HEALTHTECH INNOVATORS SPOTIFY OF SHEET MUSIC Lorenzo Brewer’s tech start-up nkoda p40 SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS Brands harnessing billion-dollar market p32 FINTECH’S GOLDEN BOY Charles Delingpole on entrepreneurship p8 UK’S FASTEST-GROWING COMPANY BULB p5 ANGELA SPINDLER ON TRANSFORMING N BROWN p42 DOODLE AIMS TO MONETISE 30M USERS p59 Edition 14, 2019 Get there faster, visit ukfast.co.uk/hscn Does your hosting need a health check? HSCN as a Service UKFast are an approved HSCN supplier, providing secure, accredited cloud hosting and cybersecurity to the healthcare sector. Hosting your application with UKFast provides you with connectivity to the health and social care community, enabling you to deliver the benefits of cloud services, backed by our award-winning support. Connect into HSCN with UKFast hosting today. Call 0800 231 5908. Dedicated Servers Cloud Data Centres CONTENT 08 46 29 42 // COLUMNS 25 Lawrence Jones on culture “When your company is growing so fast, how do you retain those essential ingredients of your culture?” 33 Hayley Sewell on influencers “Influencersshouldn’tadvertiseaproductunlessithasbeen fullyapprovedandaimedatanappropriateaudience” 54 Neil Lathwood on APIs “A sort of sales and account management engine, APIs allow companiestotapintotechcreatedbyothersandadaptit” 68 Gadget Gavin on keeping children safe online “ What are the practical things you can do? There are two places youshouldputsomecontrolin–thedeviceandthenetwork” // FEATURES 05 InsideUK’sfastest-growingcompany 08 FinTech’sgoldenboyCharlesDelingpole 10 101HealthTechInnovators 22 Former CTO on PlusNet IPO 26 Cantechunlockex-footballer’scondition? 29Foundingastart-upwhilepregnant 32 Theinvisibleworldofthemicro-influencer 34 Connectedcarstart-upwejo 35 Andersen EV is simply electric 38 Big-nameCEOembracesstart-uplife 40 Music’shotteststart-upnkoda 41 InvestmentappTickrmakesanimpact 42 Angela Spindler on transforming N Brown 46 Leicester Tigers legend on Switch the Play 48 Focusontechinvestment 51 Councilestatekidsmashingglassceilings 52 Meet the mortgage disrupters 56 AndyLordontacklingskillsgap 59 DoodleCEOonmonetising30musers 60 IsMetaboardsfutureofwirelesscharging? 62 MeetCarFinance247bossRegRixIII 64 Encyclopedia Britannica goes digital 66 Culture Shift fights scourge of harassment 74 LeedsaimingtobeMIToftheUK 75 HeroLabssavingworld’swaterwithAI 76 Can‘bigbeast’Manchesterbecomeglobal heavyweight? BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION 14, 2019 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK CONTACT US EditorChrisMaguire:01612157144;chris.maguire@businesscloud.co.uk;@editor_maguire|DeputyeditorJonathanSymcox:01612157143; jonathan.symcox@businesscloud.co.uk;@jonathansymcox|AlistairHardaker,multimediajournalist;alistair.hardaker@businesscloud.co.uk| HayleySewell,multimediajournalist;hayley.sewell@businesscloud.co.uk BusinessdevelopmentmanagerHelenaFurness,helena.furness@businesscloud.co.uk Events:01612157142|AdvertiseinBusinessCloud:01612153877;sponsor@businesscloud.co.uk Subscriptions:subscriptions@businesscloud.co.uk|Contributors:JennyBrookfield|Designer:RichardSalisbury Website:www.businesscloud.co.uk|Twitter:@BCloudUK|Address:BusinessCloud,UKFastCampus,BirleyFields,ManchesterM155QJ trust ENTER NOW ukfast.co.uk/cea Join us on the 16th July from 3:30pm to 5:30pm Do you know someone that always goes to infinity and beyond for your community? Is there someone you would like to thank for giving you a helping hand when you needed it most? Have you done something that is so spectacular it deserves special recognition? Whoever your education and community hero is, we are here to celebrate their incredible contribution. UKFAST COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION AWARDS Dedicated Servers Cloud Data Centres Get there faster, visit us at www.ukfast.co.uk/fastdesk Remote Control Get the flexible working your business needs with FASTdesk®. No matter the device, connection or location take control and access your desktop in an instant with FASTdesk. With fixed monthly prices, the ability to scale at speed, award-winning fully managed 24-hour support, the cost savings to your business are substantial. Move with the times and speak to a FASTdesk expert now on 0800 953 9907 CLOUD SERVICES MANAGED SUPPORT DISASTER RECOVERY NETWORK SECURITY To find out how we can help your firm call us on 0345 872 4400 or visit www.cts.co.uk The Legal Sector Specialist We’re the only cloud provider dedicated to UK law firms which means our expertise and focus is second to none. We understand the regulatory environment, challenges and opportunities faced by firms today and we work with our clients to align their technology use to their firm’s strategy. TECHNICAL CONSULTANCY /businesscloudmedia @BCloudUK businesscloud.co.uk DISCUSSION CONTACTS BusinessCloud Media BusinessCloud_Media EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION 01612157144editor_maguirechris.maguire@businesscloud.co.uk Who doesn’t love a good start-up story? The fearless entrepreneur launching their business and, against all the odds, conquering the world and growing into a unicorn. FuelledbyTVprogrammeslikeTheApprenticeand Dragons’Den,thestart-uprevolutionisunstoppable.Every year around 600,000 new companies are registered in the UK,undauntedbythestatisticthatmostwillfail. Therearelistscelebratingstart-upsandawealthof advisorsandfundingoptionsavailablebutwhatabout scale-ups? Ascale-upisdefinedasacompanywithanannual growthinemployeesorturnovergreaterthan20percent overathree-yearperiod,startingwithaminimumoften employees. Althoughstart-upsaregreat,therocketfuelofeconomic growthcomesfromscale-ups.They’veestablishedproofof conceptsothefailurerateislowerandthey’remorelikelyto attractinvestment. It’sthereasonwhyGreaterManchester’sGrowth CompanyhaslaunchedtheUK’ssecondGlobalScale-up Programmetogetbusinessestothinkinternationally.More than230businessesappliedtojointheprogramme,whichis tryingtofindthenext‘bigbeast’. Ihostedaneventrecentlyand12techentrepreneurs sharedtheirstart-upsurvivalguidetips.Bootstrapping yourbusiness,choosingtherightinvestor,knowingwhento pivot,recruitingproperlyandgettingtherightlegaladvice atthebeginningwerediscussedatlength. Start-upsneedtobeagileandabletoreactto changesincustomertrends.Mostbusinessestodayare unrecognisablefromwhentheylaunched.Entrepreneurs needtorecogniseopportunitiesandprioritiseaccordingly. BusinessCloud’slatestmagazineisfullofstories aboutstart-upsand,equallyimportantly,scale-ups.The challengesforbotharesimilarbutdifferent. Ilovethestoryofgreenenergystart-upBulb.Founded byfriendsHaydenWoodandAmitGudkain2015,thefirm Chris Maguire, editor BusinessCloud alreadyhas1.2millioncustomersandhasgrownitsteamto almost400. Whenitcomestogame-changingtechnology,lookno furtherthanconnectedcarstart-upwejo,whichwasfounded byRichardBarlowin2014.Carsgeneratehugeamountsof dataandhistechnologycapturesitandprovidesvaluable informationtoenduserslikeinsurersandlocalauthorities. It’sthereasonwhyUSautomotivegiantGeneralMotors boughta35percentstakeinwejo. I’vesaidbeforethatthepartofmyjobIlovethemost ismeetingentrepreneurs.LorenzoBrewercanbestbe describedasthehottestnameinmusicyou’veneverheard of.Dubbedthe‘SteveJobsofmusicpublishing’hisLondon- basedtechstart-upnkodaismakingsheetmusicaccessible. I’venodoubtthe23-year-oldwillprogressfromastart-upto ascale-up. RegRixisalreadythere.Herecognisedagapinthe marketforpeopletryingtoobtaincarfinanceandlaunched CarFinance247.It’samazinghowthebestnamesareoften thesimplest.Todayitemploys500peopleandhasaturnover of£50m.There’sabusinessplantodoubleinsizeby2025. Growthisvital. IgaveaspeechrecentlyandIconcludedthatalthough technologyisomnipresentinourlives,businessshould alwaysbeaboutthepeople.IwasremindedofthiswhenI wenttovisitformerfootballerGaryParkinson,whoisunable tomoveortalkafterastrokein2010lefthimwithlocked-in syndrome.Hisfamilyareamazingandhopethattechnology mayfindasolution.Ipraythattheydo. START-UPS VS SCALE-UPS 3 5 @BCLOUDUK By any measure, the rise of green energy start-up Bulb has been staggering. FoundedbyfriendsHaydenWoodand AmitGudkain2015,thefirmhasrapidly builtabaseof1.2millioncustomers– ‘members’–andgrownitsteamtoalmost 400.Howeveritsincrediblesuccess hasnotbeendowntoaggressivedirect marketingtechniquesorexpensive multi-platformadvertising;rather,old- fashionedreferrals. HeadofbrandClementineHobson hasbeenattheforefrontofitsscaling journeyforthelasttwoyears.“Atthe timeIjoinedwehad15,000-20,000 members.Thatisrapidgrowthby anyone’smeasurements!”shetells BusinessCloud.“Foralongtime,the growthteamatBulbhadjustthree people.Wefocusedonasmallnumber ofthingsandworkedhardatthem:our presence on price comparison sites, somedigitaladvertisingandword-of- mouthmarketing,whereourmembers refereachother.Thatreferralpiecewas absolutelyinstrumentalinourgrowth.We lovetogrowthroughreferralsbecausea friendofourmembersisafriendofours ENERGY SCALE-UP IS LEAN AND GREEN BulbhasbeencrownedtheUK’sfastest-growingcompany afterbuildingacustomerbaseof1.2millionwiththehelp oftechnology.JonathanSymcoxreportsontheincredible riseofaLondonbusinesswhichisleadingthedrivetowards renewableenergy. -andwe’dratherrewardourmembers thanpayadvertisers.ForBulb’sfirstthree years that was really how we grew the business–andittookusreallyfar.” Onlineinvestmentplatform SyndicateRoomcrownedittheUK’s fastest-growingcompanyinDecember 2018whileinrecentmonthsithasfinally dippeditstoesintoTVadvertisingasit lookstoreachtwomillioncustomersby theendofthisyear. TV SPOT Goingdownthetraditionaladvertising routewasnotadecisionittooklightly, despite attracting £60 million in growth funding.“Atsomepointyouneedtofind newwaystogrow,”saysHobson.“Over thepastyearwe’veexperimented:we’re intellyatthemoment,butbehindthe scenesweputinayear’sworthofwork to determine whether that was a channel thatcouldbeusefultousingrowingthe businessinasustainableway.” CEOWoodandCOOGudkawere movedtosetupthebusinessafterthey becamedisillusionedbyquestionable practices they witnessed inside the traditionalenergyindustry.Woodtold SyndicateRoom:“Weweretheonlyones thathadcorporatejobsamongstour friends,sowheneverwewouldgoto thepubortoparties,we’dalwaysbein thecornertalkingaboutwork.Wesaw first-handhowtheenergymarketwas broken.Itwasthesamestoryatallthe bigproviders–poorservice,hightariffs, inefficiencyandlittleeffortbeingmadeto championrenewables.” TheBigSixenergysupplierscharge customersto‘gogreen’whilethere isahugequestionmarkoverjusthow environmentallyfriendlythesegreen tariffsactuallyare.Meanwhile100per centoftheelectricityprovidedbyBulb isrenewable–takenfromindependent energy generators across the UK – while itofferssomeoftheUK’sgreenestgas. “Energy is an enormously distrusted industry,”saysHobson.“Foundingan energy company in 2015, it felt to our foundersliketodoanythingotherthan 100percentrenewableelectricitywasn’t right.We’rebigbelieversthatrenewable energydoesnothavetobealuxuryand itshouldbeavailabletoall.Providing affordablerenewableenergyhasalways beentheprincipleaimofBulb.” FAIR PRICE According to some estimates, energy companies are currently holding on to some£1billionofUKcustomers’money asaresultofdirectdebitpaymentsbeing ENERGY BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 6 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK settoohigh.Theaveragedualfuelbill attheBigSixis£1,117,thesamelevel as2010,despiteasignificantlylower wholesale price: they claim this is a direct consequenceofrisingenvironmentaland socialcosts. MeanwhileBulboperatesasingle tariffforallcustomerswhichchanges depending on the wholesale price of energy.Thattariffrosethreetimesin 2018,butdroppedagaininMarchata timewhenalltheBigSixandsomesmaller energysupplierswerehikingpricesafter regulatorOfgemconfirmedariseinthe energypricecapforstandardvariable andprepaymenttariffs.Bulbisnotthe cheapestsupplieronthemarket,butit claimsitstariffiscurrently£250cheaper thanstandardplansattheBigSix,which havecorneredthree-quartersofboththe electricityandgasmarkets. “We’reabouttenpercentcheaperthan theBigSix,”saysHobson.“Thewaywe priceourenergyiscostreflective:last year the wholesale cost of energy went upalotandourtariffswentuptomatch that.It’snowbeenfallingforquitealong time,hencetherecentpricedecrease. “Wethinkit’srightandfairthatthe priceyoupayforenergyreflectsthecost toserveit.Forsomepeoplethevariable tariffdoesintroduceacertainsenseof insecurity [when it comes to planning finances],butoverthelongtermyouwill getabetterdealonyourenergyifyouare onavariablerate.” Bulbcommandsafargreatershare ofthemarketthanfellowrenewable suppliersEcotricityandGreenEnergy. AsofDecember2018,ithadthreeper centshareofbothelectricityandgas, accordingtoregulatorOfgem.Ithas caught up with Shell Energy, meaning only theBigSixandOvoEnergy,whichisit closingonrapidly,havemorecustomers. Hobsonsaystheaimistochallengethe ‘bigboys’withinafewyears. Ten per cent of its gas is green, which compares with 14 per cent at Ecotricity and100atGreenEnergy.Bulbsays100 percentofitsgasiscarbonneutralasa resultofsupportingprojectsaroundthe world.“Tenpercentisabout30timesthe nationalaverage,”explainsHobson.“That willgrowinanascentindustry,butatthe momentBulbbuysabout40percent ofallgreengasavailableinthemarket. Recentlywe’vetakenthedecisionto carbonoffsetforthe90percentofour gaswhichisn’tgreen.Soalloftheenergy usedbyBulbmembersis100percent carbonneutral.” INNOVATION Greengas–biomethane–isderivedfrom organic sources such as food or farm waste.Cutting-edgetechniquesareused to capture the gas which would otherwise naturallybereleasedasmethane,a greenhousegas20timesmoretoxicthan CO2,intotheatmosphere. OneexampleisHugginFarmin Doncaster,SouthYorkshire,whichhas builtananaerobicdigesterplantand suppliesgreengastoBulb.“Willieand LyndaMacIntoshgrowsugarbeetontheir farm, which goes to the factory and gets processed,”explainsHobson.“Thewaste thatcomesbackfromthatisputinto theanaerobicdigester,whichoperates notdissimilartoacow’sstomach:allof themattergoesintothatandit’sturned aroundandagitatedatstomach-like temperatures.Itgivesoffagasasit’s doing that which is captured, clean, and pumpedintotheNationalGrid.It’sa closed-loopwayofgeneratinggas.The wastefromtheprocessalsogoesback ontofarmstofertilisecrops.It’squitea magicalprocess:it’slikecreatingenergy from,sometimes,poo!” Suchadvanceswillbecrucialtothe ENERGY BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 FoundersHaydenWood,left,andAmitGudka. 7 @BCLOUDUK UK’saimofcuttinggreenhousegas emissionstonearlyzeroby2050.Around 30to50percentofourindividualcarbon footprint comes from powering our homes,sousingrenewableenergyis onewaytodecreasetheimpactinboth theshort-andlong-term.ACommittee onClimateChangereportpublishedin Mayrevealedahugedropinthecostof renewableenergysuchaswindandsolar powerinrecentyears. A third of the energy currently in the NationalGridisrenewable,compared to39percentgas,18percentnuclear andjustfivepercentcoal.“Thatis unbelievablecomparedtowherewewere 5-10yearsago,”saysHobson.“Over theEasterweekend,theUKwent90 hourscoal-free–fourdaysofrunningthe countrywithoutanyuseofcoal.Thatwas becauseitwassosunnyandthesolar panelswereworkingsohard!We’reinthe middleofareallybigtransitionandshift. It’slikeanewindustrialrevolution. “There’salotofmisinformationabout renewableenergy:thecosthasfallen quitesubstantiallyoverthelastfewyears. Evenbeforethosecostsavingscame alongwe’vebeenabletoofferrenewable energyaffordablybyhavingaleaner, moreefficientbusinessmodelandby leveraginggreattechnologytokeepour owncostslow.” SMART METERING Bulbhasalargeproductteamdeveloping digital tools, such as its app, which will help its customers manage their energy consumptionassmartmeteringbecomes moreprevalentinourhomes.“Energy isgoingtogetmorecomplexbutmore importantinourlives,”saysHobson. “Atthemoment,peoplearepassive recipients of electricity and gas at home: the generators are at one end, the grid isinthemiddleandyou’reontheother endusingit.Thatrelationshipisgoing tobecomemoredynamic:youmight havesolarpanelsonyourroofandbe puttingbackintothegrid,youmighthave anelectricvehicleandbeputtingback intothegridthatway.Youmighthavea batteryathometostoreenergytouse atothertimes.Wethinkpeoplearegoing towanthelpandguidancetofigureout howtoapproachthis.WeseeBulb’srole shiftingfrombeinganenergysupplierto anenergymanager,wherewe’rehelping people to manage the energy ecosystem theyhaveathome.” Bulbhaslaunchedan‘alphatrial’of50 customers,whereitpaysthemtohave solarpanelsathome.“Ourintentionis torollthatouttoallBulbmembersand support that growing community of generators.Thereareamillionpeople with solar panels on their roofs and we expectthattogrowsignificantly.” Inearly2019Bulbleftitsco-working basetomoveintoitsfirstdedicated headquartersinBishopsgatenear LiverpoolStreet,whichhasallowed thecompany’scross-functionalwayof workingtoflourish.“Intheoldbuilding itwasbecominganissuebecausewe werespreadovermanydifferentfloors, sitting in little studios separate from each other,whichwascausinganumberof difficulties,”Hobsonacknowledges.“The growthteam[forexample]hasmarketing professionalslikemyself,technologists, designers and researchers, so it has immeasurablychangedforthebetterthe wayweworktogether.” CHALLENGES There are no plans to open regional offices.“Growingasquicklyaswehave bringslotsofchallenges.Oneisstaying true to the original promises that we madetoourmembers,”saysHobson. “Wesetourselvesambitioustargets fordeliveringexcellentservice.Around ayearagonowweintroducedakindof swearjarwhere,ifweletourselvesdown ontheseservicepromises–ifsomeone’s hadtowaittoolongtospeaktousonthe phone[forexample]–weautomatically apply£10credittotheiraccount. “Tome,thatfeltlikeareallyradical movetosay‘wevalueourcustomers’ time’.Iwishthereweremoreutilitiesthat tookthatapproach.Italsointroducesa laser-focusbecausethereisarealcostto thebusinessifwedon’tgetitright.” Bulbhasagoodtrackrecordof customerservice,with90percent ratingit‘great’inarecentpollby MoneySavingExpert.Andthisagainst abackgroundofawhopping3.8m complaintsmadebydisgruntled customersaboutenergycompaniesto Ofgemin2017alone. Another challenge is around maintaining company culture, which is setbythewiderBulbteam.“Sometimes Igoonholidayforaweekandthereare tennewmembersoftheteam!”says Hobson.“Itmeanseveryoneisconstantly havingtoshiftrole,fromthetopdown: what’srequiredfromHaydenandAmit changesfrommonthtomonth.Everyone intheorganisationhastobenimbleon theirfeet.Werunworkshopsasateam, abottom-upapproach,whereeveryone canbeinvolvedindefiningwhatour culturelookslike.Onemightbe‘bea radiator,notadrain...’ “I’vebeeninverylargeorganisations beforewhereI’vestoodinthelobby andseentheculturalvalueswrittenon thewall,butthey’relonganddifficultto understand.Idon’tfeeltheorganisations themselvesreallyreflectthem. “Wewereconsciousquiteearlyonthat part of the success of any company, and particularlyastart-up,isdowntohaving asharedculturethateveryonebuysinto andpractises:ithastobealivingpractice, rather than something which sits in a documentsomewhere.” ENERGY BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 “We see Bulb’s role shifting from being an energy supplier to an energy manager, where we’re helping people to manage the ecosystem they have at home.” Clementine Hobson It’s probably fair to say that Charles Delingpole was destined for greater things than picking fruit. Theserialentrepreneurwasbornin Birminghamandattendedboarding schoolinWarwickshirefromtheageof sixbeforestudyingattwooftheworld’s mostprestigiousuniversities. Howeveroneofhisfirstjobssaw himpickingstrawberriesfor£1.20an hour – something which spurred him on tocreatehisfirstventure,TheStudent Room,anearlyonlinecommunity.“As soonasIputthewebsiteonlinein 1999,therewasahugeuptakesoitwas immediatelypreferabletoworkingona farm,”herecallsofthoseschooldays. Twoyearslaterheintroducedadverts andstartedchargingforaccess.By the time he went to uni, the platform wasmakingthousandsofpoundsin revenue.Howeverhedecidedtomove on after completing his political studies atCambridgeandLSE.”Iprobablydidn’t sellitforenough,”hetellsBusinessCloud. “Butwestartedeverythingbefore FINTECH’S GOLDEN BOY Onesummerhepickedstrawberries for£1.20anhourbut,20years on,CharlesDelingpolehasbuilt businesseswhichhaveattracted morethan$100millionininvestment. He discusses entrepreneurship and thefinancialcrimearmsracewith JonathanSymcox. Facebookand,whileFacebookwas winning the Olympics, we were doing the schoolegg-and-spoonrace!Itwasvery small-scale,tenpeople.Itnowhas70 peopleanddoes£7mrevenue,butit’sstill tinyincomparisonwithFacebook.” Hespentthreeyearsadvisingdigital andmediacompaniesatJPMorgan,an experiencewhichpreparedhimwellfor hisstellarfutureFinTechcareer.“Igot toworkwithCEOsandsawhowthey rantheircompaniesandlearnedtothink aboutthestrategyoffinance,”hesays. DAWN OF FINTECH StartingupMarketInvoicewithAnil StockeratthedawnofLondon’sFinTech boomin2010couldhavebeenadaunting prospect,butnotforthehungry Delingpolewithabookfullofcontacts.“It requiredcredibility,contactsandcapital. We had to pitch to hedge funds and deal withregulatorsandbanks,”hesays.“I didn’tjustdothatfromscratch!” Thepairinitiallyplannedtobuyan existingcompanyusingfundsfromwilling investors.“Wemetlike50companiesand none of them seemed to beagoodoptionbecause theyweresubscaleor,if theownerleft,itwouldbe problematic,”hesays.“So we thought we could lend moneytotheminstead. “Backin2009theworld was collapsing: companies weren’tlendingand bankswereverybadat technology[whereas]we knewabouttechnology. Thebanksweresuffering and it was a good opportunity to try andattackthem.FundingCircleand Crowdcubewerelaunchingatthattime: thatwasthefirstwaveofFinTech.” Ittookthemfivemonthstogettheir firsttransactionandninemonthstoget theirfirstmillionpoundsinvolume.“That 8 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 BIG INTERVIEW mightmakeyou£6,000,”Delingpole explains.“Weweretwoyoungguys andwehadtoworksuperhardtoget anywhere.Mostcompanieswhotriedthe samethingfailed.Itwasahugechallenge tobuildthatcompanybecauseitwasnew inmanyways.” DelingpoleleftMarketInvoicefour yearsagobuthasnoregretsaboutthat decision.TheFinTechrecentlysecured £56m in new funding while he still holds sharesinthebusiness.“Itemployed60 peoplewhenIleftandwasgrowingvery quickly.Itwasinaverygoodplace.Itwas therightchoice,”hesays.“Anil’sagreat businessleaderandhe’sdoneagreatjob. IfeltitwoulddoverywellevenifIwasn’t involvedonaday-to-daybasis.” NEW VENTURE Readytobuildanotherbusiness,he turned his attention to the “nightmare” of compliance, which he says is a huge problemacrossamultitudeofindustries. “Ihadtonsofideasfromtalkingtofriends whowerestillinbanks.Theyweresaying ‘listen,complianceisanightmare-it’sour biggestproblem’,”heexplains. “Iknewitwasaproblemat MarketInvoice.Youhavetolendmoney topeopleyou’venevermet.Andyoualso takemoneyfromallovertheworld.We hadoneclientwhowantedtoinvesta millionpoundsinaplatformfromanoffice inJerseythroughsixlayersoftrust.Itwas acompletenightmare.” HisnewventureComplyAdvantage, whichisintheprocessofrebranding to Mimiro, helps companies including SantanderandtheBankofAmerica analysetheriskoffinancialcrimethrough theuseofmachinelearningalgorithms. Theseabsorbandscourmillionsof structured and unstructured data sourcestobuildasnapshotofanentity’s riskinreal-time. Traditionally,checkingtheveracityof fundsisanextremelytime-consuming andexpensiveprocess,evenwiththe adventoftechnology.Soitcomesas nosurprisethatDelingpole’sfirmhas alreadypartneredwithmorethan350 customersinover45countriesandraised $30minfundingrecently,takingitstotal externalinvestmenttoaround$40m. “I’dbuiltdatabasesystemsatThe StudentRoomwhilesomeofthe companiesIworkedwithatJPMorgandid thisstufftoo.Iknewitfromatechnical, commercialandbusinessperspective reallywell,”saystheCEO.“Ialsostudied politicsatCambridgesoIwasinterested in terrorist groups and geopolitical sanctions. “Isawitasaconfluenceofallthe knowledgeI’dbuiltup–andeverything Ifindinteresting–inone:global, technology,financeandalsoavery important moral case in terms of allowing people to send money to their families overseas.It’snicethatthere’sasocietal benefittoit.” Hecontinues:“There’sanarmsrace.If you’reamoneylaundereroraterroristor drugdealer,thereareahundreddifferent waysthatyoucanhidethemoney.Every industryandeverygeographyintheworld issusceptibletobeingusedtohidethe proceedsofcrime,humantrafficking, animaltrafficking...everyonetherefore needsustoavoidmoneybeinglaundered orterroristsbeingfinanced.” FUTURE PLANS The entrepreneur outlined plans to doublethesizeofthebusiness,whichhas seen300percentrevenuegrowthinthe past12monthsandhasrapidlyexpanded intheUnitedStates. “Companieslikeusareanasset class,”saysDelingpole.“Therearemany SoftwareasaServicedatacompanies thataregrowingatsimilarrates.” London-andSanFrancisco-based venturecapitalfirmIndexVenturesled the recent Series B round, which drew participationfromexistinginvestor BaldertonCapital.“Theinvestorsexpect ustocarryontriplingandeventuallyto IPO.We’reawayoffthatatthemoment– there’snotime-frame–butanycompany thatIndexinvestsinwouldbeexpected todothat.” Thetechiscloud-based,negating theneedforanyexpensiveon-premise deployment.“We’vegot90engineers buildinganamazingsystem.Wecould startfromscratchbecausewedidn’thave anylegacytechnology,whereaseveryone inthemarkettodayhasthishorrendous oldtechnology,”saysDelingpole. “Ourcustomershavetointegrateinto us.Thefutureiscloudandeveryone integratingwithAPIslikeours.We’re skatingtowherethepuckwillbe,rather thanwhereitisnow. “Theincumbentshavefailed.Sowe’re justgoingtosolveit.” Delingpole,whohasbackedten‘super early-stage’start-upshimselfasanangel investor,hasseenComplyAdvantage– which featured on our list of ‘101 FinTech Disrupters’lastyear–growfrom“10 people coding in my garage and two sales guysinmylivingroom”toanorganisation which employs 160 people in Singapore, London,RomaniaandNewYork. “Weshouldbe300peopleattheendof theyear,”hereveals.“Buildingacompany from scratch is super hard and I prefer nottodoitagain.I’dmuchratherdouble thesizeofthiscompanythanbuildtwo separatecompanies. “I’vegotnointentiontoleaveand there’snoreasonformetodoso–unless Igetfired!” 9 @BCLOUDUK BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 BIG INTERVIEW The HealthTech sector is booming thanks to accelerating technologies such as AI, wearables & VR. Thegovernmenthasoutlineda ten-yearstrategytotransforma creakingNHS,withtechcrucialto theplantoimprovepatientservices andsavemoneyintheprocess. Tech is helping patients to monitor their ongoing health issues and flaguppotentialproblemsbefore theyhappen.Itisalsohavingareal impact on how we diagnose and treatillnesses. Fromappstohelppeopleliving withdementiatocutting-edge cancerresearch,3Dprintedorgans that allow surgeons to practise on life-likemodelsbeforeanoperation andvideoGPconsultations,there arethousandsofexcitingtech companieswhicharemakingareal differencetopeople’slives. That is why BusinessCloud has beenonthehuntforthenation’s topHealthTechInnovators. JennyBrookfieldreports. l Dr Julian, London AandEdoctorDrJulianNesbittcreated theDrJulianappafterseeingthe numberofpatientswithmentalhealth problemswhowereplacedontowaiting lists.Hisappconnectspeoplewith therapists,matchingthetwobasedon the needs of the patients, who are then offeredconsultationsviavideolink. l Patchwork, London FoundedbytwoNHSdoctors, Patchworkaimstohelphospitals cutagencyspendingbyofferinga placewherevacantshiftscanbefilled byexistingstaff.Healthcareknowledge providerBMJacquiredaminorityinterestin thehealthtechstartupinNovember2018. l Medic Footprints, London DrAbeynaJonesset up Medic Footprints tohelpdoctorsfind other outlets for their talents.Herwebsite has11,000subscribers andshe’saimingfor 90,000by2021,with her community aiming to cut down on the stressanddepressionsufferedbymedics whocouldconsideralternativecareers. l Open Bionics, Bristol Thereisglobaldemandforthebionic armsproducedbyOpenBionics,in Bristol.Theaward-winning roboticscompanymade theworld’sfirstmedically approved3D-printed bionicarmandhasa developmentcontract withNHSEnglandtomake itsarmsmoreaccessible. l Little Sparks Hospital, London SetupbyDrChrisEvans,LittleSparks has a host of methods for preparing childrenforsurgery. Itsinnovations includeavirtual reality app, so childrencanlook around a hospital beforetheygo in for a procedure, a range of superhero Join the discussion on #HealthTech101 BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 10 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK hospital gowns and an app that giveschildrengamestoplaywhile wearingabreathingmasktoundergo generalanaesthetic.Ithaswonthe HeathrowInnovationOriginality Prize2018andvariousotherawards. l Equivital, Cambridge Equivitalmakeswearabletechthat monitorsforhealthconditions.It istheonlywearabletechbusiness intheworldtohaveclearancefor sensorstobeworninwarzones. ItsLifeMonitorwaswornbyFelix Baumgartner during his famous RedBullStratosspacedivein2012. l InTouch with Health, Cirencester InTouchwithHealth’spatientflow managementsoftwareisusedby morethan100UKhospitals.Itrecently expandeditsoperationsintofive overseasterritoriesincludingtheUAE andAustraliaasitchasesambitious globalgrowthtargetsthroughout2019. l Walk with Path, Essex MobilityspecialistWalkwithPath makesashoeattachmentthatshines alighttohelpthosewithParkinson’sor MStowalk.Amultipleaward-winner, theinnovationaimstopreventinjury andimprovemobilitybyprovidingvisual cluesandfeedbackforthewearer. l Doctorpreneurs, London Doctorpreneursisaglobalcommunity for doctors interested in healthcare innovation,techandentrepreneurship. Ithas15,000members,forwhomit organiseseventsandofferssupportin gettingtheirentrepreneurialideasoff theground. l Orcha, Daresbury GPscanprescribeappstopatients thankstoOrcha,theDaresbury-based techbusiness,whichcompareshealth apps to show those which are most effective.It aims to drivewider adoption of digital tech in health and,in2018, it was enlisted by NHSDigitaltoconductappevaluations forthecentralNHSLibrary. l Elder, London Elderoffershealthcaremanagement technology that matches those in need offull-timecarewithlive-incarers. ItwasfoundedbyPeteDowdsand TomBrooks,whobothhaddifficult experiencesinfindingcarefortheir elderlygrandparents,andislooking after hundreds of customers across theUK. l Invatech Health, Bristol Invatechoffersworkflowsoftware to pharmacies and care homes to ensuremedicationisprescribed, dispensed and monitored safely and accurately.Thecarehomeplatform, which aims to eradicate errors, provideshomeswithadirectlinkto pharmaciestomanageresidents’ medicationaswellasserviceslikea hand-helddevicethatscansabarcode asmedicationisadministered. l Oxford Heartbeat, London BasedinLondon,OxfordHeartbeat’s aimistomakesurgeriesasminimally invasiveaspossibleusingbigdataand AI.Itssoftwareturns2Dscansinto3D modelstoenablesurgeonstovirtuallytest proceduresbeforethey’reintheoperating theatre. l Babylon Health, London Mobile-basedhealthcarebusiness BabylonHealthallowsdoctorsto diagnoseandprescribemedicationto patients.ItsGPandHandappoffersAI- powereddiagnosesbyrecognisingthe wayhumansexpresstheirsymptomsand connectspatientstoaGPviaavideocall. Ithas48,000patientsregistered,making itoneofbiggestGPpracticesincountry, andthebusinessisplanningtoexpand. l Benevolent AI, London BenevolentAIusestechnologytospeed upmedicaldiscoverybyanalysinglarge scientificresearchdatasetstocreate itsowninsights.BasedinLondon,with officesinCambridge,NewYorkand Antwerp,thebusinessaimstoaccelerate thejourneyfromdatatomedicineand iscollaboratingwithAstraZenecato discovernewdrugsforkidneydisease. l endoscope-i, Birmingham A team of two ENT surgeons and two engineersmakeupendoscope-i,whose deviceattachestoaniPhonetoenable medics to photograph what they see in patients’ears. l Forward Health, London Foundedbyateamofjuniordoctors, ForwardHealthoffersasecureand healthcarecompliantmessagingservice fordoctorsandnurses.Itaimstoofferan alternativetodeviceslikepagers,whichare stillusedinhospitals,anditreceived$3.9m fundingtoexpandin2018. HealthTech 101 BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 @BCLOUDUK 11 l OurPath, London OurPathisasubscription-based weight-lossappthataimstotackle diabetesviaathree-monthonline programme to help people change their lifestylehabitsandbecomehealthier. Itraised$3min2018andispartnered withtheNHSinHumber,Bristol,North SomersetandSouthGloucestershire, withplanstoexpandfurther. l uMotif, London PatientdataplatformuMotifworks withthelikesofAstraZenecaand collects data generated in clinical trialsthatwouldusuallybegathered throughpaperwork.Thebusiness raised$3.2min2018whichitplans tousetoexpandoperationstothe Asia-Pacificregions.Itcurrently operatesmostlyintheUSandEurope. l HomeTouch, London HomeTouchfindslive-incarersand reviewscareplansfordementiapatients. SetupbyaformerNHSdoctor,the businessisresponsiblefor40,000hours ofcareeverymonthviacarersthatare matchedtothepatientstheylookafter. Ithasraised£5moffundingtodate. l ZoomDoc, London ZoomDocallowspatientstohaveinstant telemedicine consultations, as well as the abilitytoinstantlybooka GPtoarriveattheir preferredlocation. Thebusiness launched a £2m EIS funding campaign in 2019tobringmedics to patients within an hour.TennisplayerAndy Murrayisaprimaryinvestor,following ZoomDoc’ssuccessfulcrowdfunding campaignwhichclosedinJanuary2018. l Mistura Informatics, Ashington, Northumberland Misturamakeselectronicresourcesfor pharmacists, medics and healthcare professionalssotheycanadviseandinform patients,carersandserviceusersabout theirmedication.Itwaschosenaspartof anacceleratorprogrammeinNewcastle’s Biospheretoadvancedigitalprojects toimprovethelifeofelderlypeople. l Elucid mHealth, Manchester ElucidmHealthmakessmartmedicine dispensersthatprovidesimple-to-use access, control and monitoring of each individualdose.Itstechnologyhastwo patentgrantsandanumberofpending applicationsandithasbegundiscussions withseveraltoptierpharmaceutical firmsonpossiblyadvancingthe useofitsPillConnectsystem. l Health Diagnostics, Chester HealthDiagnosticscreatespatient- focusedsystemsandsoftware.It workswithmorethan25NHStrustson deliveringNHSHealthChecks,withthe softwareprocessinginvites,assessing cardiovascularriskandtransferring healthcheckdatatopatientrecords. l Lantum, London Lantumenableshealthworkerstofind locumshiftsandisusedby17,500 clinicians.ItaimstohelptheNHScut downonagencyfeesandmakeiteasier formedicstofindadditionalwork. Foundedin2012,itraised£3.2mina seriesAroundofinvestmentanda further$7minseriesBfundingin2016. l Sensyne Health, Oxford SensyneHealthplcisahealthcaretechnologycompanythatcreatesvaluefrom acceleratingthediscoveryanddevelopmentofnewmedicinesandimproving patientcarethroughtheanalysisofreal-worldevidencefromlargedatabasesof anonymisedpatientdataincollaborationwithNHSTrusts.Thisanonymisedpatient dataisethicallysourcedinthatanyanalysisofit–andhencethecompany’saccess toit–mustbepre-approvedforeachprogrammeonacase-by-casebasisbythe relevantNHSTrusts.Thisistoensurethatthepurposeoftheanonymisationand theproposedanalysisaresubjecttoappropriateethicaloversightandinformation governance,includingconformancewithNHSprinciples,UKdataprotectionlaw andapplicableregulatoryguidance.SensyneHealthisanearlysignatorytothe DepartmentofHealthandSocialCare’s‘InitialCodeofConductfordata-driven healthandcaretechnology’.SensyneHealthislistedontheAIMMarketofthe LondonStockExchange(SENS.L)andisbasedintheSchrödingerBuilding,located onOxfordSciencePark. Join the discussion on #HealthTech101 BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 12 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK l Feebris, London London-basedAIplatformFeebris takesmeasurementsfromwearables andscansthemfordiseases.Targeting conditionslikepneumoniaandasthma, thebusinessisfocusingonelderly communities at the moment, aiming toavoidhospitalstaysbyidentifying conditionsbeforetheyescalate.It receivedfundingfromtheSocial TechTrusttoscaleupitsoperations. l Cera, London Cerafindsandmanageshomecare forelderlypeople.Ithaspartnered with the NHS, digitalising all processes operations,recruitmentandcarereports. Asaresult,thehealthsectorisable topaycarershigherwages.Cerahas alsoreceivedsignificantVCfunding. l PushDoctor, Manchester OnlineGPservicePushDoctorworks viaasubscriptionpackageandcurrently hasareachof1.2millionpeople.In January2019,thebusinessannounced adealwiththeUrbanHealthandI3 primarycarenetworksinBirmingham -covering13practicesand88,000 patients–toenablethemtomakea digitalappointmentwithanonlineGP tohelpthemgetseenmorequickly. l Doctorlink, London GPsurgeriescanuseDoctorlink’s tech platform to allow patients to bookappointmentsandaccess medicaladviceviatheirwebsite.It offersatriageservicethatallows patients to understand what mightbewrongwiththembefore theybookanappointmentwitha doctor.Itraised£20mininvestment during2017toexpanditsreach. l Echo, London Multipleaward-winningEchois aprescriptionserviceappthat allows patients to order repeat medication at the touch of a buttonandhaveitdeliveredto theirhomefreeofcharge.It workswithNHSprescriptionsand sendsreminderstousersabout whentotaketheirmedication. l Thriva, London Thrivaoffersat-homefingertipblood testsfordifferenthealthconditions. Usersarethenofferedpersonalised onlinereportsandevidence-based advice.Itlaunchedasaliva-based cortisol stress test and two female hormonetestsin2019,expandingon thetestsitoffersandmakingiteasier forpeopletomonitortheirownhealth. l Andiamo, London Andiamomakes3D-printeddevicesto supportthespineandlimbsfordisabled children,inspiredbytheexperienceof foundersNaveedandSamiyaParvez withtheirownchild.Itmakessplints andbracesmuchquickerandeasier thantraditionalmethods.Thebusiness received£1.7mfundingin2018andwas afinalistintheWeWorkCreatorAwards. l Sano Genetics, Cambridge SanoGeneticsoffersaplatformthat pools genetic information to allow people toowntheirowndata.Itenableslarge- scale genetic and medical research withoutsacrificingdataprivacy,enabling peopletotakepartinresearchandthen owntheirresultingdata.Thebusiness received£500,000seedfundingin2019. l Now Healthcare Group, Salford NowHealthcareGroupprovides patients with remote access