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 Aerospace 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.
George Chen
Co-Founder of Metalysis
George Chen is the Co-founder of Metalysis.
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About Metalysis: Metalysis, a manufacturer of metals and alloys, offers both economic and environmental benefits over traditional metal production methods.
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Louis Tag
Founder / CEO of Passnfly
Louis is a serial-entrepreneur and founder of multiple tech-based start-up companies such as PASSNFLY, Helicopters Worldwide or Fast-Track. A visionary entrepreneur, from Germany, currently residing in London. To those who know him, it’s no surprise that WIRED named him Top100 Entrepreneurs in Europe. Helicopters worldwide (est. 2021) is already today a leading provider for heli-transfers. Users can book on partner sites door-to-door transfers combining heli+limo. WallStreetJournal calls PASSNFLY ”the check-in app for frequent travelers”. Louis says himself, that “My journey in business started with my first tech company at the age of 21, but not every youthful project came to prosper still it gave me what it took, to succeed at innovation.” His most popular initiative is a disruptive travel tech startup – PASSNFLY. “When I see an apparently overdue market gap I ask myself if the solution I envision could be useful on a daily basis and turn out to be a new trend. Airlines ask passengers to check-in themselves – 20+ clicks until the boarding pass. Making check-in a 1-click experience is what I believe to be useful for every of the 8 billion annual air passengers.” PASSNFLY provides what every passenger needs to fly – the boarding pass. Today PASSNFLY automated check-in service is available for most airlines worldwide. Customers are some of the world’s well-known travel brands. Investors and advisers are some of the leading heads from the travel and aviation industry. PASSNFLY provides seamless travel solutions for Passengers, Travel Distributors, Airlines and Airports around the globe. For more info visit http://www.passnfly.com Louis Tag, 37, is originally from Germany, where he studied law. With just 21 years age and while still studying, he built his first company. With his first startup and only 30k investment, he accomplished a 100x return on sales in less than a year. Since then he continues on the entrepreneurial path. When Louis is not working he enjoys running, reading, and golf. He is married to Elizabeth and has a daughter Violetta and a son Peter. The family lives between Munich, Barcelona and London – with Barcelona being their absolute favorite. Specialities: business plan, cash flow, executive management, finance, investments, leadership, travel, positioning, pricing, purchasing, data processing and encryption technologies, telematic infrastructures, accreditation technologies, aeronautical engineering, architecture of informatics and communication systems, research, risk analysis, sales, strategic planning, vision.
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About Helicopters Worldwide, Passnfly: Passnfly is a mobile application that provides users with automated multi-airline flight check-in solutions.
Mauro Pasta
Co-Founder of Cuberg
Co-Founder of Cuberg.
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About University of Oxford: Cuberg is a company delivering lithium metal cells produced on existing lithium-ion manufacturing lines for electromobility solutions.
Matthew C Martino
Founder & Managing Director of Lets Fly Academy
Matthew Martino (Full Name) – Matthew Mathetes Chihwai Martino born 27 October 1992 is a British Entrepreneur, Film Producer and Author. Educated at Shenfield High School in Brentwood , Martino has always held a passion for writing – He has always focused on educational writing and research. His first book Lets Fly which was published by DM Aviation was well received by pilots and aviation enthusiasts around the world. During his early years Martino showed all the qualities required to maintain proven success.
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About Lets Fly Academy: An online resource academy which was built to provide information and resources to aspiring pilots and aviations enthusiast.
Shefali Sharma
Co-Founder & Director of Oxford Dynamics
I’m a creator & a dreamer. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been passionate about creating ‘something of value’. With a Masters Degree in Engineering, I have spent the last 7+ years working with technical start-ups to gain a better understanding of how successful businesses are built. In a nutshell, what I have learnt can be best summarised by Ed Catmull; “If you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they will screw it up. If you give a mediocre idea to a brilliant team, they will either fix it or throw it away and come up with something better”. I am a big believer in following your instincts and taking unique approaches to life. So, I’ve now embarked upon my own entrepreneurial journey by co-founding not one but two companies, a Healthtech start-up called OXLABS; as well as a Space start-up called Oxford Dynamics (OD). At both these companies, we’re developing inspiring & accessible technologies by working with those that share our values and passion for making the world a better place. Though still in a fledgling state, its an absolute joy & honour to be working with people / friends who are equally passionate & committed to the OXLABS & OD journey as I am. We dream big, work hard and believe anything is possible. We’re currently in stealth mode for both our businesses but please do follow our pages as we’ll be breaking cover soon – your support really matters to us 🙂 Last but not the least, I’m really proud to be selected as a Global Young Innovator by Innovate UK as one of the few entrepreneurs (under 30) across the UK & South Africa who are solving global challenges with their ground-breaking ideas.
