specialising in real estate. Interests: SaaS technology, Blockchain, Investment Management, Fintech, MAD Tech, proptech Alma Mater: Queen Mary University of London, Said Business School University of Oxford , Cass Business School University of London Specialisms: MAD Tech, E-commerce. Omni Channels, Investment Management, Chartered Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst , Structured products, Marketing and Advertising technology Marketplaces.
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About Modafirma, Star Real Estate: Modafirma is an exclusive social commerce fashion platform for designers to sell and showcase directly to consumers.
Paul Archer
Founder and Managing Director of Duel
World Record-breaking Adventurer, Best-selling Author and founder of Duel. Aside from his expeditions and writing, he has spent his career building technology, including the Daredevil Project app development studio, and consulting for advertising agencies and tech companies. He founded Duel to democratise and decentralise marketing for brands. Duel is solving the lack of emotional connection and social proof in often clinical looking online stores by rewarding customers for creating visual testimonials and advocating among their friends, rather than wasting millions on advertising to drive sales. Before this Paul conceived and implemented the It’s on the Meter Expedition to drive to London taxi around the World. The expedition broke two Guinness World Records, raised over £20,000 and passed through 50 countries after driving 80,000 miles from London to London in Hannah, a 1992 London Taxi bought of eBay. Paul is also an experienced speaker, moderator and a conference host. Including TEDx, SXSW, Festival of Media, Cannes Lions, Social Media Week, GenerationE, the Content Marketing Institute and Retail.Tech, as well as guest lecturing at the British School of Fashion.
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About Duel: Brand Advocacy Platform that enables purpose-led brands to drive organic growth & retention through word-of-mouth & advocacy
Panagiotis Tsarouchis
Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Duel
Panagiotis ‘Naio’ Tsarouchis is an award winning designer and developer with prolific experience in entrepreneurship having founded design and technology education startups including Consider Magazine, Art In Progress and Treesix. Naio is Duel’s Co-Founder, CTO and expert in both complex computer science and user-centric design, having built Duel from a UGC platform into a fully-featured Brand Advocacy suite. As a fellow Co-Founder of Daredevil Project gaming studio, he has a deep, technical understanding of how gaming virology, authentic brands and customer behaviour intersect on a platform level. When not working, you’ll probably find him rescuing art in Bristol, adding to his impressive rum collection and rocking his synth.
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About Duel: Brand Advocacy Platform that enables purpose-led brands to drive organic growth & retention through word-of-mouth & advocacy
Chris Tudor
Founder & CEO of MASSOLIT
Chris Tudor is a Founder & CEO at MASSOLIT.
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About MASSOLIT: MASSOLIT is an online educational platform that hosts short video lectures aimed at secondary/high school students.
Deepak Ravindran
Co-Founder & Chief Customer Officer of Oddbox
Deepak Ravindran is the Co-Founder & Chief Customer Officer at Oddbox.
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About Oddbox: Oddbox is a provider of fruit and veg box delivery service intended to reduce food waste.
Jean Z. Poh
Founder & CEO of Swoonery
Founder, CEO at Swoonery.
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About Rapaport Group, Swoonery: Recommendation-driven e-commerce marketplace for fine jewelry.
James Turk
Founder of Goldmoney
James began his career at Chase Manhattan Bank where he worked on assignments in Thailand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Since, he has been the manager of the Commodity Department of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and held various advisory roles in money management. In 2001, he co-founded Goldmoney with his son Geoff Turk and remains an active board member and advisor today.
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About Goldmoney: Goldmoney is a financial services group that combines the unique attributes of gold with technology-driven innovation.
Greg Griffiths
Founder of UCROWDME
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About UCROWDME: Global ideas marketplace leveraging blockchain, AI and best-of-breed technology.
Nick Brackenbury
Co-Founder & CEO of NearSt
Nick Brackenbury is a technology entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of NearSt; a retail technology start-up getting people back into high street shops. His tech company is revolutionizing the idea of shopping locally rather than ordering it online. Nick was formerly one of Ogilvy’s youngest ever Account Directors, working on pioneering teams in the agency’s analytics and digital platforms teams across brands spanning Land Rover, Nestle, BP, Ford, Diageo and IBM. He is fascinated by behavioural economics and the incredible potential currently hidden away in high street shops.
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About NearSt: NearSt is a retail technology company building the world’s source of real-time local inventory.