to primary careservicesthrough app-basedvideoand telephone consultations thatareavailableonthego. ServicesincludeNowGP, for consultations with a doctor, and NowPatient, enablinguserstoorder prescriptions, and there are more than 2 million peopleusingthemthanks toNow’spartnerships withbluechipclients. l IamYiam, London AIpersonalhealthplatformiamYiam measures more than 400,000 genetic markerstohighlightareasofactivity ornutritioninusers.Itspersonalsmart healthassistantofferspersonalised adviceincludinglifestyleanalysis, goalsettingandweeklyshopping lists.Usersmakeaone-offpayment andcantrackthemselvesagainst theirfriendstoreceiverewards. l Doctify, London Doctify’splatformenablespatientsto searchfor,compareandbookprivate doctors.Ithashelped1mpatients since its launch in 2015 and raised morethan$1min2016.Co-founder StephanieEltzwasanorthopaedic surgeonbeforelaunchingthebusiness. l White Lab, London WhiteLab’sSensioAirisasmart indoorsallergyandairquality trackerandapp,whichlogs symptomsandtracksallergens.It monitorstheairqualityin320cities across the world and won a CES 2018InnovationAwardin2018. HealthTech 101 BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 @BCLOUDUK 13 14 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK l Peek Vision, Hertfordshire PeekVision’ssmartphoneapp tests and scans eyes and is used in developingcountries.Theoptician- styletestissimpletouse,enabling eyecheckstobeconductedinhomes, communities,andschools.Itsschool eye health screening and treatment programmeinKenyawonthe2018 AllAfricanPublicServiceInnovation Awards(AAPSIA2018)ataceremony heldinEthiopiainDecember2018. l Concentric, Cardiff Cardiff-basedConcentricprovidesa platformtohelppatientsmakeshared decisionswithsurgeons.Itdigitises the paper process, which is predicted tosavehealthboardsmoneythrough reduced medical negligence costs andavoidingunnecessaryoperations. Itreceived£350,000fundingin April2019toscaleupitsefforts. l Elvie, London Elviemakessmart tech for female care, including breastpumps andpelvicfloor trainers.The devicesofferreal- timefeedback viaanappanda gamificationelementtoencourage womentousethem.Itraisedarecord $42minvestmentinApril2019, whichitintendstousetodoubleits workforcebytheendoftheyearand spendonresearchanddevelopment. l Femeda, London Femedahasdevelopedarangeof groundbreakingmedicaldevicesfor female urinary incontinence including apelvicfloormusclere-trainer. l EMIS Health, Leeds Establishedin1980,EMISHealthprovides patient record systems and software and has more than 40 million patient recordsonitssystem.Ithasacquired sevenorganisationsduringitslifeand has60,000weeklyusers.Revenuefor thesixmonthstotheendof2018was £84.5m,withprofitsrecordedat£13m. l Medopad, London Medopad’sappsconnect patients and medics, using AItopredictconditions. Thebusinessworkswith healthcareprovidersand produces data collection platforms for life sciences partnersandinjuryanalysisfor sportspartners,forexample.The businesshasmadeaseriesofacquisitions andisaimingfor1bnpatientusers. l Orchard Therapeutics, London Abiopharmaceuticalbusinessfor patients with rare diseases, Orchard Therapeuticspartnerswiththelikes ofGreatOrmondStreetHospitaland UniversityCollegeLondon.Withoffices intheUKandUS,itdevelopsinnovative genetherapiesandhasraised$280m funding. l Kheiron Medical Technologies, London LaunchedinJanuary2019,Kherion’s AIsoftwareoffersbreastscreening forearlierdetectionofcancer.A trial was launched on historic scans inLeedsandthebusinesshas receivedgovernmentfundingaspart oftheNHSTestBedprogramme. l Moodbeam, Hull Moodbeam’swearabledeviceallows users to monitor their emotionalwellbeing and log their mood.Itlinks to an online andmobile platform andgives insights into how moods changeover time, showing patterns and trends that can supportpositivechange. Thebusinessreceived£200,000 funding from the Northern Powerhouse InvestmentFundin2018toenable thedevicetogointoproduction. l Zava, London Patientsfillinanonlinemedical questionnaire,whichisreviewed bydoctorsbeforemedicationis prescribedandsentout.Zavaaimsto offerpatientsadiscreetmedication serviceandhasprovidedmorethan twomilliontreatmentssince2011.It operatesintheUK,France,Germany, Switzerland,AustriaandIreland. l Cell Medica, London CellMedicaistransformingthelivesof cancerpatientsthroughcelltherapies. HeadquarteredinLondon,UK,italso hasfacilitiesinHoustonandZurich.Itis focused on transforming the treatment of solid and hematological cancers bydevelopingnext-generationcell therapiesinpartnershipwithhospitals. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 Join the discussion on #HealthTech101 l Mable Therapy, Leeds MableTherapyspecialisesinspeechand language therapy software that uses cuttingedgeUIanddatavisualisation systems.Mablecliniciansdeliverthe therapywithinschools,usinggamification toaidlearningandcarryoutassessments. The software, which has changed the waytherapyisdelivered,collectsdataon thechildandtracksprogress,whichcan besharedwiththeschoolandparents. l EYOTO, Birmingham Anotheruniversityspinout,thistime fromAstonUniversity,EYOTOis developinghardwareandsoftware productsusingAIforeyetesting.The business,formerlyAstonEyeTech, raised £5m in 2017 in a series A round led byMerciaTechnologiesandlaunched undertheEYOTObrandin2018. l Autolus Therapeutics, London Autolus Therapeutics specialises in T cell programming technology for the treatmentofcancer.Itisengineering precisely targeted, controlled and highly activeTcelltherapiesdesignedtobetter recognisecancercells,breakdowntheir defencemechanismsandeliminatethem. Foundedonadvancedcellprogramming technologypioneeredbyDrMartin Pule,thebusinesswasspunoutfrom UniversityCollegeLondonin2014. l Co-op Health (formerly Dimec), London DimecrebrandedtoCo-opHealthfollowing theacquisitionledbyCo-opVentures in2018.Thebusinessdevelopedanapp thatenablespatientsandGPstointeract andmanagetheirprescriptionneeds. l Bond Digital Health, Cardiff BondDigitalHealthisasoftware consultancydevelopingend-to-end digitalconnectivitytoolsforlifesciences andmedicaldevicesinnovators.Founder IanBondisalong-termsuffererofCOPD andhadbecomefrustratedathisown experienceswithhealthservices.The personalisedself-managementdata recordhecreatedwasthefirstofBond’s products. l Proton Partners, Newport ProtonPartnerswasthefirstprovider ofprotonbeamtherapyintheUK andisintheprocessofdevelopinga networkofoncologycentrestodeliver it.ItsRutherfordCancerCentreSouth WaleswasthefirstclinicintheUK toprovidehighenergyprotonbeam therapyandtreatedthefirstnon-NHS patientwithhighenergyprotonbeam therapyintheUKin2018.Ithascentres inReadingandNorthumberlandand oneinLiverpoolisunderconstruction. Eachcantreatupto500patientsayear. l Current Health, Edinburgh Predictiveanalyticssoftwareplatform CurrentHealthtook$8minseed fundingin2018.Thebusiness,formerly knownasSnap40,identifiesinreal- timethosewhosehealthisatriskof deterioratingviaawearabledevice.The fundingwastoenableUSexpansion.It also won a £1m NHS England contract inApriltofurtherscaleitstech. l Care Sourcer, Edinburgh Care matching software platform CareSourceroffersafreematching serviceforelderlypeople.It raised£8.5min2018toexpand BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 @BCLOUDUK 15 l Priority Digital Health, Cambridge PriorityDigitalHealthbuildssmartdigitalplatformswithafocusonhealth promotionanddiseasepreventionthathelppeoplefindandbookintothemost appropriatesupportfortheirneeds-quicklyandeasily.Itchangesbehavioursand reduces waiting times, freeing up time for clinicians and HCPs to spend more time withpeoplemostinneed.CommissionedbytheNHS,LocalGovernmentPublic Healthdepartmentsandcommercialorganisations,itdeliversservicesinDiabetes Education,IntegratedLifestyleServices,WorkplaceHealth,StopSmokingandthe deliveryofHealthChecks.PoweredbyapowerfulCRMandhostedwithintheHSCN network,itsproductsaredesignedtoworktogetherorstand-alone: •priority.you-reducingdemandforGPappointmentsthroughonlinecare navigation •priority.me-everythingforlifestyleserviceprovidersinoneplatform •priority.sp-geolocationplatformrespondingtosocialprescribingneeds •priority.connect-interoperabilitythroughAPIsandintegrationswithEMISHealth, PatientActivationMeasuresandNHSDigital HealthTech 101 101 HealthTech Innovators itsservicesfromEdinburghand LondontotherestoftheUK.The businessisalsoaimingtogrow from20to100employeesby2020. l Clevermed, Edinburgh Clevermedprovidespatientdata management systems that are used in250UKhospitals,specifically for maternity and neonatal care records,aswellasinNewZealand andAustralia.Itaimstostopthe need for women to carry paper recordsduringpregnancy,keeping information in one place regardless ofwherethepatientis.Thebusiness wascitedinaParliamentaryReview highlightingitsachievementsin2018. l Damibu, Liverpool Award-winningdigitalhealthtechnology studioDamibuworkswithNHSclinical commissioning groups, NHS trusts andotherpublicsectorbodiesto developsimpleinnovativesolutions tocomplexproblems.Itsprojects includeappstoimprovechildren’s healthandforthoselivingwith dementia.Itsworkwasrecognised intheMedilinkNorthofEngland HealthcareBusinessAwards2019. l Servelec Group, Sheffield ServelecGroupmakes patient management software, which is usedby49NHStrusts. InJanuary2019,it acquiredNorthwich- basedC:Vision,whichhad 40staffandprovidescase management and information tolocalgovernmentchildren’s andyoungpeople’sservicesteams. l Vision, London Visionmakesintelligentsoftware foruseinGPpracticesthatallows medicalrecordstobeviewedremotely, appointmentstobebookedonline andhealthteamstocollaborate. l Positive Solutions, Chorley PositiveSolutionsspecialises in pharmacy management tools for order management, dispensingandEPOS.Italsooffers care home dispensing solutions, pharmacydesignandshopfitting, retailandmerchandisingservices, websitedesignandacomprehensive portfolioofpartnerproducts. l Silverlink Software, Newcastle Silverlink’spatientadminsystemsare usedby13NHSacutetrustsinthe UK,covering45hospitals.InFebruary 2019,itlaunchedabedmanagement systematLiverpoolHeartandChest Hospital,allowingbedstobemanaged usingintuitivetouchscreensthathave replacedwhiteboards.Itenablesstaff to create a graphical representation of theirward,allocateandmovepatients betweenbedsusinga‘draganddrop’ systemandmanagecleaningstatus. l 3D LifePrints, Liverpool 3DLifePrintsworks with hospital trusts across the UK including Alder HeyChildren’s Hospital.It3D prints models for surgical training, models for demonstrating to patients, medical software andmedicaldevices. l Baby2Body, London AppBaby2Bodyisusedduring pregnancy for coaching in health andwellbeingandpersonalisesthe informationitsendstousers.Founder MelindaNicci,anex-sportspsychologist andfitnesstrainer,islisted as one of the most influentialwomenintech. l Vitaccess, Oxford Digitalhealthcareresearch scale-upandstrategicconsultancy Vitaccess was named a Tech Nation RisingStarfor2019.ItsMyRealWorldapp enablespatientstotracktheirdiseases andtreatments,producingreal-timedata onhowtheyimpacttheireverydaylives. l Unmind, London Unmind produces mental health toolsandtrainingforworkforces,with clientsincludingWilliamHill,Yorkshire BankandJustEatusingitsplatform. Foundedin2016,thebusinessworks with organisations with more than 1,000 employees and the system can direct users toappropriatementalhealthservicesif necessary. l Big Health, London Big Health creates automated and personalisedmentalhealthprogrammes. It has partnered with the NHS to provideonlinesleepimprovement programmeSleepiotopatients. DevelopedbyProfessorColinEspie fromOxfordUniversityandCEOPeter Hames, the programmes are now availableto12millionpeopleworldwide. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 16 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK Join the discussion on #HealthTech101 COVER STORY BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 @BCLOUDUK 17 in KM Capital is a tech-focused investment fund looking to identify scalable and disruptive early-stage businesses. We are headed by Adam Kamani, who co-founded one of the world’s fastest growing fashion brands, prettylittlething.com We create lasting relationships We back exceptional teams with the ambition to grow big businesses, our focus is on identifying entrepreneurs that can scale explosively to create, transform or dominate an industry. GET IN TOUCH: invest@km-capital.co.uk www.km-capital.co.uk @km_capital KM Capital l Creo Medical, Chepstow AIM-listedCreoMedicalisaworld leaderinnon-invasivesurgerymedical devices.Itraised£50min2018to enableittotargettheUSmarket.The company’smissionistoimprovepatient outcomesbyapplyingmicrowaveand radiowaveenergytosurgicalendoscopy. l Zesty, London Zestyisanappallowingpatientsto find,compareandbookhealthservices. Theonlinehealthcarebookingservice isbackedbyInnovationCapital, MangroveCapitalPartners,TAVenture andABRTVentureFundandhas receivedmorethan$10minvestment. l Antidote, London Antidoteenablespeopletosearchfor clinicaltrialssuitableforthemand helpresearchersfindsuitable candidates.Itsgoalistoslash thefigureof80pcoftrials beingdelayedorcancelled throughlackofparticipation. Thebusinessraised$11min2017. l Signum Health, Caerphilly SignumHealthhasdevelopedanAI andcloud-basedplatformtoenable healthcare professionals to remotely diagnoseandmanagepatients.The businesstooksix-figureinvestment in2017.Itsintegrateddigitalplatform enablesprofessionalstoelectronically and remotely, diagnose, triage and referpatientstoavarietyofhealth, socialcareandwellbeingproviders. l HealthUnlocked, London Akindofsocialnetworkforhealth, HealthUnlockedaimstoconnectpeople with the same health conditions so that theycansharetheirexperiences.Ithas onemillionmembersworldwidewho use the community, which is moderated byexpertsfromorganisationssuchas the British Heart Foundation to ensure thequalityandreliabilityofthecontent. l Howz, Manchester HowzispartneredwithEDF Energytodevelopitshome monitoring system for the elderly and those with dementia, which is in hundreds of homes and beingtrialledbytheNHS. Howzlearnsroutineswithin the home and spots changes early,helpingyoutoactquickly.The system uses sensors that alert family membersifchangesinusualactivityare detected. l Ieso Digital Health, Cambridge Award-winningIesoDigitalHealth offersfreeonlinecognitivebehavioural therapy to treat mental health conditions.ADeloitteFast50Awards winnerduring2018,thebusinessraised £18min2017todevelopitsservice, whichisofferedfreeontheNHS. l Fertility Focus, Warwick FertilityFocusisadeviceand smartphoneappthatenablesusers topredictfertility,saidtobetheonly monitorcapableofpredictingovulation upto24hoursinadvanceandconfirming theexactdateofovulationwith99pc clinically-provenaccuracy.Itraiseda seriesAroundof$2.9minJanuary2019 to further commercialise its product, Ovusense,inNorthAmericaand Europeandfundadditionalclinicaltrials. l Healthera, Cambridge Healthera is an app that connects patients topharmaciesandGPs,allowingthemto orderprescriptions,accessclinicalservices andmonitortheirmedicationintake.The businessraised£3minseriesAfundingin 2018. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 18 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK l Vapour Cloud, Elland DigitaltransformationspecialistVapourCloudisthebrainsbehindTeleDOC–the firstvideotoolofitskindfortheUKhealthcaresector,poweredbyafree,simple SMS.Withcutting-edgeWebRTCtechnologyatitsheart,TeleDOCenablesGPs andothermedicalprofessionalstoholdsecure,encrypted,recordable,geo-tagged videocallswiththeirpatients,wherevertheyarelocated,onanydevice,and regardlessofthetechnicalliteracy.Theresultistheabilitytoefficientlydiscussand diagnosehealthissuesremotely,beforestoringtheencryptedvideofileinasecure vault.And,becauseTeleDOCworksbysendingthepatientaone-time-useSMSor email,withhyperlink,whichautomaticallyactivatesthevideoconsultation,thereis nocosttotheuser.Withnousername,passwordorapprequired–onlytwoclicksto authorisethecamera–theresultismaximumeaseofuse,beforetheappointment iscarriedoutinmuchthesamewayasaface-to-facescenario.Thepatientalso ‘meets’withtheirownGP,ratherthanastranger. Join the discussion on #HealthTech101 l Oxehealth, Oxford Oxehealth’sdigitalcareassistantuses sensors and infrared technology to monitor patients when healthcare assistantscan’tbethere.Itmeasures pulserateandbreathingrate,and detectsactivity,sendinganalert ifsomethingisamiss.Itsecured ‘world-first’accreditationforits opticalvitalsignstechnologyin2018. l Vida, London HomecareserviceVidamatchescarers topatientsanddeliverspersonalised careprogrammes.Formercancer researchscientistDevikaWood workedatGooglebeforefoundingthe business,whichturnedover£1.5m initsfirsttenmonthsoftrading. l Perfect Ward, London PerfectWard’ssmartdocumentanalyser captures healthcare inspections onto phonesortabletsandprovidesreal- timereportingonanyissues.Itaims tohalveinspectiontimeandcutdown ontheneedforpaperwork,while enablingissuestobequicklyidentified. l Jellagen, Cardiff MarinebiotechbusinessJellagenextracts jellyfishcollagenformedicalusesand was commercialised for research in 2018.Sinceitwasfoundedin2013, thebusinesshassecuredconsiderable investmentfrombothprivateinvestors andpublicsourcestodevelopitsproduct for use in the food, cosmetic, medical deviceandpharmaceuticalindustries. Itlaunchedinresponsetoexploding jellyfishpopulationsandsafetyconcerns aroundmammal-derivedcollagens. l Virti, London VirtiusesAIandVRtotransport usersintorealistic,hard-to-access environmentstosafelyassess themunderpressure.Theaward- winningbusinessaimstoimprove human performance and reduce anxiety.ItjoinedtheNHSInnovation AcceleratorProgrammein2019. l SurePulse, Nottingham UniversityofNottinghamspinoutSurePulse aimstosavethelivesofbabiesborn notbreathing.Itsheartratemonitor,a sensorbuiltintoahat,givesclinicians an accurate reading when resuscitating babies.Thedevicewascertifiedin 2019,makingitavailabletoclinicians. l C the Signs, London ‘C the Signs is a digital tool that uses AI and thelatestevidencetohelpGPsidentify patients with cancer at the earliest and mostcurablestage.Itusesadvanced algorithmscombinedwithoptimisation andprioritisationsystemstoreflect thenaturaldecision-makingprocessof doctors,translatingcomplexresearchand guidelines into a simple process for the user.Itiscurrentlyworkingwithseveral NHSclinicalcommissioninggroups. l Dietary Assessment Ltd (myfood24), Leeds myfood24 is a dietary assessment apptosupportacademicresearch.It providesreal-timefeedbackonfood andnutritionintake,whichisthenused byteaching,researchandhealthcare professionals.Originallycreatedasa UniversityofLeedsresearchgroup,the spinoutcompany,DietaryAssessment Ltd, was created in 2017 to respond togrowingcustomerrequirements. l MeeTwo, London MeeTwo is a free mental health social media platform that helps teenagers toopenupabouttheirmentalhealth, usingpicturesorwordstoexpress themselves.ListedintheNHSApps Libraryandamultipleawardwinner,it’s curatedbyqualifiedpsychologistsand everypostismoderatedbeforebeing published.Itofferspeersupportfrom otherteenagersaswellasexperthelp, andthedataisusedtoprovideinsights