Transforming Entrepreneurship
in United Kingdom

Exited founder and angel investor. I spent 7 years building companies and sold one. Now I work on the other side, going into venture-backed companies that have stalled and getting them fixed, funded, or sold. Turnarounds, secondaries, and M&A, mostly in the UK and Europe. I bet on people before products.

Andrew Bishop AKA "The FireStarter"

uk

The FireStarter Foundation exists to help ambitious people start, build and grow successful businesses. We are the start-up incubator for Great Britain. Too often, aspiring entrepreneurs complete a business start-up course only to discover that, once the programme ends, the support ends too. Many promising businesses fail, not because the idea lacks potential, but because founders are left to navigate the challenges of running a business on their own.

Andrew Byers

uk

With over 30 years of experience across Energy, Tech and Business Services, I specialise in Pattern Recognition. I help leadership teams identify the cultural and operational “friction points” that stall momentum. My approach isn’t just about strategy; it’s about the behavioural shifts required to lead a high-velocity organisation. The Outcome: Increased organisational velocity, a culture of autonomous innovation, and a CEO / Founder who is free to focus on the future rather than the “fires” of today.

Ben Midworth

uk

Ben specialises in accompanying leaders, emerging leaders, entrepreneurs and C suite executives at pivotal moments where they have to handle critical situations in conditions of uncertainty, crisis and stress. Whether the sources of the leader’s difficulties are personal or professional, Ben enables them to see through the crisis, make the hard choices and take the high-stakes decisions. He is especially known for his ability to handle the particular power of the irrational when it inevitably rears its head in threatening dilemmas.

Chris Dalrymple

uk

Co-founder of Trove, investor at Sheffield Angels, Non Exec Director, and mentor.

Chris Kay - PhD

uk

Technical Director | Chief Scientific Officer | Deeptech Founder | PhD Polymer Chemist looking for commercial unmet needs to solve

Clive Flood

uk

Clive is a Fractional COO who gets embedded in founder-led and PE-backed businesses and scales them without the chaos: operating models, ERP/CRM, automation and pragmatic AI. His track record includes a PE exit at 24% IRR and 300% revenue growth at a manufacturer within existing headcount. A Fellow of the Venture Society and Lead Fellow for NAYA AI and Grow Pro, he is also co-founder and COO of Novated, an angel investor training programme.

David Leon

uk

Joined Venture.Community as a Fellow in 2026, contributing through Synoptique.

Dean Hartley

uk

Angel Investor, advisor and fellow/Board member at Venture.Community. Lead fellow and backed Stirlight from Cohort 1, Summer 2025. Invested in several ventures through Venture Community cohorts.

Ian Walton

uk

I like to invest in and support highly innovative tech startups that are creating genuinely transformative solutions and companies.

James Howard

uk

Joined Venture.Community in 2026, supporting Founders with mentorship, advice, and championship.

John Holmes

uk

Director at Advantage Creative. Angel investor and board member of the Venture.Community co-operative. Backed Tickets for Good in the Summer 2025 accelerator round; Lead Fellow for both MiniVox and Tickets for Good in Cohort 2.

Leeroy Powell (LeeroyDotUK)

uk

Serial founder running a portfolio of AI businesses out of Sheffield. Fractional Chief AI Officer to companies doing £1M+. Building the case that world-class companies can come from the North.

Mark Rahn

uk

Dr Mark Rahn — Designated Member of Dinmore LLP (trading as Toki Ventures). Working with Tim and Gabriela Smith to turn the Venture.Community co-fund into a lead fund. Lead Fellow for Kinematic Trees. Based in the North East, active connector across health innovation networks.

Meg Blight

uk

Fellow at EdgeSynergies and member of Venture.Community.

Mike Maddock

uk

Mike Maddock is CEO and co-founder of United Kingdom Aerial Vehicles Ltd, a British aerospace company developing a hydrogen-electric autonomous aircraft for surveillance and mid-mile logistics. He came to it after a career running businesses at scale, having sat on a PLC executive board with responsibility for turnover of up to £400 million and teams of over 3,000. He is Chair of Make UK's Yorkshire and Humber Regional Membership Board, holds a Visiting Professorship in Engineering at the University of Sheffield, and spent thirteen years in the Royal Navy as a Clearance Diver and Bomb Disposal Operative.

Nick Black

uk

Senior operator with Crypto Quantique, working at the intersection of semiconductor and IoT device security.

Oliver Borrmann

uk

Based in Bad Lippstadt, Oliver is part of the founding fellowship of Venture.Community's German chapter and is Lead Fellow for GrowMore Crops. Oliver Borrmann is an entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in horticulture, plant breeding, and biotechnology. He is actively involved in the strategic development and governance of companies specializing in orchid breeding, tissue culture propagation, and international production operations. With a strong focus on innovation, operational excellence, and long-term value creation, he supports businesses across Europe, Turkey, and North America.

Paul Ridgway

uk

Founder of The Curve. Cross-sector operator across D2C, manufacturing, healthcare, fintech and enterprise — known for building and leading early teams, finding product–market fit, and getting companies from idea to first customers.

Peter Hopton

uk

Built VeryPC, Iceotope and others, supporting founders in having their shot. One question I ask "how does this get more valuable as AI gets better"

HNWI- and Sophisticated-Investor certified Fellow. Member since February 2025.

Founder and commercialisation specialist with 25+ years’ experience scaling deep-tech ventures across advanced materials, hydrogen, robotics, AI and climate technology. Bridging the gap between breakthrough innovation and commercial reality.