Our founding team have all had firsthand experience in building and exiting businesses. That means we genuinely understand the pain, failures and successes of growing a company.
Through our people and platform, we connect companies, mentors and ecosystem drivers. We provide direct mentorship, support and office hours in clusters across the UK.
CEO
I am responsible for shaping the ADV strategy and raising funds. My focus is on creating the environment for UK and Irish scaleups to scalebig. My greatest value, and the thing that is most rewarding, is helping folks figure out how to scale their business.
Previously I had the privilege to co-found and lead the development of PlusNet from 1997-2007. I then spent eight years doing ‘community work’ trying to improve support for startups especially in the North of England.
I live in the Peak District with my wife Lynn, our three sons Jake, Morgan and Ryan and our two chocolate Labs, but I also spend most of my time traveling across the UK and Ireland supporting the ADV mission.
Finance and Investment Lead
As the Finance Lead I focus on the transactional side of the investment, including governance, due-diligence and valuation analysis support.
As ADV’s Investment Lead in Cambridge my role is to engage with key players and seek potential scale big digital tech opportunities.
Prior to joining ADV I worked in a variety of roles in the Israeli tech ecosystem, from providing Financial and Business Strategy services at the high-tech department at PWC to scaling up a startup into a Unicorn as the Director of Finance. Before my pursuit for a career, I served four years as the communication officer in the Combat Engineering Special forces.
I hold a Bachelor in Economics and Accounting from the University of Jerusalem, gained an MBA from the University of Cambridge and a CPA license.
Investment Lead
My job is to ensure ADV investments reach the most promising tech-enabled startups growing under the leadership of ambitious founders.
A geek at heart, I left my career as a VP in TMT investment banking to found a successful data analytics startup. I joined ADV because - having raised venture funding myself - I understand and share the company’s foundational commitment to building lasting relationships with entrepreneurs.
I hold an MBA from INSEAD and an BEng in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College London. Beijing born and raised, I moved to the UK at 16, and have since studied, lived, and worked back and forth between Europe and Asia.
Director of External Relations
I look after external relations for ADV, helping to build connections and support ecosystems all around the UK, and making one plus one make more than two!
I come from Glasgow, have lived in France and the Middle East, and currently live in London. I too spend much of my time on trains (which means I can’t have a dog…).
I’ve worked in advertising, politics, strategic communications and campaigning. I’ve always worked on delivering change, so ADV’s mission of transforming digital companies all around the UK works perfectly for me.
CFO / COO
I am responsible for making sure we implement our strategy, that our processes are robust and efficient; a major focus being on streamlining our admin tasks so we can spend most of our time seeking out and supporting the best entrepreneurs.
I also aim to keep our investors and other stakeholders informed and comfortable with our governance. Having qualified as a chartered accountant, I have been growing businesses for many years, including five years scaling the AOL Broadband business and more recently co-founding a big data startup.
I live outside Oxford with my wife, dogs and varying numbers of my four children (but travel frequently).
Transaction and Investment Lead
I focus on the transactional side of the investment process; liaising with investees, co-investors, lawyers and all other deal partners. Ensuring deals are executed in a swift manner so founders can get to work on executing against their plans.
I’m based in Newcastle but spend a great deal of time on trains, planes and automobiles. Fuelled on coffee, bacon sandwiches and music.
Previously I was as an Investment Manager at Northstar Ventures, investing in early stage tech startups.
Investment Lead
As ADV’s investment lead in Scotland and Ireland, my role is to work with the key players in these ecosystems to ensure we see all of the potential scale-big digital tech investment opportunities surfacing from these markets and to lead our investment activity on the very best of them.
Having had a previous life as a corporate lawyer, I also ensure that once we have decided to invest in a company that we have the right processes in place to complete that investment as efficiently as we can, to allow that company to be out in the market and motoring on executing its plan.
At weekends you’ll find me in Glasgow where I live with my wife and two primary school aged children (for whom I am primarily a taxi driver!), through the week you may find me in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, London or perhaps somewhere in between…
Chief Investment Officer
I like to think that investing is a team sport and to perform, everyone needs to play their part. Facing in the same direction really helps. My role is to help position ADV as a collaborative investor that founders - obsessed by scaling big digital technology businesses - want to work with.
I care passionately about meeting founders with sight of digital technology solutions that are capable of defining an industry or generation. I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best technology and commercial minds on the planet in my time at ARM Holdings, this really helps to develop a sense of perspective about what could work. Long may that continue.
I live on a train and sometimes find time to stop and say hello to my children Alex and Luis and wife Nicola. I am a proud Northerner, which some folks misinterpret as a license to be direct or frank. Well there you go.