intoteenagementalhealth. l Ingenica Solutions, Hampshire IngenicaSolutionshasatrackrecord indeliveringsignificantreturnson investmentsforNHStruststhrough itsITsolutions.Itworkswithanumber ofNHSfoundationtruststoenable dramaticimprovementsinbackoffice efficiencyinthehealthcareenvironment. l Sky Medical Technology, Daresbury BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 @BCLOUDUK 19 HealthTech 101 SkyMedicalTechnologyisthe parentcompanyofFirstkind,which developedtheOnPulsetechnology platformandgekowearablemedical device.Thedeviceandtechplatform stimulateimprovedbloodflowfor woundhealingandthepreventionof otherconditions.Itwonaninnovation awardin2019foritsapproach totechnologyandpartnerships. l Steeper Group, Leeds SteeperGrouphasbeenworkingin thefieldofprostheticssince1921. Todayitcombinesitsartificiallimbs withassistivetechnology,including home control, communication and environmentcontroldevices.Ithas aclinicinLeeds,aprivateprosthetic centreinLondonandaUSbase. l Medicalchain, London Medicalchainusesblockchain technology to securely store health records and maintain a singleversionofthe truth.Different organisations such as doctors, hospitals, laboratories, pharmacists and health insurerscanrequest permission to access apatient’srecordtoservetheir purpose and record transactions on thedistributedledger.Itannounced itsfirstpartnership,withTheGroves MedicalGroup,inLondon,in2018. l Oviva UK, London OvivaUKisahealthimprovementtool thatcombinesexpertadvicefrom dietitians with digital tools to help people withconditionssuchastype2diabetes improvetheirhealth.Itpartnerswiththe NHSandhaswonanumberofawards. l Raremark, London Raremarkwaslaunchedin2016for familiesaffectedbyraredisease, an online community where people canlearnaboutacondition,take partinresearchandhavetheirsayin howtreatmentsaredeveloped.The company’sworkhaswonmultiple awards, including the UK Business Angels Association’sEntrepreneuroftheYear, anditwasnamedasachangemaker atthe2018LondonTechWeek. l Tunstall Healthcare, Whitley Bridge, North Yorkshire TunstallHealthcareaimstoprovide ‘connectedhealthcare’,including connecteddevicesandservicesthat monitorthehealthandwellbeingof peopleincare.Foundedin1957,it operatesinmorethan30countries and employs around 2,000 people globally–around615oftheseinthe UK.Aconsumerarm,IndeMe,gives carersandfamilymemberspeace of mind through pendant alarm servicesandfall-detectiondevices. l Mendelian, London Mendelian diagnoses rare diseases using machine learning, which helps specialists narrow down possiblecausesofsymptoms. It has more than 50,000 users in 150 countries and aims to cut down thetimetakentodiagnosepatients. l Cardiocity, Lancaster Cardiocitybuildsmedicaldevicesthat makeiteasierforpeopletomeasuretheir physiologicalperformance.Established in 2011, it uses the concepts of telemetry fromtopflightmotorsportintheworldof mobilehealth,exportingproductsincluding itsRhythmPad,whichmakesscreeningfor cardiacarrhythmiasextremelysimpleand canbeusedattachedtotheclinician’sPC orinreceptionasawhile-you-waitsystem. l Salve Technologies, London SalveTechnologiesmakesamobile- firstpatientengagementplatform thatautomatesclinicworkflowsand guidespatientsthroughtreatment. ItisliveinclinicsacrossEuropeand thousandsofpatientshaveusedthe productsinceitslaunchinOctober2017. l Feedback Medical, Cambridge FeedbackMedicalhasglobalcustomers for its medical imaging technology, whichadvancestheworkofradiologists, clinicians and medical researchers byimprovingworkflowsandgiving uniqueinsightsintodiseases,such ascancer.ItsTexRADproducthas featured in more than 100 academic publications,wonnumerousawards and is currently used in more than 50 prestigiousinstitutionsworldwide. l MedShr, London MedShrisasocialmedia-styleplatform toenablecliniciansandhealthcare professionals to discuss cases and medicalimages.Ithas850,000 membersinmorethan190countries. l Mindmate, Glasgow An app for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s,Mindmatewasfoundedby universitygraduateswhohadexperienceof caringforthosewiththeconditions.Used bymorethan1mpeople,itaimstohelp sufferersstayactive,havesomewhereto collect their memories and stimulate their brains.Itreceived$2mfromUSinvestors in2018. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 20 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK Join the discussion on #HealthTech101 21 @BCLOUDUK eCommerce.Delivered. We are a Magento development & marketing agency with a proven history of delivering successful B2B and B2C eCommerce projects nationally and internationally. Our skilled development and marketing team can provide Magento eCommerce solutions tailored to suit your needs. Full builds. Migrations. Technical Support. Audits. Functional Specifications. Custom Extensions. UX Design. SEO. PPC. Content Marketing. hello@pushon.co.uk www.pushon.co.uk +44 (0)161 820 7628 eCommerce.Delivered. SILICON VALLEY eCommerce.Delivered. We are a Magento development & marketing agency with a proven history of delivering successful B2B and B2C eCommerce projects nationally and internationally. Our skilled development and marketing team can provide Magento eCommerce solutions tailored to suit your needs. Full builds. Migrations. Technical Suport. Audits. Functional Specifications. Custom Extensions. UX Design. SEO. PPC. Content Marketing. hello@pushon.co.uk www.pushon.co.uk +44 (0)161 820 7628 eCommerce.Delivered. 22 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK theirhindlegsoffforfiveyears.Itfeltso unfair.Ididn’tparticularlylikeinvestment bankersafterthat.Itfeltlikesellingyour soul...theyweremakingallthemoney whileweweredoingallthework.” TheflotationvaluedPlusNetataround £35millionandCTOSadlerfound himselfsweptintoariverofnumbers alongsideCEOLeeStraffordandCFO NeilComer.“Whenyou’rebuildinga businessyouknowthepeopleyou’re workingwith-eventheirspouse’sand children’snames,”heexplains.“Following a period of fast growth, you suddenly hit200peopleandbegintoforgetsome ofthosenames.It’simpossibletoknow everybody. “Yougetintojustnumbers,then whenyoufloatyouhaveanumberthat changeseverysecondofthedayand itbecomeshypnotic.Youforgetwhat therealbusinessisabout:employing He was the technical whizz behind PlusNet but also knows a thing or two about running a business. DeanSadlerhasbeenthroughstock marketflotations,tradesalesand managementbuyouts.Sowhenhewarns thatthe‘hypnotic’effectofmoney canblindmanagementtowhatismost important-thepeoplewithinabusiness andhavingfun-youknowheisspeaking fromexperience. NowCEOofaward-winning recruitmentdisrupterTribePad,Sadler’s careerbeganbackin1999whenhe appliedforajobatForce9Internet.He wrotetheback-endoperatingsystem fortheSheffieldcompanywhichwould rebrandasPlusNetandbetheUK’ssixth- largestinternetserviceproviderwhenit floatedontheAIMin2004. “The process leading up to the IPO wasexciting,”Sadler,whohailsfrom Gloucestershire,tellsBusinessCloud. “It was enticing, the London scene, the moneyandthefancyoffices.Butthen yourealisethatsomeoftheguysyou’re dealingwithhaveearnedmoremoneyin aweekbyhelpingusfloatthebusiness thanyourguyshaveearnedbyworking people,makingsurethey’regotagreat set of opportunities in front of them and havingfun.Whenmoneyistheprimary motivator,youlosealotofthatfun.” TRADE SALE WhenBTboughtallPlusNet’ssharesin 2007,thefirmwasworthapproximately £67m.Despitebeingoperatedasa standalonebusiness,Straffordand Comerweresoondismissedbythe parent company after they were accused ofplanningtolauncharivalbusiness. Sadlerhandedinhisnotice. “Whenyou’rerunningabusinessand makingthedecisions,Ijustwasn’table tothensay‘allofthathasmovedoverto you,MrCorporate-tellmewhattodo andI’lljump’.It’snotinmyDNA,”hesays. Atthetimehedescribedtheprocessof leavingPlusNetasanecessary“divorce”. Hefoundhimselfinthepubwondering whattodonext.“OneminuteI’mCTOat a company which is on the TV and radio andeverybody’sheardof-andthenext I’munemployedand,moreimportantly, unemployable!Nobody’sgoingtorecruit me:Idon’twearashirtandtie.Itypically wearflip-flops,”hesays,laughing. “I said ‘right, I need to do something becauseI’mmarriedwiththreedaughters andthey’regoingtospendallmymoney ifIdon’tdosomethinginthenextcouple ofyears’. WE SOLD OUR SOUL IN PLUSNET IPO Dean Sadler helped to float the internet service provider and was later involved in its headline-making trade sale to BT. Now CEO of Sheffield-based TribePad, he tells Jonathan Symcox that running a business should be about fun rather than money. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 BIG INTERVIEW 23 @BCLOUDUK “Threepintsofbeersin,weasked ourselves‘whatwasthebiggestproblem wehadatPlusNet?Recruitingpeople. Let’sdosomethingonrecruitment’. “Itwasthebeertalking!ButIalways knewIwantedtostartsomething.” HURDLES Sadler was part of the team which foundedTribePad,aplatformwhich connectsemployersandjobseekers,in 2008.Howeverduringtheearlymonths theywerefrustratedbytheirinabilityto selltheconceptofvideointerviewing“as thetechwasyettocatchup”. “There were so many hurdles,” he reflects.“Afterninemonthsoftrying tobuildthattechnologyandsellit wepivotedthebusinessandasked companieswhattheirpainpointswere.” Heapproachedsomeoftheworld’s biggestcompanies,includingUSgiant Walmart.“Bydoingthatweremained aboutayearaheadofthecurveinterms ofbuildingtechnologywhichbusinesses actuallywanted,”hecontinues.“Wewere demand-drivenfromthenon:wedidn’t definewhatweweregoingtobuild;we weretechnologistssolvingtheproblem broughttousbythemarket.” Howeverithasnotallbeenplainsailing sincethenatTribePad,whichcarriesout psychometricprofilingofcandidates. InJuly2016Sadlerandtheboardof directors led an MBO in order to put in place a scaling strategy which is now reapingdividends.“Partofthebusiness wasownedbysomebodywhohadmaxed outintermsoftheircapabilitybutalso theirdesiretomovethebusinessforward atpace,”Sadlerexplains.“Theywere moreinterestedinalifestylebusiness thanagrowthbusiness.Therewasno animosity: it was a decision that the individualneededtomakefortheirfamily andwejusthavetomoveon.” SCALING STRATEGY The newly formed management team doubledtheworkforcewithin12months and focused on areas which were previouslynotconsideredapriority.“We wentfromapurelytechnical-oriented business,where95percentofour employeesweresoftwaredevelopers,to just60percentdevs,”saysSadler.“We recruited account managers, support managers,salesandmarketingstaff.We recruitedgoodpeoplewhocouldmove thebusinessforwardatafasterpaceand fillinthegapswehad.” TribePadhasgoneontoaddanother30 percentstaffandthebusinesshasbeen growingatabout28percentyear-on- yearsince,withrevenueinsevenfigures andfive-figureprofit.Thestaffofaround 40processesoveramillioncandidates per calendar month for clients including theBBC,TescoandKFC,whileitserves clientsin127countriesand17languages. The company has also now gone backtoitsrootsbydevelopingvideo technologywhichiscapableofrecording theresponsesofintervieweesandalso readingtheiremotionalreactions.“We canworkoutyourreadingage,the grammaticalsyntaxofthewordsyou’re usingandyourpersonalityprofile– whetheryou’reextrovertorintrovert,for example,”saysSadler.“Weknowifyou’re smiling,frowning,whereyou’relooking andwhatyou’resayingasyou’redoing thesethings. “We’retryingtolookaftertwopeople: thebusinessownerandthecandidate.By buildingupawholepictureofsomebody, wecanfindpeoplewhoseCVswould beunimpressiveifarecruiterlooked throughthemfor30seconds[butwho aretheperfectfitforarole]. “IfyoulookedatmyCV,itwouldbevery sparse:wenttouni,travelledtheworld, wenttoPlusNetthenstartedabusiness. Howeveralotofexperience,skilland expertisehasbeengathered.Wewantto findthediamondsintherough.” BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 BIG INTERVIEW Zero compromise when securing your data Speak to a security expert now on 0800 953 9901 to put your business in safe hands. We are experts in cybersecurity. When it comes to protecting your business our intelligent security solutions keep your online infrastructure safe. Our ProSecureTM package offers a comprehensive suite of security services and solutions, including: • WAF • Threat Monitoring • Threat Response • Get there faster, visit us at ukfast.co.uk Dedicated Servers Cloud Data Centres Whilst we all may dream of overnight success as business leaders, just like driving, the faster you do it, the more difficult it becomes. Whenyou’redrivingacarat30mph, youfeelincontrol.Itcornerswellandthe likelihoodofacatastropheislow.Compare thattodrivingat130mphandyouhavejust increasedtherisksofcrashingsignificantly. Abusinessisverymuchlikeamovingvehicle: theyaredifficulttomanoeuvreatspeed. Changingthedirectionofafast-moving businesscanbetricky. Thebiggestchallengewhengrowinga businessispreservingthekeyingredients thatmadeitspecialinthefirstplace.The most important and often misunderstood ofthesecomponentsisculture.Onpage5, BusinessCloudspeakswithenergycompany Bulb,whichhashadanextraordinarygrowth trajectory. It’ssimpletocreateandkeepapositive culture in the early years when you are a smallteam.Start-upsareoftenexciting environmentsandwitheveryoneinthesame roomorbuilding,communicationcouldn’t beeasier.AteverystageofUKFast’sgrowth, people told me that the challenge was to maintainthatculture.WhenIlookatUKFast now,itisclearjusthowimportantourculture isandtheroleitplaysinoursuccess.It’s ourculturethatmakesuswhoandwhatwe aretoday.Itstartedbyaccident20years ago.Wewererecruitingpeopleonattitude aswehadlimitedknowledgeofwhatskills weweregoingtorequire!Ironicallyitwas thebestthingwecouldeverhavedoneand it’ssomethingstillattheheartofallour recruitmenttoday. Thoseearlyteam-mates,Gail,Neil,Rich, myselfincluded,whilstalittleolder(and hopefullywiser)wearetheguardiansand custodiansofourculture.Whilstmany people still tell us we are doing it wrong and thatweshouldhirewithafocusonskills,I’d saywedothingsalittledifferently. Skillscanbetaught,butcultureand creatinganenvironmentwhereeveryone fitsinandenjoyscomingtoworkhastoplay asignificantroleinhowwehire.Atitsmost simple,culturecomesdowntorecruitment. Who you employ has to add to the culture, ratherthandilutingit.It’ssomethingthatwe alltakeincrediblyseriously.Ourrecruitment process includes psychometric testing which givesusapictureofhowapersonwouldfit withtheexistingcultureofthebusiness,as wellaslearnanddevelop.It’safascinating toolthathelpsustobuildonthestrengthsof ourpeopleandsteersusawayfromdilutingit. That’snottosaythatit’sallbeenplain sailing.We’vemademistakesandit’susually whenwearetryingtoexpandatspeed.We’ve definitelyfallenfoulofgrowingtooquicklyat times.Weonce,manyyearsago,outsourced ourrecruitmenttobringinalargegroupof newrecruitsveryquickly.Whilstitwasagreat ideainprincipal,itdidn’tworkatall.We’d unwittingly changed a winning formula and outsourced an integral function of what made uswhoweare.Notonesinglepersonfrom thatintakeiswithustoday,fiveyearson.It wasacostlymistake.Ontheonehanditwas an unmitigated disaster, on the other hand itprovedthatourprocessworksandwe’ve stucktoitlikeglueeversince. Culturecannotsolelybewordsonthe officewall,dreamtupbytheCEOoreven worsethemarketingdepartment.Your colleaguesarewaytoosavvytofallforthat andtheyneedtobeinvolvedinformingthe cultureyouagreeupon.Onceyouhaveit,you needtoeat,liveandbreatheyourculture. People are smart and if one of your core valuesisKINDandyouknowthatpeoplein yourbusinessareoccasionallyabruptwith customers,youwon’tjustlosethecustomer, youwillloseyourteam-matestoo. Brandsarebuiltonwhoweare,whatwe believeinandhowwemakepeoplefeel.Ifyou wanttohavethebestcustomerservicein your industry, you need a culture of nurturing, supportivepeoplewhogenuinelycarefor thosearoundthem.Itiscommonsense,but somethingfewbusinessownersexecutewell. So if you want to accelerate fast, get your cultureright.Therearemorefailuresin businessthansuccessesandIdon’tknowone thatnailsitsculturebutfailselsewhere.The twogohandinhand. Sohowdoyoubuildyourculture?Think aboutwhatyouwanttoachieve,your“why” asSimonSinekcallsit.What’stheultimate reasonyoudowhatyoudo?Whyhaveyou chosenthebusinessyouarecurrentlyin? Writedownthevaluesthatareimportant toyou.Geteveryonetodothisinthe businessandtheninvolvetheminaprocess ofelimination.Distilitdowntojustfourorfive ‘corevalues’-thosethatresonatewithand exciteeveryone. I’ddefinitelyrecommendSimonSinekand JimCollinsastworeferencepointsforthis exercisetokickstartyourprocess. Lawrence Jones MBE is the co-founder and CEO of managed hosting and cloud firm UKFast. In his latest column he looks at maintaining culture in a fast-growing business. The Culture Club COLUMN: LAWRENCE JONES MBE www.lawrencejones.co.uk/ /LawrenceJonesCEOUKFast lawrencejonesmbe @lawrence_jones @BCLOUDUK 25 BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 26 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK There’s one photo from Gary Parkinson’s football career that has pride of place in his house. Takenin1994,itshowshimholdingthe DivisionTwoplay-offtrophyaloftat WembleywithhisbestmateDavidEyres aftertheirgoalshadsecuredafamous2-1 winforBurnleyagainstStockportCounty. Fast forward 25 years and the two pals arereminiscingaboutwhatwasprobably the greatest day of their careers in the kitchenofParkinson’simmaculatelytidy homeinBolton.“ItwastheworstgoalI’ve everseentowinagamebutprobablythe mostimportant,”ishowEyresdescribes hisformerteam-mate’sdeflectedstrike. Forasplitsecondit’sjustlikethe CAN TECHNOLOGY UNLOCK EX- FOOTBALLER’S CONDITION? FormerMiddlesbrough,BurnleyandPrestondefenderGaryParkinsonisunabletomoveortalkaftera strokein2010lefthimwithlocked-insyndrome.Hisfamilyhopetechnologymayfindthesolution. ChrisMaguirereports. olddays–butsomethingisdifferent. Parkinsonsufferedalife-changingstroke in2010thatnearlyclaimedhislife. Diagnosedwitharareconditioncalled locked-insyndrome,he’sunabletomove ortalkbutiscompletelyawareofwhat’s goingonaroundhim.Hecommunicates byblinkinghiseyesandusingapieceof eye-trackingtechnologycalledTobii. HisdevotedwifeDeborah,whohas beenhischildhoodsweetheartsince meetinginMiddlesbroughattheage of16,ishopingadvancesintechnology mayfindthesolutionforthecondition. “Medical science is changing all the time,” saysthemother-of-three.“Researchis beingdone.Whoknowswhetheritwillbe inGary’slifetime–butIbelievetherewill besomethingoutthere.Garyhasnever givenuponanything.” Herfamily’slifechangedforeverone TuesdayinSeptember2010.Herhusband was42andworkingasayouthteam coachatBlackpoolFCwithaspirationsof onedaybeingamanager.Deborahrecalls howherhusbandhadbeenhisnormalself whenhereturnedfromworkandthepair enjoyedaglassofredwineeachbefore goingtobed.“Intheearlyhoursofthe morningGarysaidhehadaheadache. Heaskedforsomepainkillers.Iwent downstairsforaglassofwaterandbythe timeIgotbackupstairsIcouldseethe coordination had gone from his face and hishands.” He also struggled to open his eyes so at6amshecalledanambulance.“Ididn’t suspecthe’dhadastroke.Ithoughthe’d hadareactiontosomething.” Parkinsonwasabletowalktothe ambulance,whichtookhimtoRoyal BoltonHospital.Initiallyitwasthought BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 BIG INTERVIEW 27 @BCLOUDUK GarywithwifeDeborah. Parkinson,right,withEyresatWembley. heonlyhadanearinfection.