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About Oxford Dynamics: We’re developing a new range of cutting-edge AI-based tools that enable machines to think like humans.
Mike Lawton
Co-Founder & Director of Oxford Dynamics
I’m a serial entrepreneur, which is code for the fact I bear a few scars from getting things wrong slightly less often than I get things right… I enjoy building early-stage high technology businesses in demanding commercial environments: taking an idea from concept stage, raising external investment & building motivated teams that focus on delivery. I’m currently excited about commercial opportunities in so-called ‘new space’ – a sector in which my latest venture Oxford Space Systems is making great progress. I’m firm believer in actively promoting STEM subjects and regularly present in schools, colleges and universities with the aim of inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurial engineers and scientists. I also frequently present at events in the UK and overseas on my entrepreneurial experiences and the process of raising equity finance for technology focused businesses. I (or more correctly the smart guys in my team) have won numerous business and technical awards both in the UK and overseas. I consider myself a pragmatic and enthusiastic leader with a hands-on approach who believes in direct reward for achievement. I have a pathological hatred for bureaucracy, preferring tangible progress in preference over shuffling paper.
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About Oxford Dynamics, Oxford Space Systems: We’re developing a new range of cutting-edge AI-based tools that enable machines to think like humans.
Dr Edward Jackson
Co-Founder & Director of Oxford Dynamics
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About Oxford Dynamics: We’re developing a new range of cutting-edge AI-based tools that enable machines to think like humans.
Ming Kong
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TG0
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About TG0: TG0 is an R&D start-up creating novel 3D controls.
Charles Black
Founder & CEO of Sen
Charles Black is an entrepreneur and the founder of Sen. It has been Charles’ dream since the age of 18 to build a space television network that films in space. Charles’s interest in space began as a child. In 1990 aged 18 Charles discovered his original instinct and vision to create a business that would be capable of existing and expanding forever in space and time, and that meant a business that gathered news and information about space, essentially filming the Universe for ever more. The vision for Sen had been born. With a belief that law would be a useful education for a life in business, Charles studied law at London University and graduated with a law degree in 1995. During his time at university the internet emerged in to the commercial world and Charles saw this as a means to start a business with just a computer and internet connection. He studied the internet and saw the potential for using it as a television medium and wrote a research paper entitled A Human Right to Broadcast ‘Television Speech’? This paper was published in 1996 by Tolley’s Communications Law. The paper argued that the internet meant anyone could technically broadcast by distributing video and therefore the law should be used to protect content rather than requiring a government license to broadcast. Charles’s vision of starting a space television channel using the Internet without the need for a government license was the motivation behind the paper. Charles’s interest in law continues and he is currently researching space law because of its relevance to the future regulation of space exploration. Having completed his legal training, qualifying as a barrister in 1997, Charles set up Space Internet Ltd. The original idea was to market businesses with videos on the internet which would provide the experience for making programmes about space. The business became focussed on web sites and web hosting as customers in the late 1990s were happy just to have a web site without the cost of video. Space Internet Ltd therefore developed in to a pure hosting company and re-branded as Nasstar. In 2004 Nasstar launched hosted desktop and hosted email services, becoming one of the pioneers of hosted desktop cloud computing. Nasstar was admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange in 2005 under the symbol NASA. During his time as CEO of Nasstar Charles raised over £15m from investors, growing Nasstar both organically and through acquisitions. Nasstar plc now has a market cap of £30m and is a profitable and growing business. Charles stepped down as CEO in January 2014 to focus on developing his space business, Sen. Sen is Charles’s lifelong ambition has been to create a global space television network that promotes interest and education in space exploration, launching a network of video cameras into space and filming the Universe. In pursuit of his dream Charles is committed to pursuing a research degree in space law.
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About Sen: Streaming real-time videos from space for the benefit of humanity.
Lori Hanlon
Executive Assistant to Chairman & Founder of VistaJet
Lori Hanlon is the Executive Assistant, Chairman, and Founder at VistaJet.
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About VistaJet: VistaJet, the world’s fastest growing private aviation company, offering private jet services through its Program and On-Demand solutions.