Executive Chairman
As Board Executive Chairman my role at ADV is to manage the interface between our investors or stakeholders and the management team. As Investment Committee Chairman I manage the interface between the investment team and the company, ensuring we comply with our processes and criteria. As an Executive at ADV I am responsible for developing our Fund of Funds strategy.
Previously I have been a serial entrepreneur, trying to take on large transformational opportunities. I was a founder of EasyNet, RealNames and Archimedes Labs. I was also a founding shareholder at TechCrunch.
I was born in Scarborough and I have lived in London, Manchester and Birmingham over the years but moved to Silicon Valley in 1997 where I still reside with my wife Gené and three boys, Dylan, Liam and Luke. I spend most of my working time in the UK so live on planes and trains.
Operations Lead
I am responsible for providing support for the operational requirements of the team and the business. Corporate governance is a key area of focus in the regulated environment in which we operate.
I aim to be the “mother of the business” supporting and being the focal point for many and varied issues, along with the conduit for good, consistent and regular communication across a geographically diverse team. I have worked in operations for over 20 years learning my craft across many sectors, including Telcoms, Internet and most recently Healthcare support services to the NHS.
I am the Mother to two young men just finding their way in the world, finding the path for their future careers and their life goals. This takes a whole new set of skills for me and my husband, Phil. Flexibility and adaptation is key to supporting them to achieve their life goals while still aspiring to our own.
Product Development Lead
I’m responsible for delivering the ADV product and service portfolio. On a daily basis, I work with customers and stakeholders to understand their needs and problems. I work with designers and engineers to leverage digital technology in our ambition to source, support and supercharge the best global technology businesses.
I have an avid interest in technology, especially when it comes to solving the difficult problems in life. Previously, I have delivered many new and innovative consumer products and services with well known brands such as PlusNet, Orange, EE and SkyBet.
I grew up in South Yorkshire and after graduating at Loughborough, I spent time in Bristol and London before coming back to my home town of Rotherham where I now live with my wife, Ceren.
Investment Lead
As an ADV Investment Lead I am in charge of spotting the best scalebig digital tech opportunities and leading our investments in them. I now live in London, but spend lots of time around the U.K. with businesses and investment partners.
I bring my own founder experience in luxury retail having established a fine jewelry brand, Angel experience in the Middle East and Africa, as well as years of experience working in the technology team of a UAE-based sovereign wealth fund.
I finished my MBA from Columbia Business School and BA from Brown University. I was born in London but am something of a global nomad having lived and worked in half a dozen countries.
Investment Lead
I focus on finding the best digital tech startups in the UK and Ireland and help supercharge the founders with ADV’s network to help create generation defining tech companies at scale.
I started my career in Israel building B2B software products [Telco and Fintech], Worked at an accelerator and early stage VC in Spain and spent three years doing M&A and strategy innovation across Europe, Asia and the US. Before Joining ADV spent two and a half years heading up the acceleration program at Wayra, Telefonica’s early stage investment arm.
Married to May and fresh new dad to Nathan. Love working with smart people, curious to learn about technology and innovation. A proud feminist and a geek, strong believer that diversity of thought, team and experience is the way to win in a global market. Also knows a bit of Salsa, love peaty whisky and reading sci-fi/fantasy books.
Marketing Lead
I look after marketing, communications and ecosystem relations for ADV. We’re building a venture pathway for highly ambitious UK and Irish companies.
Previously I ran marketing at Tech City UK and supported the creation of support programmes for digital tech businesses.
I live in my hometown of Manchester but spend most of my working week on trains or meeting key stakeholders across the UK and Ireland.
Working with our core team, ADV is supported by an expert group of advisors. They believe in our mission and help us to achieve our goals, as well providing strategic guidance around the development of our platform and our portfolio.
I work with ADV advising on everything related to brand, marketing, comms and product strategy.
I started my career in the mobile space with Orange, before moving into venture capital. After a few years investing in and working with early stage startups, I joined venture-backed Series A company, Videoplaza, as VP Marketing.
Leaving just before our acquisition, I became CMO at Tech City UK. I left Tech City UK to found my current business Multiple, which helps the most committed, ambitious and talented entrepreneurs, investors and enterprises scale their capabilities, companies and communities.
Originally from Kent, I spent many years in the West Country before relocating to London.
My background includes investment banking, government advisory and leadership of an engineering company. I've lived and worked in Europe, North America and Asia.
I work with the ADV leadership team on strategy and investee companies on growth, especially connecting to clients in Asia.
ADV currently manages £150M of funds. We are backed by some of the UK’s largest institutions: British Business Bank, Legal & General, and Woodford Investment Management. We want to work with investors who share our belief that patient, evergreen capital has a huge role to play in building industry-defining digital technology businesses. We’re open to talking to everyone that shares our mission.