“Helosthis feeling in his left side and that was when Iknewitwassomethingmoreserious,” saysDeborah.Shewenthometopick upsomepossessionsandcheckonher childrenastheirsonLuke,then17,was lookingafterhisyoungersistersChloe andSophie.Bythetimeshereturnedto thehospitalanhourlaterherhusband’s conditionhadtakenadramaticturnfor theworse.“He’dbeentakentointensive care and was induced into a coma and wasonlifesupport,”shesays.“Hewasso gravelyillhewasgivenlastritestwice.” DIAGNOSIS Ittookthreescansbeforehewas diagnosedwithhavinghadastroke–but thenewsgotevenworse.Whenhewas takenoffoneofthemachines,hisbody wascompletelyunresponsiveandhewas foundtohavelocked-insyndrome–a rare neurological disorder which causes completeparalysisofallvoluntary musclesexceptfortheonesthatcontrol themovementsoftheeyes. Deborahsaystheeasiestwayto describelocked-insyndromeisto imagineallthenervesarewires,travelling upthespinetothebrainandthengoing offindifferentdirectionstocontrol movement.Thestrokedamagesthe brainstemandpreventsmessages gettingtothebrain.Herhusbandalso hasatracheotomytoassisthisbreathing andisfedthroughhisstomach.“Weknow peoplewhohavecomeoutoflocked-in syndrome,”saysDeborah,althoughshe acceptstheoddsaren’tencouraging.“If youlookinthemedicalbooksitsays2-3 monthslifeexpectancy.Herewearemore thaneightyearslater.” IntotalParkinsonspenttwoyearsin hospitalbutwasabletoleaveafterhis housewasspeciallyadapted.“Itwas difficultforGarytocometotermswith,” admitshiswife,wholooksafterhim alongsideateamofdedicatedcarers.“He worriedabouteverybodyelse.Hewanted everybodyelsetobehappy.” Garycommunicatesthroughblinking. “Hiseyeslookupfora‘yes’anddownfor a‘no’,”shesays.“Hewillblinkhiseyesto indicatehewantstotellussomething.” Garybuildsupwords,oneletteratatime, byblinkingacertainnumberoftimesto indicateeachletter. Parkinson,whoisakeenhorseracing fan, also uses a sophisticated piece of eye-trackingtechnologycalledTobii. “Garyusesapieceofequipmentcalled abrainfinger,”explainsDeborah.“It’sa bitlikeaheadbandthatstrapsontohis headandithadlittleprobesanditcan pickupmuscleandfacialmovement.Gary willtwitchhismouthanditwillmovethe cursoronthescreen.It’samazingbut Garygetsfrustratedwithit.” Parkinsonbeganhiscareerasan apprenticeatEvertonin1985but wasbestknownforhisspellsat Middlesbrough,Burnley,PrestonNorth EndandBlackpool,beforeacruciate ligamentinjuryforcedhimtoretirein hisearly30s.“Asaplayerthereprobably wasn’tabetterstrikeroftheballwithhis rightfoot,”ishowEyresdescribesthe defender. Hehasaclosenetworkofformer footballerfriendswhovisithim,including BernieSlaven,exEvertonandManchester UnitedmanagerDavidMoyes,Lee Turnbull,EyresandcurrentBlackburn managerTonyMowbray.Eyres,whocalls hisformerteam-mate‘TweetiePie’on accountofhisblondhairinhisyouth,isa regularandwelcomevisitor. “Garyusedtocallme‘BigEars’,”he recalls.“Assoonassomebodyshouted ‘BigEars’IknewitwasParky.” Despitetheirfriendship,thetwowere ultra-competitivewhentheycameup against each other later in their career, playingforOldhamandBlackpool respectively.“Hewasoneofmymates andhesaid‘I’mgoingtokickyouBig Ears’,”recallsEyreswithasmile. FIGHTER IaskParkinsonifitfeelslikebeingbackin the changing room when his old Burnley team-mateturnsup.Hiseyeslookupto indicateyes.“HasDavidgotanyfunnier?” Iask.Garylooksdowntoindicate‘no’.Of thestroke,Eyressays:“Garyhasalways beenafighter.” Deborahsaysthefootballworld couldn’thavebeenanynicerandpraises theroleoftheProfessionalFootballers’ Association and especially its chief executiveGordonTaylor,whocameto seeherhusbandsoonafterhisstroke. “Theyhavebeenverysupportive,”says Deborah.“GordonsendsaChristmas cardtoGaryeveryyear.” AgainstalltheoddsParkinsonrecently celebratedhis50thbirthdayandlikes spendingtimewithhischildrenLuke,26, Chloe,22,andSophie15.Lukerunsthe GaryParkinsonTrustTwitteraccount@ GaryParkyTrust. Deborahisaremarkablepersonbutis quicktodownplayherselflessness.She saysthe‘loveofGary’andherfamilykeep hergoingbutadmitsthatfundingextra serviceslikeherhusband’sweeklytripto thehydrotherapypoolandshortbreaks tospecialdisabled-friendlycottagesnear BlackpoolatBrickhouseFarm,aredifficult butessential. Fornow,she’shopingthattechnology canunlockherhusband’scondition. “If you look in the medical books it says 2-3 months life expectancy. Here we are more than eight years later.” Deborah Parkinson BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 BIG INTERVIEW Changing the way businesses buy and manage energy # E N E R G Y E V O L V I N G E N E R G Y M A N A G E M E N T . E N E R G Y P R O C U R E M E N T . E N E R G Y S E R V I C E S . VISIT THE ENERGY CENTRE www.businesswisesolutions.co.uk/the-energy-centre A LABOUR OF LOVE HannahFeldmanbuiltupfamilyleisureplatform Kidadlwhilepregnantthennursinghernewbornbaby. AformercolleagueofDragons’DenstarJamesCaan CBE, the London entrepreneur draws comparisons betweenmotherhoodandentrepreneurshipin conversationwithJonathanSymcox. Most entrepreneurs would agree that building a business is incredibly difficult. Addingchildrenintothemixcanfurther complicate the process – yet the story of entrepreneurHannahFeldmantakesthis narrativetosomethingofanextreme. Alreadyamothertothree-year-old twins–nowagedsix–shediscoveredshe waspregnantjustweeksafterfounding family leisure platform Kidadl in London withSophieOrman. Feldman’sbackgroundwasinlawand corporatefinanceandshealsoworked closely with recruitment entrepreneur andformerDragons’DenstarJames CaanCBEonhisinvestmentdealflowat HamiltonBradshaw. Havinglongharbouredanambitionto startherownbusiness,shewasn’tgoing to let the prospect of another child throw heroffcourse.“IfoundoutIwaspregnant eightweeksafterIquitmyjob,”shetells BusinessCloud. “Beingverycandid,I’dhadIVFforthe twinssoitwasn’tinanywayalikelihood thatthiswouldhappen!I’dchangedmy mindset,knowingIwasgoingtostarta business,somaybeeverythingrelaxed... “I felt so ill that I went to see the doctor,whotoldmeIwaspregnant.For onceinmylife,Iwasspeechless!Itwas anincrediblemiracle,andanincredible surprise. “I went straight to see Sophie and she said‘that’sgreat-you’rethepostergirl forthebusiness!’” Therewerenovisiblerolemodelsfor Feldman to follow and she is pleased that pregnancyisnowenteringthenarrative aroundstart-upbusinesses.“Westarted ourpre-seedfundraisethreemonths later.Ihadalargepashminaandabig smile!Itwasn’t‘wearalycradressand talkaboutmybump’–itwasn’treally discussed.Iwasjustawomanwhowas pregnantwhowasfundraising. “Pregnancy is not a challenge unless you’reoneoftheunfortunatewomen whohaveterriblesickness.You’rejust aliveandpregnant.Itmakesnodifference toyourmentalcapacity. “I did the entire fundraise for the businesspregnantandIclosedthe moneywithanewborn.” COMMITMENT Shesaysbuildingacommunityof120,000 parents in the capital – who use the Kidadl platformtodiscoverandbookfamilydays out – demanded a similar commitment to thatofraisingachild. “It’sevenworsewhenyou’rewalking aroundLondonwithabreastpump,let metellyou!Youhaveatinybabywhose life is dependent on you – if you choose tobreastfeed–andyetyouhavea businesswhichabsolutelyisthesame responsibilityashavingachild. “Youcan’tleaveithangingonacliff:you havetotryandjuggletheballsandmakea meaningfuloutcomefromthesituation.” Havingstartedhercareeratlawfirm Linklaters,Feldmanspentfiveyears asaninvestmentbankeratUBSwhere she managed the personal money and tradingportfoliosofseveraloftheUK andEurope’stopbusinesspeople.She describesgettingtoknowtheirstoriesas “anexcitingtime”. HoweveritwasafterjoiningCaanat Hamilton Bradshaw that the dormant seedofherdesiretobuildherown businessbegantogerminate.“Jameswas fantasticandcompletelyinspirational. Everydayyouwouldseethecoalfaceof businessthatIhadneverseeninprior roles,”shereveals. “He’sacompletestrategicthinkerand is always a few steps ahead when it comes BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 ENTREPRENEURSHIP 29 @BCLOUDUK BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK tomappingoutadeal. “Heinvolvedmeineverythingatboard level,soIgothugeexposuretothekinds ofdealsthatwerebeingdone.Heinspired metothinkitwassomethingIcould legitimatelypursue.I’dseenfirst-hand howaddictiveitistobuildsomethingthat doesn’texist. “I’vewantedtobeanentrepreneur sinceIwasateenagerbutIdidn’thavethe confidencetopursueapathsodifferent to my peers until I got older and realised youjusthavetotaketheleap.Nooneis going to tap you on the shoulder and say ‘goandbeanentrepreneurtoday’–you havetodecidethatthisopportunityin frontofyouistoogreattopassup. “Youhavetobehappytotakeallthe painthatgoeswiththat,andsacrificein income and a degree of comfort in your life,becauseyou’resocompelledtogo anddoit.” In the meantime Feldman was appointed head of strategic partnerships atCaan’sportfoliocompanyBluebox CorporateFinanceGroup.Sheturned downthreeofferstoco-foundstart- ups in those years as she did not feel passionateenoughabouttheproblems theysoughttosolve.“IfIwasgoingto quitmyjobandpursuesomething,ithad topullatmyheart-strings.” COMMON PROBLEM When she met Orman, who had previouslybuiltandscaledglobalevents businessSMiGroup,sherealisedthey sharedacommonproblem:finding affordableandage-appropriateactivities forfamilydaysout.Theydecidedtotake theplungetogether. “Sophie had an older child who was ten yearsofageandalsohadthisproblem,” saysFeldman.“Ithinkit’saricher tapestry of life to see the world through yourkids’eyesandtogetoutandexplore lifeasafamily. “Ididn’tthinkthattechnologyoffered methetoolstodothat.Ithelpedmeto getmyshirtlaundered,domybanking, networkwithmyfriends-butitdidn’t offermetechattherightsophistication tohelpwiththemostimportantjobofall, which is raising my children and getting outandmakingthekindofmemoriesthat childhoodisallabout.” Asafathertotwoboyswhoareof similaragetoFeldman’stwins,Ihaveto agree.AtweekendsItendtofallbackon establishedactivitiessuchasmoorland walksandvisitstocastleruins,which palebycomparisonwiththefancydress sleepoveronaTudorboatsherecently triedoutwithherkids. “Iwasabsolutelyinthemidstofthe pain point which continues as your childrengrowandevolve:PeppaPigand PawPatrolsoongivewaytoLaserQuest andbowling,thenadventuresportsand canoeing.It’samoveablefeast,”she says.“Mykidshaven’tstoppedtalking aboutthesleepover.Therewereanimals on the ship and they were taught how to fireacannon!Itbroughtthatwholeperiod ofhistorytolife.” HOUSEHOLD NAMES Kidadlworkswithhouseholdnameslike DisneyonIceandWembleyaswellas topLondontheatresandattractions. It will now launch its Android, iOS and webplatformsglobally.Formerlong- timeEurostarcommercialdirectorNick Mercer, who was also part of the founding teamatAirMiles,recentlyjoinedasa non-executivedirector. “We’vegrownexponentiallywith prettymuchzeromarketingspendas parentstellotherparentsaboutus,” saysFeldman.“Youhavesomeboroughs whereyouhavealmosteveryparent usingtheproduct.Wewantthattogo outacrosseveryLondonboroughand GreaterLondonboroughinrequisite depth. “Thenwe’llgointokeyhubsthathave the right concentration of parents who canconsumeandenjoytheinventory weekin,weekout,inadditionto touristswhoarelookingforthekindof experiencestolivelikealocal.It’sthat blendthatmakesacityaKidadlcity. “Wewantedlastyeartobetheone wherewebuiltandlaunchedtheproduct andthisyeartobetheonewherewetake ittoscale.Wearenowingrowthmode movingthebusinesstowardsaSeriesA. Parentstheworldoverwantbettertools togetoutandaboutwiththeirkids.” ENTREPRENEURSHIP BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 30 “No one is going to tap you on the shoulder and say ‘go and be an entrepreneur today’ – you have to decide that this opportunity in front of you is too great to pass up. You have to be happy to take all the pain that goes with that, and sacrifice in income and a degree of comfort in your life, because you’re so compelled to go and do it.” Hannah Feldman Don’t miss out on this exclusive event – register now! www.unlocked.events/bookmyplace 0800 954 0895 Join us for Unlocked 2019: the UK’s most influential cybersecurity conference roadshow. Our experts will delve into the burning issues in cybersecurity, from the rise in cyber-terrorism and mobile malware to the advantages of ethical hacking and the future of AI and the IoT. The volume of cyberattacks on UK companies grew more than a quarter in 2018, surging to over 1,500 attacks a day on average. It’s no longer a case of wondering if it will happen to your business, the question is now when it happens, is your business protected and equipped to deal with the situation? F C CEO, Hacker, Social Engineer John Noble Director at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) 2016-18 Wednesday 17th July 2019 Wednesday 24th July 2019 UKFast Campus Manchester M15 5QJ The Shard London SE1 9SG 9am - 1pm 9am - 1pm Manchester London young–withouttheneedtonavigate theexpansiveandever-changingsocial medialandscapethemselves. Thekeyisreachinginfluencerswho arerelevanttothebrand.“Forbrands whosuitinfluencersasalifestyle,for example,FMCG(fast-movingconsumer goods)products,orfashionbrands, it’sreallyeasytofindinfluencers,” PostforRentCEOGergoCsiszartells BusinessCloud.“Forothercompanies, suchaspharmacies,it’smuchmore difficult.Whatwouldaprivatehospitaldo THE INVISIBLE WORLD OF THE MICRO- INFLUENCER Hidden inside young people’s smartphones is a booming multi-billion- dollar market which Swindon-based Post for Rent is harnessing for brands. Alistair Hardaker speaks to its CEO Gergo Csiszar. At first glance they resemble any other social media user on Instagram, Twitter or YouTube. Howevertheriseofthe‘micro-influencer’ hasresultedinaboomingmulti-billion- dollarmarketwhichshowsnosignsof slowingdown. To anyone not regularly engaging with them,theeffectisinvisible.Yetbrands arerecognisingmicro-influencersas aneffectivenewchannelforincreasing awareness at a fraction of the cost of traditionalalternatives. More and more seemingly normal people are endorsing products, sharing brandmessagesandtriallingcompanies’ servicesinfrontoftheirhighly-engaged socialmediafollowing.In2017, influencersonInstagramalonewere collectivelyvaluedat$1.07bn,afigure whichhasnowgrownto$1.38bnand showsnosignsofslowingdown. PostforRentwassetupin2015 asamarketplaceallowingbrandsto connectwiththeseinfluencers–who are,liketheiraudiences,predominantly withinfluencermarketing? “Youhavetohaveyourmessage transformed into something good enoughforinfluencermarketing,and traditionalbusinessesmightneeda creativeagencytogetthebriefout.” HeadquarteredinSwindon,withoffices in the US, Hong Kong and Hungary, PostForRentnowhasaround37,000 influencersonitsplatformwhichit connectstobrandsbothlargeandsmall. INVESTMENT Thefirmhasraisedmorethan$2mto date and is opening another funding roundafteritreceivedsignificantlevels ofinterest.Thereareplanstomove “aggressively”intotheUSandAfrica withinthenext12months. Withsomanyinfluencerscarvingout largeaudiencesfromspecificinterests, HungarianCsiszarsaysdataisnowcrucial whenorganisingpartnerships.“We believeinthefuturetherewillbesomany influencersthatyouwon’treallyhave timetohandpickthem,”hesays.“The onlylimitationistheworld’spopulation. Everysingleyearwegetmoresocial mediausers,sothereisstillroom.” Socialmediaisnowaviablecareerfor SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 32 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK 33 @BCLOUDUK DON’T PLAY WITH FYRE young people, with the occupation of influencernowanespeciallyattractive one.Thatmeanscompetitionisfiercer thanever.“It’saroughride,”saysCsiszar. “Theadviceisthesamethatyouwould havegiven20yearsagotosomeone whowantedtobeaTVpresenter:itisa legitimaterole,butyouhavetodoitthe rightway. “Ittakesalotoftimetocreatereally goodqualitycontent.It’sgettingmore difficultday-by-day.Ifaspiring influencershaveaplanand aspecificareatheywant tofocusonlikefashion, food,travelorgaming –ifthey’vefound their passion – then it’sagoodidea.” Unlikeacelebrity agency which deals withwell-knownnames, the company uses data tofindandauthenticate influencersacrossallthemajor platformsineverynicheareaofinterest. Itthenanalysestheirfollowing,filtering out‘fake’followers,toauthenticatethem asanopportunityworththebrand’s investment. Thecompany’ssoftwarethenhelps tocategoriseinfluencersandrank them,beforelettingbrandstapintothat database.Thecompanyalsopromisesto payinfluencersfortheirendorsements withinthreedays,eveniftheclientisyet topayout. Technology is at the heart of the company,butdespitetheitsrelianceon data,Csiszarknowsthatbrandswant morethanfiguresbeforeworkingwith thisnewbreedofonlinestar.“Even thereallyradicalinfluencershaveto transform and change in order to get brandcollaborationsbecausebrands havebrandpolicies.Theywon’treach outtopeoplejustgoingafterviewsand followers,”hesays. REPUTATION Therisktoabrand’sreputationisof obviousconcern.Mainstreaminfluencers suchasPewdiepie,with95million YouTubesubscribers,facesverylittle regulationoverwhathepublishes comparedwithadvertisingontelevision. PewDiePiehasmorethanoncehit the headlines after causing outrage andoffence,resultinginlostbrand sponsorshipsincludingadealwithDisney. Buttheriskofworkingwithsemi- professionalonlinestarssuchasmicro- influencersissmaller,andaccording toCsiszarisoutweighedbythe inexpensivenessoftheengaged audienceswhichtheyhold.“Itisnot easy to compare how much cheaper thisdigitalwayofadvertisingisthan something which is outdoor, TV or radio,”hesays. Thecompanyalsooffersa‘success pricingmodel’,inwhichinfluencers are paid per referral, among its criteria for measuring performance and return forbrands. Itsmicro- influencersmay notevenbe real.Csiszar highlights the Lil Miquelaaccount –a3D-rendered model of a teenage girl posed in real world locationswhichhas1.5 millionfollowers(mainimage, oppositepage)–andShudu,the ‘world’sfirstdigitalsupermodel’, whichmodelsreal-worldclothes. There is also the challenge of theever-changingplatformson whichthesemicro-influencerslive. SnapChat,onceamarketleader, hasbeenusurpedinfeaturesby Instagram.Itwon’tbeaplatform PostforRentconsidersinfuture, saysCsiszar. Insteadhehasmovedhisfocusto TikTok,asocialmediaplatformwith morethan500millionmonthlyactive usersglobally. “Theengagementsandnumbers thatweseewithTikTokinfluencers is so much higher and so much more popular than someone from YouTube.Theaudienceisextremely young and they react and interact witheverything.It’sanextremely valuableplatformforanybrandthat wantstotargetaudiencesbelow18 yearsofage.” The company is now gearing up to release a new application focused on buildingtheinfluencercommunity. “We really see that as the future of influencermarketing:tocreateareal hubwheretheycaneducateeach otherandfindarticlesonhowtobe aninfluencer,howtobeauthentic andoriginalintheirfield,”says Csiszar. HayleySewellsayspeopleshouldonlybe allowedtopushproductsthattheyhave fullytriedandapprovedthemselves. ThisyearNetflixdocumentaryFyre:TheGreatest PartyThatNeverHappenedshowedhowdamaging irresponsiblesocialmediamarketingcanbe. TheluxurymusicfestivalfoundedbyFyreMedia CEOBillyMcFarlandandrapperJaRule(pictured) wassettotakeplaceintheBahamasin2017and promotedheavilybypaidinfluencersincluding KendallJenner.Howeverpeoplewhoshelledout thousandsweregreetedbytentsandpre-packed sandwichesratherthanluxuryvillasandgourmet food.Therewerealsomoreseriousproblems.Last yearMcFarlandwassentencedtosixyearsinprison andorderedtoforfeit$26million. Ihaveaproblemwithinfluencerswhoadvertise productstheydon’tbelievein.Womenwith ‘idealistic’bodiespromotingdietteaswhenthey havepersonaltrainersandmealplansontheside; teenswearinghigh-endtrainersthattheycan’t affordwhentheywouldprefertothrowontheir Converseinstead.Likefakenews,fakelivescanbe extremelydamaging–topeople’sconfidenceas wellastheirpursesandwallets. Weknowadvertisingcanbemisleading, butputtingafacetoaproductgivesitmore authenticity – which is why reaching an audience on socialmediahasbecomesopopularwithbrands. Unfortunately there is pressure on young people tolookorbeacertainway,andtheiraspirationsare boundupwithimagesofonlinestars.Tonotlook likethem,orhavewhattheyhave,iscrushing. Wehavetounderstandtheresponsibilitythat the internet holds, and that portraying false images ofalifestylecanbeharmfultoothers. Whilstbecominganinfluencercanleadto anexcitingandrewardingcareer,itshouldbe approachedwithcaution.Ibelievethatinfluencers shouldn’thavetherighttoadvertiseaproduct unlessithasbeenfullytriedandapprovedbythem –andaimedatanappropriateaudience.Unless theinfluenceriswillingtousetheproduct,why shouldtheyencourageotherstobuyit?Andlet’s behonest–noonewantsanotherFyreFestival situation. 