Tim Woolmer
CTO and Founder of YASA
Tim developed the unique YASA motor topology as part of his DPhil at the University of Oxford. Tim now works as the CTO at YASA motors, with responsibility for the technical development of the YASA motor. Tim completed a general Engineering degree at Oxford University from 2000-2004.
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About YASA: Yasa develops and manufactures electric motors and generators of high power and high torque density electric.
Anthony Baker
Founder & CEO of Satellite Vu
Anthony Baker is the Founder & CEO at Satellite Vu.
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About Satellite Vu: Satellite Vu An Earth Observation and satellite imagery analytics company deriving insights into economic activity
Hira Virdee
Founder and CEO of Lumi Space
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About Lumi Space: Lumi provide precise positioning for satellites and space debris, using laser ranging.
Gilo Cardozo
Founder ,Chairman & CTO of Gilo Industries
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About Gilo Industries: Gilo Industries, a Dorset-based aerospace technology startup
John Bavister
Co-Founder & CFO of Odyssey Airlines
John Bavister is the CFO at Odyssey Airlines.
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About Odyssey Airlines: Odyssey Airlines will begin offering premium non-stop business class services
Gareth Williams
Founder & Non-Executive Director of YellowDog
Gareth hounds the YellowDog kennel, spearheading the vision to build a world where people do more, create more, discover more; unleashed from limited computing power. Following an MEng in Information Systems Engineering from the University of Durham, Gareth cut his canines working in software and telecoms at companies including Orange, Experian QAS, FREEDOM4 and Arieso, where he was part of the Management Team that completed the successful sale of the company to JDSU in March 2013 for $85m. One day he had a brilliant idea for using spare mobile capacity which, following a chat with someone in the animation department at the University of the West of England, gave birth to what is now YellowDog. When not coming up with brilliant ideas, he is a dad, a keen cyclist, an ardent reader, a Samaritans Listening Volunteer. He also likes ale and talking to anyone (usually together). You can email Gareth on gareth@yellowdog.co or phone +44 (0) 330 223 2499.
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About YellowDog: Helping businesses power their innovations with the most scalable cloud native scheduling and provisioning technology.
Richard Parker
Founder & CEO of Altitude Angel
Richard is the Founder & CEO of Altitude Angel. He created the company in December 2014, with a singular vision: integrate drones into the airspace, safely, using cloud technology. An experienced software engineer, Richard has a deep technical background with both software and electrical engineering expertise and is currently training to become a private pilot, too.
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About Altitude Angel: Altitude Angel makes drones safer by providing the data and cloud services needed to safely unlock their potential.
Jonathan Nicol
Founder & Managing Director of Stratajet
Jonny Nicol Ranked as one of Aviation Week’s Top 10 Leaders of European Business Aviation (at EBACE 2016), Jonny Nicol has undoubtedly risen to be one of the most prominent and influential figures in the private aviation industry. A military man through and through, Jonny is adamant that preparation is the key to success. This is why his vision to revolutionise the private jet industry took five years to develop. Having trained as a fighter pilot and served as an officer and pilot for a decade with the British Army, Jonny Nicol left the British Armed Forces to pursue a career as a an entrepreneur. A self-taught computer scientist, Jonny developed a passion for using technology to disrupt typically traditional industries, his first two businesses doing precisely that in the recruitment and military sectors. After selling the second business to Hewlett Packard’s EDS Defence, Nicol spent time as a freelance commercial pilot, during which time he was struck by the archaic and inefficient nature of private aviation. Noting that old-fashioned systems, such as the means of booking a private jet over the phone via a broker, were holding back the industry from advancing in line with other travel innovations, Jonny set about building a system that could bring private jets into the modern age. Reinventing the industry was no mean feat, involving five years of highly advanced computer programming and overcoming major hurdles, but Stratajet, dubbed ‘the world’s most sophisticated price comparison site,’ is the result. The first of its kind, Stratajet is the world’s fastest private jet booking service. With a technology sophisticated enough to filter through all the necessary variables that go into calculating the cost of flights, it’s the only platform that gives customers direct access to the private jet market. It returns accurate costs of a large range of aircraft in seconds, all of which can be booked instantly. Streamlining an old-fashioned and time-consuming booking process, Stratajet is solving the major problems hampering private aviation; inefficiency and wastage. By cutting costs for aircraft operators and in turn driving down prices for the passenger, Stratajet is making private jet travel more widely accessible to the mainstream traveller.