Max Kreijn
Co-Founder & Strategic Lead of NearSt
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About NearSt: NearSt is a retail technology company building the world’s source of real-time local inventory.
Yousef Abdulhassan
Founder & CEO of SellApp
Founder at Toffee, Building the eBay for digital products
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About SellApp, Xough Technologies Limited: The easiest way to sell digital goods online is with SellApp
Zara Juricic
Co-Founder & Creative Director of Crumpet Cashmere
Zara Juricic is Co-Founder & Creative Director at Crumpet Cashmere.
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About Crumpet Cashmere: Designer Women’s Cashmere Introducing the Cruise collection – Introducing statement knits that are classically beautiful yet effortlessly
Spencer Forrest
Advisor, Co-Founder of Ekos Global
Managing Director of Ekos Global Ltd.
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About Ekos Global: Ekos Global is the fastest way for retail to go global: any language, any currency, on all devices and in one day.
Lanre Akinlagun
Founder and CEO of Drinks.ng
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About Drinks.ng: Drinks.ng is a technology based company transforming the way beverages are shopped, sold and shipped online in Nigeria
Kristina Kuzmina
Founder of Russkys
Kristina grew up being a part of LA and NY fashion and celebrity community helping her family to manage QED International Company, an American-based film production studio, financier and international distributor, best known for financing and producing films “Sabotage”, “Elysium”, “District 9” and “Fury”. Kristina has over 7 years’ experience working in marketing and business development with prestigious luxury global brands including L’Oréal Russia, Maison Margiela, Cartier,Harrods and Jaguar. Post her MBA study in London she has embarked on a series of entrepreneurial endeavour at a number of successful start-ups including Curated Crowd, where after closing the A round with her co-founder, she created and successfully implemented cost-effective multi-channel marketing solutions and PR strategies including digital marketing and social media, B2B local and international partnerships, promotional events and, many others; Fragrance Group London, where she was a part of a team that created and launched Michael Buble’s first premium signature fragrance globally, worked with Michael to build a brand that is enshrined in its values and was closely involved into developing PR activities, TV & press advertising campaign; Bays International (global distributor of cosmetics & personal care brands including GOSH Copenhagen, Just for Man, BaByliss and others) where she managed UK and European departments leading product, marketing and business development. “I am fascinated with the idea of the brand becoming a platform, not just for self-expression, but to create uniquely bespoke products in a one-to-one relationship that helps them feel empowered and strong and able to express.” (KK)
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About Russkys: Fashion story created by customers
Maya Bogle
Founder and Head of Agency Partnerships of Talenthouse
Maya Bogle is one of the Founders of Talenthouse, a platform dedicated to developing creative talent around the World with the technology to become the largest source of creative solutions for brands. Talenthouse meets the rapidly growing demand amongst brand owners to deliver these solutions at speed, at scale, with cultural relevance and at competitive cost. Maya is championing this cause and has over 25 years experience in media. She speaks regularly at conferences including Cannes Lions, Social Media Week New York, AdWeek Europe, Crowdsourcing Week Singapore, the London F.ounders Conference, Tech City Insider, the Media Summit Manchester, Ibiza Music Video Festival, Silicon Beach EU, NOAH and numerous educational establishments.
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About Talenthouse: 14.6 million strong global creative community power leading brands globally
Edward Davies
CEO & Co-Founder of Wearth London
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About Wearth London: Wearth is an e-commerce startup which partners with independent UK brands who make high quality products in an ethical and sustainable way.
Paul Wickers
Founder of Huggg
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About Huggg: Impactful gifts for your people, sorted in seconds
Alexander Reed
Co-Founder and CEO of Moonsift
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About Moonsift: Moonsift is a universal wishlist designed to power the next generation of personalization for online shoppers.
David Wood
Co-Founder of Moonsift
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About Moonsift: Moonsift is a universal wishlist designed to power the next generation of personalization for online shoppers.
Kevin Jones
Founder of Shopblocks
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About Shopblocks: Shopblocks is a hosted ecommerce platform.
Jim O’Brien
Founder & Enterprise Data Architect of OSDI TechnoLabs
Jim O’Brien with over 35 years experience in Data Processing possess a unique background with a extremely deep and wide skill set as an Data and Process Architect. He has consulted with numerous Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Kodak and GTE and his background includes experience in a number of industries including Software Development, Manufacturing, Banking, Transportation, Telecommunications, Retail, Petrochemical, Insurance, and Health Care.
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About OSDI TechnoLabs: Ecommerce Development Company