34 BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 TRANSPORT Buoyed by a landmark General Motors deal, wejo founder Richard Barlow says the sky’s the limit for his UK tech firm. Chris Maguire reports. CONNECTED CAR START-UP EYES GLOBAL STAGE Entrepreneur Richard Barlow is thinking big – and with good reason. The entrepreneur is the founder of UK ‘connectedcar’techstart-upwejo, whichstruckaneye-catchingdealwith USautomotivegiantGeneralMotors earlierthisyear.Underthetermsof thedealGMtooka35percentstake inthebusiness,whichvaluedwejoat £213millionandincludeda$25mcash injectionandlong-termdata-sharing agreementbetweenthetwocompanies. FoundedbyBarlow in2014,wejoprovides informationtoavariety ofend-usersincluding insurers, local authorities andbreakdownrecovery servicesbytracking sevenmillionconnected cars.Thehugeamounts ofdatanowbeing generated is hugely valuableforbusinesses buthasremainedlargely untapped. The entrepreneur setupwejotobring telematics to the mass marketandthecompany’stechnology is already processing more than one milliondatapointseverysecond.“More andmorecarsarebeingconnectedwhen theyleavethefactory,”hesays.“The ideaisthatonedaydriverswillseethe wejobrandintheircarsandsatnavsand knowtheycantrustwheretheirdatais headed.” Barlowsaysdrivershaveachoice aboutwhethertosharetheirdataornot. “Ifthedriverisn’thappytoshareany data,thenitwillgonowhere,”hesays. “Ifyou’vegivenconsent,wehavelocal councils and transport departments instatesintheUSthatarebuyingthat data. “Youmayseerubberstripsacross theroadconnectedtoabox,whichare countingtrafficandonlyprovidelimited information.We’reworkingwithcouncils toreplacetheseheavyinstallationsand use connected car data instead as it has much richer information such as the numberofoccupantsinthevehicleand thevehicleweight,make,modeland speed.” Barlowsayswejoisnowworkingwitha numberofOEMs–original equipmentmanufacturers, which produce parts thatmaybemarketedby another manufacturer – aroundtheworld. 1,000 SENSORS “WehaveOEMswhose carsaresharingover1,000 sensorsaseverybutton inyourcarwillhavea sensor: your window will haveasensorifthere’s something stopping it fromclosing[forexample] whileanenginemaywellhave60 sensors. “Everymotormanufactureris different.We’venowworkedwith15 OEMsgloballywherewe’vetakentheir dataandshownhowitcanbeusedto thebenefitofdriversonananonymised basis.We’renowdealingwithlocal authorities, cities and councils in the US,butwe’renotdoingthatintheUK yet.Althoughwe’reaUKcompany,the majorityofourincomeisgeneratedin theUS. “We’resharingliveavailabilityparking spacessoyoucanseewhereparkingis availableinacitywithinanapp.” BarlowwelcomesGM’sinvestment butalsopraisestheconsistentsupport ofotherinvestorslikeSenecaPartners. “IwasveryluckythatI’vebeenableto buildanetworkofpeoplewhofundedus, includingSeneca,aNorthWest-based firm,whohaveinvestedthreetimes,”he says. Wejocurrentlyemploys150people buthasplanstoaddanother100.The techstart-upcurrentlyhastwooffices in the UK and one in Silicon Valley, with plansforasecondUSofficeinAustinand afurtherofficeinEurope. “Wehavegotagreatgroupofpeople whohavejoinedmeoverthelastfew yearsinChester,”saysBarlow.“I’vegot noreasontobelievewhywewouldn’t stayinChester.Wearethegloballeader inthissectoratthemoment;wedohave competitioninAsia,IsraelandtheUS. “Weprocessoveramilliondata pointseverysecondandthat’sactually quiteabarriertoentryforanyone.The architecturewe’vedeveloped,the researchanddevelopment,buildingthe OEMrelationships,takesahugeamount oftime.” BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK 35 @BCLOUDUK TRANSPORT CHARGING BUSINESS IS SIMPLY ELECTRIC SerialentrepreneurDavidSimpsonsoldanelectricvehiclecharging businesstoGeneralMotorsandisnowshakingupthechargepoint marketwithAndersenEV,whichisbackedbyseniorexecsinthecar industry.JonathanSymcoxreports. Even the most innovative tech may not result in a successful business, as David Simpson knows only too well. Theserialentrepreneur’sfirstcompany sold specialist PCs while his second, EvolveMedia,manufacturedmedia serversforluxuryyachts.Howevercritical acclaimandsuper-richclientsdidnot makeitintoaprofitableventure. “We won awards and sold to clients allovertheworld,butthatbusiness failedbecausethetechnologydid toomuch,”hereflectsinaninterview withBusinessCloud.“Thereweretoo manyvariablessowecouldn’tscaleour businessmodel. “With technology simplicity is really important: when you sell something, you cansellathousandveryeasilyratherthan takingontoomuchinternalexpense[for onlyafewproducts].” SimpsonfollowedEvolveMediawitha moresuccessfulelectricvehiclecharging softwarebusiness,whichhesoldto GeneralMotorsforhalfamillionpounds. AftermeetingFrenchmanJerome FaissatwhileworkingasanITcontractor atLloydsDigital,heheadedbackinto theproductmarketwithAndersenEV, which manufactures smart chargepoints forelectricvehicles.FaissatisCEOand Simpsontechnicaldirector. After founding the company in 2015, they spent nine months researching themarketandrealisedtherewaslittle innovationinthehomechargingsector. Andersen’sstate-of-the-artunitsallow the user to control, monitor and manage thechargingprocessviathefreeKønnect app.Italsoallowsremotelockingand unlockingoftheScandinavian-inspired units,whichareavailableinarangeof stylishfinishesfrom£850,and canbeconnectedtosolar panelsandpowerwalls. ECO-BRAND “Achargepointisn’ta caraccessory–it’san architecture accessory,” explainsSimpson.“Itshouldbe verydiscreetandbuilttolast.Wecan’t competeatthelowerendofthemarket –youmightaswellleavethattothe Chinese–butwecanindoingthemore bespokepremium-typeproducts.There is less competition in that area and more sustainabilityasabusiness.” Butdidn’tEvolveMediafalldown becauseitmadebespoke,premium products,Iask?“WithAndersen we’veadoptedtheconceptofmass customisation which Mini championed reallywell,”heanswers.“Thereare thousandsofcombinationsonaMini, from wing mirrors to rear lights and theroofdesign.We’vealsotaken inspirationfromIkeaandhowyou mightbuyakitchen:therearecore standardcomponentsandyouclickthe otherthingsonsoyoucanstilloffera verycustomisedsolution,butforthe massmarketswhichmakeitscalable internationally.” Therewillbemorethana millionEVsinuseby2020, whichwillrequire100,000 chargingpoints.Currently thereareonly16,500public pointsintheUK. Andersen, which is in conversationswithaluxury carmanufacturer,attracted901 investorsduringits£750,000seed fundingroundonCrowdcube,withsenior executivesinthecarindustryamong thosebackingthestart-up.“Oneofour non-execdirectorsistheex-chairman ofNissaninEurope,”revealsSimpson. “We’vealsobeenbackedbytheex- chiefexecofCreditSuisse:he’sgota Teslaandhadabadexperiencewithhis chargepoint so he understood what we weretryingtoachievewithourbusiness andproducts. “Asasocietywemustbemuchmore ‘energysmart’,managethepeaksand troughs.That’stherealpowerbehind smartcharging:doingitwhenit’smore efficientforyourselfandthenetworkas awhole. “Thefutureisadaptivecharging, whenyourchargelevelsareadapted dynamically using certain algorithms and rules.” The company has sold around 500 unitstodateandhasjustbegunselling intoEurope.Itforecastsgrowingits teamfrom20to120by2021andshifting 21,000unitsayear. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 GaryRohloffspent18yearsatthehelmofthreeofNewZealand’sbiggestretailbrandsbutisnowcementing ‘buynow,paylater’start-upLaybuyintheUKafterachievinghugemarketshareDownUnder. HetellsJonathanSymcox:“IdecidedIwasn’tgoingtodiewondering.” Rivalling Visa is as big, hairy and audacious a goal as a start-up could have – but that’s what Gary Rohloff is aiming for. Injusttwoyearstheformerbig-name retailCEOhasconvertedeightpercent ofthepopulationinhisnativeNew ZealandtohisLaybuyplatform,which allows consumers to spread the cost ofpurchasesoversixinterest-free payments. LaybuyhasnowlaunchedintheUK- withfashionretailerFootasylumitsfirst big-namepartner-andistargetingtwo and a half million customers on these shoreswhileitaimstobeliveinother European countries and the United States bytheendoftheyear. Garyhopesthatsigningup375,000 peopleinNewZealandisjustthefirst chapterforthefamilybusinesswhich heco-foundedwithwifeRobynandalso employssonsAlex(picturedwithGary, top)andJames. “Ourdreamwastoestablisha ubiquitousglobalbrand:whenpeopletalk inthefuture,theywillsay‘youGoogle it,youUberit,youLaybuyit’,”hetells BusinessCloud.“It’sabouthavingabig, hairyaudaciousgoalandgoingforit. “Visa and Mastercard are the traditional payment methods and we sit alongside themnow.WhenVisaandMastercard wereintroducedandchequeswere phased out, retailers were loath to accept it–butthereisn’taretailerontheplanet thatdoesn’tacceptacreditordebitcard today,especiallyintheWesternworld. “Ourdreamistobethechosen paymentmethodforconsumersbecause it’sabetterwaytopay.” FAMILY FIRM ManagingdirectorGary,globalbrand directorRobynandAlexarenowbased in the UK as part of a team of eight, while JamesworksinitsNewZealandoffice, whichemploys18,withafurthertwo peoplebasedinAustralia.Thecompany raisedeightfiguresofprivateequity fundinginNewZealanddollarslastyear. TheoptiontopaybyLaybuyisnow availabletoFootasylumcustomersonits onlinestore,withthein-storepayment optionbeinglaunchedinits70UKhigh streetstoreslaterthisyear.MDGaryis alsokeentogetthetechintegratedinto eBayandAmazon. “Footasylumtookaboutfourmonths togetdonebutthey’reagreatbrandfor us.We’venowgotalotofotherbig-name retailers in the pipeline who now see the validityofwhatwe’redoing,”Garysays. He says that spreading the word in theUKhasbeenharderthanitwasin NewZealandandAustralia,wherehe hadextensivenetworksofbusiness leaderskeentosupporttheconcept. Thatcontactbookwasbuiltduring18 yearsasCEOatthreeofNewZealand’s biggestretailbrands:NumberOneShoes, WarehouseStationeryandEziBuy. “IwasrunningEziBuy,Australasia’s largestcataloguebusiness-whichback thenwasmorphingintoonline-back intheearly2000s,”herecounts.“Isaid ‘look–there’sgottobeabetterwayof doingthis,wherecustomerscantakethe producttodayandpayitoffinterest-free. “Themerchantabsorbsasmallcostbut they’vesoldthestockupfront–andthe RETAIL START- UP LIFE IS ADRENALINE RUSHFOR FORMERCEO BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 38 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK consumerisn’tgettingintoanydebtspiral becausethere’snointerestandit’sover ashortperiodoftime.That’sthepremise ofLaybuy. “I’mveryfamiliarwiththechallenges thatretailershavetoday.Oneofthe thingswe’retryingtogetretailersto understandisthatofferingcustomers choiceforpaymentisgoingtobecome somethingyouhavetodo.Consumerswill choosehowtheywanttopayandifyou’re notofferingthemavarietyofoptions, they’llgoandfindsomeonewhois. “Everyone’salsogotintothisspiral ofdiscountingtowoothecustomer-a ‘diveforthebottom’approach.Butwhen peoplehaveawayofaffordingwhatthey wanttodaywithouthavingtowaitforitto go on special, they do that: the purchase decisionona£120itemthat’sonlygoing tocostyou£20todayisverysimple. “When a customer goes shopping and says‘I’vegot£60tospend’,ifthat£60 canbuythemthreedifferentpurchasesat £20apiece,thatcreatesanaverageorder valueandconversionupliftfortheretailer that’sprettymind-blowinginpercentage terms.” UPLIFT Onaverage,retailerspartneringwith Laybuyhaveseenanincreaseinorder valueof60percent,anincreaseinonline andin-storeconversionratesof50per cent and an increase in new customer acquisitionsof30percent. “OneofourmerchantsinNewZealand isatravelcompany.Theyoffer24-and 48-hourspecialsforweekendtripsto SydneyorFiji.IfitcostsNZ$300,people don’thavethatmoneythereandthento takeadvantage-butthey’vegotNZ$50 whichtheycanpaytoday. “Wehaveanumberofticketing companies on the platform in Australasia andwearetalkingtoanumberof ticketingagencieshere.Theapplication acrossdifferentindustries[isenormous]: if you replace the tyres on your car, invariablyit’snotone,it’stwo,sothat’s abigcost.Thentherearegeneralcar repairs,hairdressers...” Describingpaydaylendersas“pretty irresponsible”,Garygivestwoexamples ofwhyLaybuybenefitsconsumersaswell asbusinesses. “Amumemailedustothankusbecause she’dbeenabletobuyherchildrena raincoateachatthestartofthewinter. Shecouldn’taffordNZ$120fortwo raincoatsbutcouldaffordNZ$20forsix weeks,”hereveals.“Therewasalsoadad whotoldushewasoverjoyedbecause hecouldbuyhisboysrugbybootsatthe startoftheseasonforthefirsttime. “Likeyou,I’mfortunatetohavebeen abletoaffordtobuythingsformykids asandwhentheyneededthem,butthe harshrealityisweliveinabubble,youand I...mostpeopleintheUKbudgettheir financesweekly–andthesecondmost popularisdaily. “Lifeisexpensive;addsomelittle childrentothemixanditgetsworse.” Laybuyabsorbsallcreditriskonany transaction, safeguarding its retail partners, and also handles all foreign exchangefeesonaretailer’sbehalf.Users mustgothroughanExperiancreditcheck whileLaybuysaysitprotectsshoppers fromself-imposeddebtbyfreezingthe accountsofthosewhofallbehindontheir paymentschedule. START-UP LIFE Thetemptationtostrikeupan entrepreneurialcareerprovedtoogreat forGary,whoisnow57,aftertheCEO failedtobuyNumberOneShoesandits sistercompanyHannahswithprivate equitymoney. “Havingbeenturneddownonpricefor thethirdtime,IdecidedIwasn’tgoing to die wondering and would go and do myownthinganyway,”hereveals.“Ilike tothinkthatthroughoutmycareerasa CEOItreatedthebusinessesasifIowned themanyway,butwhenyou’rewritingthe chequesoutofyourownbankaccount and putting your own assets on the line thatyou’veworkedforfor30-oddyears, itisatotallydifferentkettleoffish. “I’vehadtolearnthatinatraditional corporate-typebusinessthereisacertain frameworkthateveryoneunderstands, butwhenyou’reinafamilybusiness,your sonsdon’tgiveas***thatyou’vegot CEOinyourtitle.You’redad-andifthey don’tlikeit,they’lltellyou.Theyjustwant togetstuffdone.Thatwasthebiggest thingtogetmyheadaround.Ihadto adjusttothat. “Everydaycounts.Weworkedseven daysaweekforthefirst18monthsof ourbusinessbecausethat’swhatittook. That’swhatdrivesyou:it’sallontheline. If we could create a legacy I could tell my grandchildrenaboutoneday,I’dbeavery happyguy. “We’renotgoingtoachieveourgoals bysittingonourbumsdrinkingbeer. I’vegotenoughgasinmytanktokeep runninghardandI’lldothat.It’sexciting– it’sanadrenalinerush.” RETAIL BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 39 @BCLOUDUK 40 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 Meet the hottest name in music LorenzoBreweristheco-founderofsubscriptionapp nkodaandisquiteliterallymakingsheetmusicthrough technology.ChrisMaguirereports. Lorenzo Brewer is arguably the hottest name in music you’ve never heard of. The23-year-oldisthesonofaworld famous author and a renowned academic, hasbeencomparedtoSteveJobsandhas attracted around £10 million funding from aclutchofbig-nameinvestorsincluding formerDragons’DenstarNickJenkins andPinkFloyddrummerNickMason. KMCapital,whichisheadedupby AdamKamani,co-founderofonline fashionretailerprettylittlething.com,has alsoinvestedanundisclosedsum. Atalentedpianist,Brewerwasstruck athowexpensiveandinconvenientitwas tobuysheetmusic.Atthesametimehe recognised how Spotify had opened up music–andsotheseedsofabusiness ideawereplanted.TodayhisLondon- basedstart-upnkodahaspartnerships withover90leadingpublishers,giving users access to 110,000 titles from MozarttoAdeleand30millionpagesof music–allfor£9.99amonth. Thecompany’ssearchtoolsaredriven byartificialintelligenceandtheapphas beencomparedtoSpotifyandNetflix. Availablein11differentlanguages,it hasbeendownloadedin135countries. MusicalAmerica included Brewer in their Top30ProfessionalsoftheYearlist, describinghimasthe‘SteveJobsof musicpublishing’. “Myambitionforthecompanyistobe abletosaywehaveprovidedaresource for the whole world where people can play, practise and perform music wherevertheyareandwhereverthey comefrom,”hetellsBusinessCloud. “Idon’tthinkthere’salimit.Weknow there are 100 million people who play musicintheworld.Weseenkodaasan accessbusinessthatisempoweredby technology.” Brewer is the son of two academics whometatHarvardUniversity.Hismum StellaTillyardisafamousauthorbest- knownforherworkAristocrats–which wasmadeintoaBBCmini-series–while hisfatherJohnBrewerisaretiredhistory professor.“WhenIgrewupIthoughtall adultswrotebooksbecauseeveryadult I met and came into contact with did that,”herecalls.“Itwasaveryacademic background. “I come from a space where the interestsinmyfamilytendedtobe literaryorartistic.Musichasalwaysbeen aspacethathasbeenmine.” EMPOWERING Brewer was educated at a North London comprehensiveandwassettogoto universitytostudymusicandapossible career as a composer when he suddenly sawabusinessopportunity.“Spotifywas empoweringbecauseitmeantyoucould listentoallthemusicyouwantedto.It meant the only limitation you had was the amount of time you were willing to spend tolearnnewthings.Youcouldstart,asI did,listeningtojazzandenduplistening to hardcore contemporary and classic music.Youweren’tlimitedandthatwas theexperienceIwantedtobring. “Theideaofpayingformusicisfolly. Beingbornin1995,theideathatIwould evercontributemoneytothemusic industrywashardtofathom.I’venever boughtarecord.Ineverwantedtobean entrepreneur.Ineverhadthatambition. It’soneofthereasonswhyIfeelvery lucky.” Brewer was introduced to Sundar Venkitachalam,whobecamehisco- founderatnkodaandCTO.Theaimatthe outsetwastoanswertwokeyquestions. “Doyouhaveenoughcontentforit tobevaluable?”heasks.