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About Stratajet: Stratajet is a real-time private jet booking platform using the power of technology to give its passengers total control and freedom.
Michael Dewhirst
CEO | Founder of Evolve Dynamics
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About Evolve Dynamics, Match2One: UAV innovations company, working on computer vision, AI autopilot systems, long flight solutions and rapid ready-to-fly/deploy platforms.
Rafael Jorda Siquier
Founder and CEO of Open Cosmos
As CEO and co-founder, Rafael leads the Open Cosmos team. From leading the team to deliver the first satellite mission within eight months, to managing the expanding team and range of customers today, Rafael has overseen the overall company strategy and directed its execution, all while working towards the original mission of democratizing access to space. After studying aerospace engineering at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona and completing an MBA, Rafael has worked at large corporations, such as Airbus Defence and Space, as well as small, innovative space start-ups. His desire to make space more accessible led him to develop Open Cosmos while at the prestigious Entrepreneur First incubator program in July 2015. For his work leading Open Cosmos, Rafael has been recognized most recently as Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 by EuroConsult.
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About Open Cosmos: Open Cosmos provides simple and affordable space missions.
Gary Mortimer
Founder & Editor of sUAS News
Gary Mortimer is the Founder and Editor of sUAS News since 2008. Gary has been a commercial balloon pilot for 23 years and also flies full size helicopters. Prior to that he made tea and coffee in air traffic control towers across the UK as a member of the Royal Air Force. Gary has been a judge in the DIYdrones Time Trust Trial (T3) competition since its inception.
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About sUAS News: sUAS News is a platform that offers the latest news and information about unmanned aviation.
Rotimi Alabi
Founder & CEO of RAB Microfluidics
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About RAB Microfluidics, University of Aberdeen: RAB-Microfluidics is a Research & Development company developing cutting-edge microfluidic technology to solve oil analysis problems.
David Crudden
Co-Founder and Senior Alloy Design Engineer of OxMet Technologies
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About OxMet Technologies: OxMet Technologies develops, licenses, and manufactures proprietary alloys, alloy powders and alloy components.
Fauzan Adziman
Founder and Director of OxMet Technologies
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About OxMet Technologies: OxMet Technologies develops, licenses, and manufactures proprietary alloys, alloy powders and alloy components.
Enrique Alabort Martinez
Co-Founder and Programme Director of OxMet Technologies
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About OxMet Technologies: OxMet Technologies develops, licenses, and manufactures proprietary alloys, alloy powders and alloy components.
Arnaud Didey
Founder & CEO of Neoptera Aero
Arnaud Dide is the Founder and CEO at Neoptera Aero.
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About Didey Consulting Ltd, Neoptera Aero: Neoptera Aero is developing a patented winged eVTOL aircraft aimed at Public Services, Military Applications and Future Urban Air Mobility
David Richards
Founder & Chairman of Prodrive
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About Prodrive: Prodrive is one of the world’s leading motorsport
Nigel Gifford
Founder and Chairman of Windhorse Aerospace
Nigel Gifford OBE CP Eng.(Aero) Chairman / Founder Windhorse Aerospace Nigel is best described as an eclectic solutions architect ~ drawing on skills, practical experience, and research acquired at different times of his life. It is from his aeronautical, skydiving and catering background he conceived the Pouncer(tm) food carrying AV that is also made of edible components. Presently, using his specialist knowledge in feeding in non-human environments, Nigel is working to get Pouncer(tm) into service with his team, and is working in the critical food technology area to ensure that the food cargo and edible structure are fit for purpose on deployment as first response into disaster areas Biography Brought up in a busy restaurant, and then trained as a chef at the Army School of Catering, Nigel has extensive knowledge of differing styles of cuisine. This includes feeding explorers and adventurers in remote and hostile environments, as well as cooking at 26,000ft on Mt Everest in 1976. He wrote the present Royal Geographical Society catering manual and his advice is still sought for extreme expeditions. As an aerospace solutions architect Nigel has designed equipment for UK Special Forces, and built protective equipment housings for the RAF Tornado. In 1991 he designed a special camera platform for the first ever hot air balloon flight at 33,000ft over Mt Everest and worked on Sir Richard Branson’s round the world balloon project advising on the small capsule’s internal ergonomic layout, feeding, and the living routines for the crew confined inside. Prior to Windhorse, he was Managing Director of the Ascenta™ – The high-altitude, long-endurance, unmanned aerial vehicle acquired by Facebook in 2014 to provide Internet access into the developing world. The aircraft has since been renamed Aquila by Facebook.