“Andareyou deliveringitinsuchawaythattheservice youareprovidingisvaluable? “Thereareplentyofbeautiful subscriptionservicesthatdon’thave enoughcontentandthey’reprobably goingtofail.Thereareplentyofservices thathavelotsofcontentthatarepoorly organisedandhardtouseandthey’re goingtofailtoo.Thekeyistomeshthese twothingstogether.” (you’ve never heard of!) MUSIC 41 @BCLOUDUK MILLENNIAL INVESTMENT MAKES AN IMPACT SOCIAL MEDIA InvestorTomMcGillycuddylaunchedhisTickrapptohelpsolve globalenvironmentalandsocialproblemswhileencouragingyounger generationstotakeupinvesting.AlistairHardakerreports. Swedish teen Greta Thunberg has made headlines around the world for her activism around climate change. Theleaderofthe‘schoolstrikefor climate’movementhasmobilisedmillions of school students to protest against a perceivedlackofactiontocounterglobal warmingbytheauthorities.Shewaseven granted an audience with our politicians during the recent protests inLondon.Itisclearthat youngergenerationshave a strong sense of social conscience – which is where Tickrcomesin. FounderTomMcGillycuddy beganhiscareerasan ‘impactinvestor’,driving investmentcapitaltobusinesseswhich solveenvironmentalandsocialproblems, beforedecidingtocreateanappto helpmakethatglobalchangewhilealso encouragingmillennialstoinvest. Theteenswhohaveralliedbehind ThunbergmaybetooyoungtouseTickr –fornow–butthereare17millionUK millennials,aged22-37,whosharetheir passionforglobalchangeandimpact. Withaminimuminvestmentof£5,new userspickfromaportfolioofwhatthe companyreferstoas‘impactthemes’– collectionsofbusinessesattemptingto solvethesameissue.Itcurrentlyoffers ‘climatechange’,‘equality’,‘disruptive technology’,andacombinationofthe threeasoptions. “Eachthemehasaseriesof‘sub- themes’andisdiversifiedglobally,” McGillycuddyexplainstoBusinessCloud. “Climate change includes clean water and cleanenergybusinesses,forexample. Whatwe’retryingtobuildshouldengage first-timeinvestors.Theaudienceisat least90percentmillennial.Assoonas you’veexplainedwhattheappdoesto millennialsthey’redownloadingitbefore you’vefinished!” NORTHERNERS McGillycuddy(pictured, left)metco-founderMatt Latham(right)nineyears agoafterjoiningtheBarclays impactinvestmentgraduate scheme.Astheonlytwo northerners in the cohort “theyobviouslyputustogetherina sharedflat”,hejokes. In2014heleftBarclaystojoin independentinvestmentmanagement firmWellingtonManagement.Working withtheIndiancompaniesinthefirm’s portfolio,hehadhisrevelation:“Ifwe havesuccessfulcompaniesinpartsofthe worldsolvingproblems,theycanalsodo itatamuchbigger(global)scale.” McGillycuddy,whowouldbemanaging abilliondollarsofpensionfund investmentsbytheendofhistimeat Wellington,visitedanaffordablehousing companyinIndiaandspoketooneofthe familiesinside.“Theyexplainedthatthe companyhadchangedtheirlives–andI knewthatanyonecouldunderstandthat story.Youdon’thavetobeinfinanceand investingtogetwhythat’sagoodidea.” McGillycuddymetupwithhisold flatmateLatham,whowasatasimilar pointinhiscareer,tofleshouttheidea.By the end of last year they were struggling tofindenoughtimetokeeptheproject afloat,andsohandedintheirnotices. ThefirstprototypeofTickrwasbuiltin summer2018,byOctoberfundingwas securedandthepairlaunchedafully- operationalversionoftheappfortrial use. “We’regivingpeopleanadditional reasontoinvest,”saysMcGillycuddy. “Theframingoftraditionalinvestment is so foreign that they feel disconnected fromit.Ifyoucanreframeitandmakeit aboutthingspeoplecareabout,thatwill bringpeoplein.” BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 RETAILERSWHO DON’TINVESTWILL DISAPPEAR -EX-FTSECEO AngelaSpindlersteppeddownaschiefexecutiveofNBrownGroupin2018afterfiveyearsincharge.Inan exclusiveinterviewwithChrisMaguireshereflectsonthecontinuingimpactoftechnologyontheretailsector. Former N Brown boss Angela Spindler has enjoyed a stellar 30-year career in retail. Hercareerhastakeninseniorrolesat Coca-Cola,Mars,Asda,Debenhamsand theOriginalFactory.In2018shestepped downasCEOofFTSE-listedNBrown Groupafteroverseeingthecompany’s transitionfromacatalogue-based businesstoanonlineretailer. Sowhenshesharesherviewson the future of retail and the impact oftechnology,yousitupandlisten. “Technologyisfundamentallyableto replacestores,”shetellsBusinessCloud. “Retailwasallaboutgoingintoshops, whereasnowit’smuchmoreaboutbuying things,how,when,whereyouwantto. Whilst the shop is an important part of themix,itcanbereplaced.” Theretailgraveyardisfullofbignames thatfailedtoembracetechnologyand Spindleraccusedsomebusinessesof sleepwalkingintothetechfuture.“A lotofretailershavebeentooslowto respondtotheobviouschallenges.It’s understandablebecausethey’reso heavilyinvestedintheirphysicalstore infrastructure, land, property, space, people and the whole supply chain,” shesays.“Tosuddenlystartselling yourproductsinacompletelydifferent waywhichdoesn’teventouchthat infrastructure…Ithinktheresistancewas partlydowntohard-facedeconomics andreallytryingtomaintainlevelsof profitabilitythataresoimportantif businessesaregoingtoinvestandgrow. “Timewilltellifit’sexcusable, defensible…thereareopportunities ifyouembracethemthattechnology offersintermsoftheirrelationshipswith customers. WINNERS AND LOSERS “Therewillalwaysbewinnersand losers.Retailisfundamentallyabout theproductsthatwewanttobuyatthe priceswe’repreparedtopaysoretailers whohaveuniqueproducts,whogetthe right products to satisfy the needs of theirconsumerbaseandwhopresent themandsellthemwellandoffergood service,willcontinuetothrive. “Butthoseretailerswhodon’tinvestin theserviceexperience,whodon’tinvest inthedigitalexperience,whocontinue to allow their stores and their store experiencetodeteriorateandbecome BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 RETAIL 42 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK NickSpeakmanpresentingatTEDx. ChrisMaguire,left,witheventspeakers. irrelevant,willofcoursedisappear.” Reflectingonhercareer,Spindler saysshefirstsawthegrowingimpact oftechnologyatAsdainthelate1990s whenitwasboughtbyWalmart.“It touchedeverysingleaspectofwhatwe did.Irealisedhowfundamentaltorunning aretailbusinesstechnologywas,”she says.“Butitdidn’ttouchthecustomer andbecomepartoftheshopping experiencetillquiteabitlater. “Iwasoneofthefirstexecutives runningthedot.combusinessfromAsda –groceriespickedandpackedinstores thendelivereddirecttothehome–andI guessthatwasstartedintheearly2000s. Peoplehavebeenabletoshoponlinefor groceriesfor15-16yearsyetitstillonly representssevenoreightpercentof groceryrevenue–it’sbeenavery,very slowburn. “HoweverIcanrememberpeople sayinghomewaresandfashionwillnever sell online – how wrong were they? The homeware and fashion world is now nearly a third online, and growing at a much faster rate than store shopping generally.” TRANSFORMATION ReflectingonherstintinthehotseatatN Brown,Spindlersaysshehadtomovethe businessawayfromcatalogues. “Itwasnotatechbusinesswhen Ijoinedanditwasatechbusiness whenIleft,”shesays.“Thecompany is still pretty much the same in terms ofturnoverandprofitabilitybutit’s adigitalbusinessandthereforehas thefoundationsforfuturegrowth.It’s relevantanddifferentiatedbyitsproduct. “Catalogueshoppingisaverydated andunfashionableproposition.Weturned itintoadigitalbusinesswithoutupsetting theprofitabilityapplecart.Ifyoulookat the operating margin of that company, it’sgonefromabout11or12percentto 9or10percentwhichmakesitoneofthe mostprofitableonlinefashionretailers.” Spindlerslashedthenumberofbrands atNBrowntoaroundsix,focusingmainly onthree:JDWilliams,SimplyBeand Jacamo.“Becauseretailisalow-margin business,andverycompetitive,ifyou don’tembracetechnologyandtheroutes tomarketitcanbring,thenyouwillfail.” SpindlerisdelightedthatSteve JohnsonsucceededherasCEOand spokeofthetalentedteamhehasaround him.“Theroutetosuccessforbusinesses isburiedindata,”sheexplains.“It’sno goodhavingaloadofdataifyou’vegotno insight.Soyouneedtohavepeoplewho candrawouttherelevantconclusions fromthedatabutyoualsoneedpeople whocanimplementthechanges.” ShesaidtheHolyGrailforretailersis knowingwhy,what,when,whereandat whatcostconsumersbuy. “Ifyou’vegot£20aweekthatyoucan spend discretionary, where do you spend it?”sheasks.“Thepersonthatgetsmost ofthatistheretailertowhomyou’re mostloyal.Loyaltyisareallyimportant measurebecauseit meansyou’regettingit right consistently – and using data to secure loyaltyreallydrivesthe economics of a retail business.” AMAZON SpindlersaysAmazon’s successisimpossible toignorebutfeelsit appeals more to men thanwomen.“Amazon isaveryfunctional shoppingexperience,”shesays.“It’s notpleasant,it’snotinspiring,itdoesn’t makemebuythingsthatIwasn’tgoingto buy–itdoeswhatitsaysonthetinandit deliversfast. “Thisisprobablyshowingmy unconsciousorconsciousbiases,butI woulddescribethatasamaleshopping experience.Whenmengointoashop, theydon’twantyoutoputoutfits together, only to show them where the trousers are and where the shirts are – nottomixthemup.Butwomendon’t shoplikethat.Theysay‘howwouldIwear thisasanoutfit?’‘Whatwouldgowith what?’ “Alotofpeople,whenthey’rebuying fashion,justenjoylookingatproducts andoutfitsandhowtheyarestyledand worn.Unlessyourwebsiteoffersthat, Ithinkyou’llnotgettheloyaltyofthe fashion shopper in the way that ASOS, boohooorSimplyBedoes.” SpindlerhighlightsManchester- headquarteredboohoo–setupby entrepreneurs Mahmud Kamani and CarolKane–astheperfectexampleofa retailerthatknowsitsaudience. “Whatthey’redoingiscreatinga businessthatpeoplerelateto,”she says.“Boohooisverymuchaboutteens, students,20-somethingsonabudget, whowanttolookfabulous,don’twantto spend a lot of money on it, want it now, wanttobuy20thingsandreturnthemall andhaveaseamlessshoppingexperience offthebackofthat. “Boohoo is not only aboutaffordableedgy fashionbutit’salsoabrand thatspeakstothetrends. Itusesinfluenceand marketinganditcreates compelling imagery that peoplejustbuyinto.” ButboohooandNBrown aren’ttheonlyretailersthat Spindlerpraises.“ASOS are doing great things and ofcourseIadmireAmazon –they’vedoneanincredible job.IntermsofphysicalshopsI’mstilla fanofJohnLewis.Iknowthey’vebeen throughsomechallengingtimesbut theyknowwhotheircustomerisandI lovetheirvaluesandattitudetoservice. They’reabusinessthat’sworkinghard toreinventitself,understandingthatit needstoembracetechnologytomove forward.” • Spindler spoke to Maguire at a special event at Regent’s University London called ‘Trials and Triumphs in My Career: Lessons for Tomorrow’s Business Leaders’. The other speakers were entrepreneur Julie Meyer ; Stephanie Segoura, general manager, Marriott International in London; and Tamara Gillan, CEO of Cherry London. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 RETAIL 43 “Retail is a low-margin business and very competitive. If you don’t embrace tech and the routes to market it can bring, you will fail.” Angela Spindler @BCLOUDUK From its origins selling clothing on the streets in 1875tobecomingamulti-channelretailerwith morethanfourmillioncustomersandaturnover of£914m,NBrownhasbeentransformedby technology.ChrisMaguirereports. Everyone is looking at the real-time info displayed on the giant flatscreen TVs in the operations centre. The screens are awash with graphs, numbersanddifferentcoloursshowing everythingfromwebsitespeed, customerlocationandtradingfigures. Fromadistancetherisingblockslook likeaManhattanskyline.Intheworldof eCommerce,timeismoney.Asplit- second delay in page uploads will cause a dropinconversionrates.Everyone inthebusinesshasthesame access to the information so theycantakeimmediate steps to rectify any problem. Welcome to the modern world of N Brown, which has transitioned from a catalogue-basedbusinesstoan online fashion retailer with data insight teams,apps,VR/ARand,imminently,5G. NBrown’ssuccessisbuiltontheback ofbrandsincludingJDWilliams,High &Mighty,JacamoandSimplyBe.The businessdatesbackaround150yearsbut the seismic change has happened in the lastfiveyears.Chiefinformationofficer AdamWarne,whopreviouslyspentten yearsatAOWorld,says:“We’reonthe vergeofbeingan80percentonline business.Ofthat80percent,another 80percentareshoppingwithmobile devices.” AroundafifthofNBrown’s2,000staff arenowworkingintech.In2018the company decided to shut down 20 stores asitfocuseditseffortsonline,which is one of the reasons why it reported a statutorylossof£57.5minitslatest setofaccounts.Warne(pictured left)says:“Wedecidedit wasn’trightforthebusiness wewantedtobe,whichis fundamentallydigital.Forus it’showcanwebringbetter technologiesinthatbenefit thecustomerandmakeit easier and faster for them to shop with us?” With this is mind, N Brown startedinvestinginappswith the launch of a prototype twoyearsago.Directorof technologyTimPrice(right) picksupthestory.“The thoughtwasweprobablydidn’t needonebecauseourwebsites weregoodenoughbutwedidanMVP (minimumviableproduct)withsome small seed capital and the early signs wereitoutperformedourwebsite,”he says.“Ourcustomerspreferredshopping onanapp.” APP SQUAD NBrownnowhasa‘squad’of18people workingonitsapps.“We’retryingto createanappthatisnotjustashopping platform.Givetheuserareasontogo there and engage with content,” says Warne.Thebigchangeonthehorizon is5Gtechnology.“It’saboutcreating somethingthatisflexiblesothatwhen technologylandsintheconsumer’s handwecanflexourtechtodelivera betterexperience,”heexplains.“It’sall aboutcontent.5Gunlocksalotof potentialtodeliveramuchbetter experiencetocustomersand itprobablychangessomeof the things that we do as a business.” N Brown is currently doing pilotswithVRandARand Warnebelievesthatsomeof thetechwillbebest-suitedto5G networks.“We’verecentlyinvestedina state-of-the-artphotographystudiothat takes360-degreeimagesofproducts andthemodels.Wecanevenanimate onthewebsite,”heexplains.“Ontoday’s networksit’sprobablythewrongthing. Whenthecustomerhas5Gwhynot havethelistingpageofproductswhere everythingismoving?” Another priority for N Brown is interpreting data to personalise the customeroffer.“Weareadata-rich businessbutwehavetobeinsight-rich aswell.Wehavetoturnthatdatainto somethingwecanuseforthebenefitof thecustomers. “Lotsofpeopletalkabout personalisation.Ithinkthepeoplewho personalise well are those who are going towin.” BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 RETAIL 44 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK Accelerating next IT can grow out of control, disrupting business and slowing innovation. With software-defined solutions, like HPE OneSphere, you can tame IT. To learn mor e, visit hpe. com/uk/Hybrid-IT TAMING the IT Monster 46 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK MAKING THE SWITCH WhenLeicesterTigerslegendLeonLloyd’s rugbycareerended,hefoundhimself marooned without any idea of how to transitiontotherealworld.NowtheCEOof SwitchthePlayisworkingtoprepareathletes ofallagesforthemomenttheyleavethe sportingbubble.JonathanSymcoxmethim. Leon Lloyd threw out his arm to clutch at an arrowing Austin Healey pass, aware it was Leicester’s last chance. Itwasthefinalminuteofthe2001 HeinekenCupfinal,rugbyunion’s ChampionsLeague.Threepointsdown to Stade Francais in Paris, Lloyd managed tograspholdoftheballandfinishinthe corner.Itwasafamoustrythatcrowned thelegendaryTigersteamledbyMartin JohnsonasEuropeanchampionsforthe firsttime. “WhenIwasakid,Idreamedofscoring thewinninggoalforCoventryCityinthe FACupfinal.Thiswasthatmoment:I couldn’thavewrittenitanybetter,”he tellsBusinessCloud.“Thatputusonthe map.”ThatLeicestersidewonfourleague titlesback-to-backandwentontodefend theHeinekenCupthefollowingyear. Now41,father-of-threeLloydis studying an MBA through Manchester MetropolitanUniversity’sapprenticeship schemeandisaprolificmotivational speaker.Howeverthetransitionfrom rugbystartobusinessguruhasbeen anythingbutsmoothfortheSwitchthe PlayCEO–whichispreciselythepoint. He is using technology to help athletes of all ages prepare for the moment they leavethesportingbubblebycreating ‘digitalCVs’usinghighly-ratedplatform Wakelet. Lloydenjoyedasuccessful12-year playingcareerbutwas13yearsofage whenhefirstpickeduparugbyball. Within three years he was representing EnglandSchoolboysatTwickenhamand found himself signing a professional contractforLeicesterin1996–theyear thatrugbyunionleftbehinditsamateur days.Hisfirsthousematewasnoneother thanEngland’sfutureWorldCup-winning captainJohnsonandhecountsformer Tigersteam-matesincluding‘Jonno’, HealeyandNeilBackamonghisclosest friends.“Alotofotherplayersmyage wouldbeoutdoingstudentthings,but beingwiththoseseniorinternational players put me in a great spot,” says Lloyd. “Onedaytheyinvitedmealongtoa tracksession.Wewereabouttoleaveand Iwaseatingthistinnedcurry.Iwasoutof theblocksfasttostartwith...thenthey changedtomakethelegslongerdistance – and after a few more I threw up at the sideofthetrack!Theywantedtoteach mealessonaboutnutrition.Although theyhadn’tbeenprofessionaluntilthat point,thoseguyssawthesacrificesyou havetomaketoplayforyourcountry.” RETIREMENT Lloyd went on to represent England at all levels,includingfiveseniorcaps.After11 yearsatLeicesterhejoinedGloucester but,despiteapromisingstarttothe season,foundhiscareercutshortbya kneeinjury.After266clubappearances, itallcametoanabruptend.“Whenyou leavethegame,youthinkthisbigthing willhappen,”hesays.“Buttherewasa storyaboutmeretiringonTeletext–and thatwasit.Itwasquitedifficulttotake, satthereaged30withtwoknackered kneesandaknackeredshoulder. “For a year I literally stayed at home, drankabitandfeltsorryformyself.Itwas SPORT BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 I . . 47 @BCLOUDUK SwitchedOnplatformonWakelet. horrendous.Rugbyissuchastructured life:fromtheageof16IknewwhereI wasgoingtobeandwhatIwasgoingto bewearing,eatinganddoingatleastsix weeksinadvance.There’snorealscope tostepoutsidethoseparameters. “Elite sport is not dissimilar to the military:withSwitchthePlay,we’ve seencrossoverthere.Youbecome institutionalised.” ThesurprisingthingaboutLloyd’sstory is that he had gone to great lengths to prepareforlifeoutsiderugbyincluding financialplansandambassadorial workforThePrince’sTrust.“Iwas alwaysnetworking.Myteam-mates alwaysthoughtIwouldbetheonethat transitionedseamlessly,”heexplains.“I struggled to come out and say ‘actually lads,I’mnotactuallydoingthatwell’. “Iwasn’tawareoftheconceptof ‘athleticidentity’.Iwasn’tLeonthe husband,thedad,whowasatrusteefor charity,workedforthePrince’sTrust,all thosethings.Inmymind,IwasLeonthe rugbyplayer.Ireallystruggledwithtrying tofindapurposeandfulfilment.” Anotherformerteam-mateand England legend would help pull Lloyd outofhisslump.“LewisMoodytoldme aboutthisjobthatwasgoingathisold schoolOakham.ThankfullyIgotitand that helped me start the process of integratingintotherealworld.” TRANSITION Asfoundationdirectorheledtheschool’s fundraisingactivitiesandbeganto understandthathehadpickedupskills whichweretransferabletothebusiness world,amessagethathedeliversto athletes today through Switch the Play.Heservedontheboardofathlete agencies Key Sports Management and Legion Sports Management, and publishedbook‘LifeAfterSport:From bootroomtoboardroom’in2015after realising that many other former athletes werefacingsimilarchallenges.“The longestthingI’dwrittenbeforethatwas probablyatextoratweet!Therewere 5,000 copies in my garage and I thought ‘ifnoonebuysit,noonewilleverknow –I’lljustburnthem!’Luckilyitgotreal tractioninthebusinessworld.People werecomingtometoaskifIwouldspeak to their sales or senior management teams aboutresilience,success and leadership – all of thosethingsyoutakefor grantedinelitesport.” Lloydwasinvited tojointheboardof Switch the Play, a social enterprise founded in 2014 which focuses on helpingathletesfulfiltheir potential through and beyondsport.