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About Windhorse Aerospace: Windhorse Aerospace has created the world’s first purpose-built UAV/Drone intended for humanitarian aid delivery – POUNCER.
Gerry Croarkin
Chief Executive Officer/Founder of AircraftEasy
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About AircraftEasy: AircraftEasy develops as a cloud-based solution that managing aviation assets.
Tim Venison
Co Founder of Spotlight Data
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About Hotswell Ltd., Spotlight Data: Spotlight Data – Strategic KM Ltd. Is an artificial intelligence data company working the UK Government and multi nationals
Arpana Gandhi
Co-Founder & CEO of Disarmco
Arpana Gandhi is Co-Founder & CEO at Disarmco.
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About Disarmco: Disarmco was formed in 2012 as a services business targeting munitions disposal.
Justin Coelho
Chief Commercial Officer & Co-Founder of RocketRoute Ltd
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About RocketRoute Ltd: RocketRoute is an advanced online flight planning centre. Ideal for Airlines, Operators and IFR Pilots. Easy to use, fast and convenient.
Craig Howard
Co-Founder & Chief Technical Officer of Evoke Systems
Craig is also a co-founder of Evoke Systems and manages and oversees day to day technical operations of the company. Craig has a Ph.D. in Data Mining and extensive experience in intelligent data analysis and problem- solving. Over the last 15 years, he has delivered numerous successful cost-effective efficiency solutions to the aviation industry.
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About Evoke Systems: Evoke Systems primarily focusing on the development of software to improve the efficiency of flight operations.
Rajan Bedi
CEO & Founder of Spacechips
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About Spacechips: Spacechips is a global space-electronics company.
Jamie Welton
Founder of SpaceLS
Founder of SpaceLS.
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About SpaceLS: SpaceLS is a small satellite launch service that specializes in dedicated small satellites (<500kg).
Neil Cloughley
Founder and Managing Director of Faradair Aerospace Limited
Neil is a passionate and experienced Aviation and IT entrepreneur, utilising his market knowledge within the aerospace sector to create a team and company that is able to deliver an exciting new aircraft. In his 20 year career to date he has built key strategic relationships with some of the largest brands in aviation and the information technology sectors, creating a reputation for successfully closing opportunities and generating significant rates of return. He comes from a family background based in the security, policing and unmanned air vehicle sectors, setting him on a path to follow in his father’s footsteps, following a 20 year dream of creating a new aircraft and transitioning it into an exciting aviation start-up reality. His ability to spot new market opportunities is highlighted by his previous tablet computer and mobile communications solution where he partnered with Siemens, SUN Microsystems and others in 2001 to demonstrate one of the world’s first tablet computing opportunities, three years before of Apple invented their I-Pad. Over 280 million tablets have since been sold, despite venture capitalists telling Neil at the time that a ‘tablet’ would never take off – So Neil has now decided to create a product that literally will ‘take off’! He has first-hand experience working with high profile aviation start-up’s including Virgin Galactic and Virgin America, providing him with valuable insight as to the many pitfalls such businesses can encounter. His success selling various commercial aircraft, including regional jets, enables him to understand the requirements and problems of the aviation market better than many that are currently attempting to enter the urban aerospace sector.
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About Faradair Aerospace Limited: Faradair is a pioneering Hybrid/Electric aircraft development company.
Greg Chivers
Co-Founder & Director of Lunar Aerial Imaging
Greg started out in Australia with a degree in naval architecture and marine engineering. From tug boat engineer to captain of luxury yachts, Greg has sailed around the world. During this time he honed his photography, video and editing skills with specialist courses on the west coast of California. Greg is proficient in hand-held and underwater video and is a yachting community prize-winner for two videos. He assembled and flew his first drone on California beaches in 2011, where he fell in love with what the drone could capture. He saw the potential and so mastered his drone flying skills. In 2015 he took to land life in the UK and completed his formal UAV training to set up the drone business Lunar Aerial Imaging.
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About Lunar Aerial Imaging: LUNAR Aerial Imaging creates compelling imagery using drones.
Simon Gummery
Founder of 1Cold Ltd
Founder at 1Cold Ltd
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About 1Cold Ltd: Contractors & consultants to the food processing/manufacturing and many more.