“Switch the Play was founded on the forgotten majorityinsport,nottheremembered few.ForeveryPaulGascoigneorClarke Carlisleyoureadaboutinthenewspaper who’sstruggling,therearethousandsof peoplewhoaresufferinginsilence,”says Lloyd. “Thosewhodropoutoffootball’s academysystemdon’ttryandmakeit atanotheracademy:becauseofallthe hypethat’sbeenbuiltupintothemfrom theageof13,theydon’twanttoadmit toanyoneelsethattheyhaven’tmade it,sotheyjustpackin.Wewentinto Arsenal and held a series of sessions aroundtransitionandpersonalbranding. We’vegoneintoeverySuperLeague (rugbyleague)clubanddelivereda financialwellbeingsessionwithour partnersStJames’sPlace.Wealso holdmasterclassesinmediaskillsand networking. “Athleteshaveuniquetransferable skills,butdon’tknowit.Ourjobis showingthemwhytheyareanattractive propositiontoberecruitedandthethings theyshouldbeworkingonwhilethey’re stillcompeting.We’renotlifeaftersport– we’relifeoutsideofsport.” LloydbecameCEOoftheorganisation, whichcountsmultiplegoldmedal- winning gymnast Beth Tweddle among its directors,18monthsago. DIGITAL CV Switch the Play has partnered withWakelettohelpathletes puttogethera‘digitalCV’.One playerwhobenefitedfromthis wasPaulReid,whocaptained Barnsley FC to promotion from LeagueOnein2006. I was in the crowd at the Millennium Stadium that day butconfessthatIhaven’t givenReidasecondthought sincehewasreleasedbytheclubin2008. “Asuccessful20-yearfootballcareer, squasheddown,isjustaparagraphon aCV,”saysLloyd.“Heapproachedus and we set him up with our ‘Switched On’platformonWakelet.Nowheis showcasingwhoheisasaperson. “We put him on a pathway with a businessmentorandhesignedupfora Mastersinsportingdirectorship.Now he’sheadofacademyatSunderlandand absolutelyflying.” LloyddescribesusingWakeletas a“game-changer”.“Ifyou’regoodat interviewingandwantacareerinmedia, ithelpsyoucaptureit.If,aspartofyour contractasanathlete,youhavetodo coachingandcommunitywork,wehelp you capture that to show your future employer. “Showcasingwhotheyarewhenthey’re notcompetingisreallypowerful.” SPORT BethTweddleisaSTPdirector. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 48 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK atfacevalue,”isherview. ManagingassociateCarlyGulliver fromlawfirmAddleshawGoddard saysinvestorshatesurprises,suchas problemswithIP.“Investorswantto havetrustinyouandtheminutethey findasurprise,therelationshipwill starttowaver,”shesays.“Ithinkfrom entrepreneurs’andgrowingcompanies’ perspective,it’saboutreceiving investmentattherighttimeintheir journeyandasthey’retryingtoscalethe business. “[Investors]havetobemorecertain aboutwhatthey’reinvestinginsoIthink theirriskappetitehasgonedownwhich from a company and entrepreneurial side, makesitabitmorechallengingbecause they’llbeundermorescrutinyand investorsarelesslikelytotakerisks.” InvestmentdirectorLouiseRigby (picturedbelow)ofeventsponsor PraeturaVentureshasoverseenthe company’saimtobridgetheestimated £300millionventurecapitalfundinggap forscalingbusinessesintheNorthWest ofEngland.Thecompanyhasinvested in25companiesinsevenyearsincluding PeakAI,SortedandInspireEnergy. Shesaysbusinesspitchesshouldgrab attentionandgettothepoint.“Yourpitch FUNDING MONEYONLY ONE PIECE OF THEJIGSAW Securingthewronginvestmentcanbeasbad asnotgettinganyatall.Prominentinvestors andentrepreneurssharedtheirknowledgeat BusinessCloud’s‘Techinvestment’breakfast. HayleySewellreports. Starting up and scaling a business is a puzzle for even the most entrepreneurial of individuals. When it comes to piecing together the elementsneededtomakeasuccess ofyourventure,oneoftheuppermost priorities is naturally securing access tomoney.Butwhenventuringintothe investmentworld,findingsomeone willingtohandovercashisonlyoneofthe considerationsyoushouldhave. ApadmiVenturesworkswithearly- stagetechstart-upslikeadvertisingtech firmBidoohandmusicstreamingstart-up Beatstream. Its CEO Howard Simms says that if thewronginvestoriswillingtoofferyou £200,000thenthere’snoreasonwhythe rightbackerwon’tdothesame. “Moneyisonlyonepieceofthejigsaw whenitcomestofindingtheright investor,”ishisadvice.“Youholdhandsto startwith.Youmighteventuallygiveeach otherakiss–butyoudon’tgetmarried untilyouareabsolutelycertain.Whytreat investmentanydifferently? “Poisonousinvestorshavetheirown self-interestatheart.” Simmswasspeakingbefore an audience of 110 people at BusinessCloud’s‘Techinvestment’ breakfast.EntrepreneurElizabethClark echoed his words after her company DreamAgilitywentintoadministration duetosufferingfrominvestorrelation issues.“Doyourhomeworkproperly aboutinvestors–anddon’ttakeanyone deckneedstobeclearaboutwhatyou’re doingbutwedon’thavethetimetolook througha100-pagedocumentorwatch a20-minutevideo.Anddon’tputemojis onit.” Theeventaimedtogiveinsightinto businessesseekinginvestmentandheard fromcompaniessuchasRichardHayes’ MojoMortgagesandMikeAnderson’s eventplanningmobileappPadoq. The importance of demonstrating self-efficiency,onlyraisingasmuch moneyasyouneedandneverover-or under-promisingtoinvestorswasalso highlighted. “Investorsarenaturallyoptimisticbut raisinginvestmentisdifficult,”isthe opinionofPaulBillingham(above),the director of Knight Corporate Finance and advisoryboardmemberoffund:tmt. ”Thefirstinvestmentisalwaysthe hardestyou’llhavetoworkfor-make sureyoutakeitseriouslyandplan properlyforit.Thereisarangeoffunding options out there, choosing the right optionforyouandyourbusinessisthe challenge.” OtherspeakersincludedMarkFinlay ofMoneypenny,SteveKellyofSmartkem andNorthStarAdvisors,andPaul HaydockofFounderFundraising. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 IPUTMYFOOT ONTHEGAS TOOEARLY AdministratorswerecalledintoManchester-basedDueCoursein 2017justayearaftera£6.25millionfundraise.FormerCEOPaul Haydockbreakshistwo-yearsilencetotellChrisMaguirethat theyscaledtheFinTechbusinesstooquickly. Tech entrepreneur Paul Haydock seemed destined for great things with DueCourse back in 2016. Theinvoicesoftwarestart-uphadjust raised£6.25millioninfunding,oneofthe largest rounds for a UK FinTech outside London,withbackersincludingfounders andinvestorsinZoopla,LoveFilm, TransferWiseandLinkedIn. HoweverinJuly2017therewere shockwaveswhenthefirmcalledinthe administrators.Untilnowco-founder Haydockhasstayedsilent–butfeels thetimeisrighttotellthefullstory.“We tookthedecisiontoputDueCourse intoadministrationwhenitbecame clearwecouldn’tcontinuewiththe businessinitscurrentform,”Haydock tellsBusinessCloud.“Itranintotrouble… we made a conscious decision to shut it down. “Wetookallthelessonslearnedand createdanewversionoftheproduct calledAutopaid.Autopaidhasjustraised a fresh round of VC funding, so I felt now itwastherighttimetospeakandshare somelessonslearntwithotherfounders.” Bolton-bornHaydockbeganhiscareer astheco-founderofmyparceldelivery. com, a courier comparison site for SMEsnowknownasSortedGroup,with DavidGrimes.In2014heco-founded DueCourseafteridentifyingaproblem SMEshadwithlatepaymentofinvoices. DueCoursewasasoftwareplatform that allowed SMEs to get paid within hoursaftersendinganinvoiceratherthan waitingupto90days–unlockingmoney tiedupinunpaidinvoices.Hesays:“We builtsoftwarethatconnectedwithcloud accountsystems,likeZeroandSageOne. Youcouldcreateyouraccountsystemin twoclicks.Wewouldofferyouanadvance againstanyoutstandinginvoiceatany time. “Forexampleifyouhadanoutstanding £1,000invoice,we’dgiveyou£850of itwithinanhour.Whenyougotpaid youreimbursedusplusanyfeesyou incurred.” HaydockwenttoLondoninsearch offunding.“Ididover100pitchesand acceptedanofferofacombination ofVCfundingandangelinvestment,” heexplains.“Wegot£1.25minequity investmentand£5mindebt.” The£5mdebtfacilityallowedthem topayapercentageofcustomers’ invoiceswhiletheywerewaitingtobe paid.“Raisingmoneyisn’ttheendgame, buildinganamazingbusinessistheend game,”saysHaydock.“Raisingfundingis justastepalongthatjourneysowedidn’t particularlycelebrate.” MISTAKE Theentrepreneuradmittedhisbiggest mistakewasgrowingtoofast,tooquickly. “Iholdmyhandsup,”hesays.“Iam ultimatelyresponsible.Ithinkweput thefootonthegastooearly.Ithinkthe expectationwastogrowataphenomenal rate and I was complicit in that and executedthat. “Inhindsightweweren’tready,Ithink wetriedtoprematurescale,wewerevery closebutwedidn’tquitenailit.Wescaled veryquicklyandIthinkintheendwehad tosortstuffout.It’soneofthethingsyou learnthroughexperiences.” Haydocksaystheydidn’tforeseethe numberofclientswhodidn’tinformthem whentheiroutstandinginvoicehadbeen paid–effectivelymeaningtheywerepaid twice.“Whenwedidtheaudit,abouta thirdhadbeenpaidandtheyhadn’ttold us, so we had to go out and reclaim all thatmoney,”hesays.“Asasmallteam thisputalotofoperationalstrainonus.” Autopaid has prioritised sorting out anyglitchesbeforeseekingfunding. Althoughheremainsamajorshareholder, Haydock’sco-founderNicolaWeedallis now the CEO as he focuses on his other businessFounderFundraising,which matchestechstart-upswithinvestors. “Givenmyexperienceofraisingmoney multipletimesandhavingbuiltupa masterinvestornetwork,Ijustknow howpainfulraisingmoneycanbefor founders,”hesays.“You’retryingtobuild theproduct,buildtheteam,getnew customers,serviceexistingcustomers, thenyou’vegottobeoutontheroad meetingnewinvestorsdoingpitchesfor three-sixmonths. “I wanted to help founders, especially in the North, raise the money they need to acceleratetheirbusinesses.” FUNDING BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 49 @BCLOUDUK KISSING THE RIGHT INVESTMENT FROG Theinvestmentworldcanbeahazardous place.SteveKellyrevealshowstart-upscan ensuretheyarepuckeringupforfunding princes rather than those who might ruin theirhappyending.HayleySewellreports. For a fairytale happily-ever- after, it is sometimes necessary for a princess to kiss a frog. Butintheinvestmentworld,notall smoochingfrogsturnintoprinces.Serial entrepreneurSteveKellybelievesthat manystart-upbusinesseshaveto“kissa lotoffrogs”togaintherightinvestment- andheshouldknow. Havingraisedmorethan£50millionin his25-yearcareer,hehasdealtwithmany investorsthroughhisinvolvement infourbusinesses.Nowan advisortoflexiblescreen manufacturerSmartkem,he has created his own informal guidetotakinginvestment, identifyingwhatinvestors arelookingforinreturn. Kellybeganhisstoryin1986 astechnicalservicesmanager forindustrialcoatingscompanyQC Colours,beforemakinganearly-1990s exittojoinanti-counterfeitingtechfirm KromacorpInternationalasCTO.He laterfoundedDatalase,adigitalprinting company that could print without the use ofink,beforemovingtoSmartkem. Since2009hehasraised£30mfor theManchester-basedcompany,which manufactures screens for electronics tocreatefoldablephonesandsmart watches.SpeakingatBusinessCloud’s TechInvestmentbreakfast,sponsored byPraeturaVentures,hejoinedFounder FundraisingCEOPaulHaydockintelling an audience of 110 people what can happenwithbadinvestment. “Youhavetokissalotoffrogs,”is Kelly’sadvice.“Mytoptipsaredoyour research,makesurethatyouareableto conciselypitch[youroffer]bystarting withthepainyou’regoingtosolveand demonstratetheinspirationthat’sdriven youtocometoraisefinancials.Really workhardondemonstratingthetangible resultsyoucanachievewithinthatround offunding. “I’vealwaysbeeninvolvedinhardand deeptechandthesearebusinessesthat don’tscalelikedigital,soyoucan’t judgethescalingofhardtech byusernumbers.Theyhave uglythingslikesupplychains andproductsandquality systems.Ittakeslonger to scale, which means you havetokissalotmorefrogs in the deep tech and hard tech sector.” Takinginvestmentatthewrong timecanalsobeofdetrimenttoanew business,andtakingtoomuchcanover- promisetoinvestors.Kellysaysnew businessesshouldtakeinvestmentwhen theyhave‘proofofconceptandsome formofearlydemonstration’;equally start-upsshouldbepreparedandshow theyhavetheabilitytosurvive. “Alotofsmallbusinessesdon’tdo themselvesanyjusticebynotpreparing properlyforinvestmentandit’sno surprisethere’sahighattritionratefor start-upswhoarenotabletofindany kindoffinancing,”heexplains.“I’malways lookingatwhatproblemthey’regoing tosolve-isitgoingtochangetheworld, is it going to change a small part of the market,andhowmuchpainisthere? “Ilookattheresultsthattheyclaim theyaregoingtoachieve:aretheyover- promisingorunder-promising?Then lastly,lookingatevidencethatthey’ve gotthetoolstosurvive-havetheygot theabilities,aretheyentrepreneurialin nature,andhavetheyusedabitoftheir owncashtotakesomerisks?” HORSES FOR COURSES Hebelievesthereisa‘horsesforcourses’ approachastheearlierthebusiness,the riskiertheinvestment-sobusinesses shouldformrelationshipswithinvestors thatare“alignedtoyourworldview”. “Thedoomsdayscenariosarebad investmentcankillacompanybecause you’vegotunmatchedexpectations betweenthefoundingteamandthe investors-investmentcanmakeallthe differencebetweensuccessandextreme success,”hesays. “Soagoodinvestorisworthitsweight ingold,andill-timedinvestmentcankilla company.Youwanttodoyourowndue- diligencewhenyoulookforinvestment andinvestpropertimetoresearchwho therightaudienceis. “Sometimesit’sbettertohavealower valuationwiththerightinvestorsthanitis tohaveahighvaluation,lessdilutionand thewronginvestor.” 50 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 FUNDING LEVELLING THEPLAYING FIELD From his childhood on a Birmingham council estate tobecomingastart-upentrepreneur,AdamPritchard hasspenthislifesmashingthroughglassceilings. JonathanSymcoxreports. Adam Pritchard has never considered his background to be relevant to his business – until now. Atschoolhelaunchedamagazinetogive studentsavoice–evensecuring£10 investmentfromaleadingbank–whilethe councilestatefootballclubheestablished inWintonnearSalfordnowhas19teams. However,reflectingonhispast throughthelensofnewventureShopit,it seemsarecentrevelationtothesoftly- spokenentrepreneur.“Ihadawonderful childhood.Manylovelypeoplelivedon ourestate,butitwasrundownandthere were also some dodgy types,” he tells BusinessCloud,citinganexampleofa friendwholaterbecameadrugaddictand went to prison for one of the most heinous ofcrimes.“ItwasarealSlidingDoors momentwhenIheardaboutthat. “It’sdifferentforthoseontheother side.LookatformerChelseastriker GianlucaVialli:hegrewupinacastlebut hadtobattleagainsthissuccess,finddrive and commitment within him when he had thingssomucheasier.” At the age of 11, Pritchard won a place atgrammarschool.“Theotherkidstook regularskiingtripsandmusiclessons forgranted.IwasluckyifIgot£5pocket money,”hesmiles. He earned the ire of teachers when heusedhismagazineOutbursttocall forthecreationofastudentcouncil. “Ithoughtthekidswere underrepresented in a lot of the decisions that were made in school.Severalteacherswouldwalk pastmeandgivemethe‘eye’!Butitgot implemented–andit’sstilltheretothis day. “It feels natural to me: I saw something thatwaswrongandwantedtomakea changetorepresenttheseotherpeople.” Aftergraduatingfromuniversityhe workedat3M,whereapsychometric reporthighlightedhimasapeople’s champion.Thiswasborneoutwhen helaunchedWintonWanderers.“While myuniversityandgrammarschool experiencemademeabitdifferentto thosepeople,myrootswereabsolutely thesame,”hereflects. “Intheunder-11swehadaposhkid calledAlistair.Hisparentsbroughthim alongtoroughenhisedges.Thepitch was in the middle of the estate and there wereliterallykidskickedoutofthedoors at8ambyparentswithabeercanstillin theirhandfromthenightbefore,saying ‘goandsortyourselfout–I’llseeyou backfordinneratsixo’clock’. “Theywerefromcompletelydifferent backgrounds,butthey’dplayfootball togetherintheparkanddidn’tnoticeall thosedifferences.” Itwasareallabouroflovebeforehe handedoverthereinsandsteppedaway. “Iwasoutraisingmoneyfortheclub, mowingthepitch,designingthekit...the ideaofbuildingmyownfootballclubwas amazing!Andrunningmyownbusinessat thesametime.” Thatbusinesswasagency ProjectOcto,establishedin 2012.Pritchardhasjustwound itdownashesaysitwastakinghis focus away from Shopit, which is where his heartclearlylies. “It’stheworld’sfirstpay-as-you-grow eCommerceplatform,”hesays. “ThewayI’veinadvertentlybuiltit and priced it, it helps out the younger businesses,thepeoplewhohaven’t gotmoneyintheirpocket.Itlevelsthe playingfield.Mywifesaidtome:‘you’re buildingthebusinessinthesamewaythat you’rebuildingthefootballclub’.Wegive everythingtoeverybodyfromdayone. There’snotieredpricing. “In tech, and eCommerce in particular, everythingisgearedtowardshaving moneyupfront.TobuildaMagentosite youneed20grandtostartoffwith. “Our pricing normally starts at around £8amonth,dirtcheap,buttheypayforit astheyuseit.Iftheygetathousandora millionvisitors,theserversgetusedand thecostcomesintoit. “They can spend their early money on marketingcampaigns,drivingpeopleto theproduct.Itgiveseverybodywith£8in theirpocketeverymonththeopportunity tobesuccessful.” As for Pritchard, now 42, he feels that theculminationofhisexperiencecould seehisownventuresucceed. “Aninvestoraskedme‘whydoyoudo it?’Yes,Iwanttomakemoney–butwhen I’monmydeathbedIwanttoknowI’ve madeabitofdifferenceintheworld,”he said. ECOMMERCE BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 @BCLOUDUK 51 52 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 PROPERTY MORTGAGES CAN BE HELL ORHABITO DanielHegartyalmostlosthisdreamfirsthomeduetomistakesmade byhismortgagebroker.HetellsHayleySewellhowtheexperience causedhimtosetupdisrupterHabitofromhiskitchentable. Applying for a mortgage can be a hellish experience – but a UK tech entrepreneur believes he has the answer. DanielHegartyisCEOofHabito,a LondonPropTechstart-upwhichhas grownto160staffinjustthreeyearsand istransformingthemortgageprocess. Hefoundedthebusinessfromhiskitchen tableafterhealmostlosthisdreamfirst home due to repeated errors on forms submittedbyhismortgagebroker. Firsttheyputhiswife’snamedowntwice alongside his own; after this held up the process for 10 days, they deleted his nameratherthanoneofthoseofhiswife. Thankfullythe“terrible”experiencedid notresultinthemlosingthehouse. Fromhisnewkitchenhegathereda teamoffivepeopletocreateabusiness todemystifythejargonofmortgages andscraptheheftyfees.“Ittookussix toninemonthstobuildtheproduct, whichdefinitelyfeltslowbecauseyou don’tknowifanyoneisgoingtoshowup andusethethingyou’vebuilt,”hetells BusinessCloud.“Themortgageindustry asawholehasverylittleinterestinthe customers–asyoulookacrossthe landscape of mortgage products and hear alloftheridiculousjargon,yourealise quitequicklythatthecustomersarenot attheforefrontofeveryone’sminds. “Building the company with the customeratthecoreofeverythingwedo –that’spartofourDNA.” Theonlinemortgagebrokerservices theUKandcreatedtheworld’sfirst robo-adviserforregulatedmortgage advice,meaningconsumerscanfindand apply for a mortgage entirely through the internet.Itsalgorithmanalyses over90differentlendersin seconds then applies on your behalffreeofcharge,with thelenderspickingupthe feeforasuccessfulmatch. In 2017 the company raised £18.5millioninaninvestment roundledbyAtomico,the Londoninvestmentfirmestablished bySkypefounderNiklasZennstrom. CARTOONS Mortgagesaren’ttheonlyareaofthe marketthatHabitoisaddressingwitha uniqueapproach.Cartoonadvertising styledonRickandMortyshowsanimated characterssufferingtothepointofdeath under long mortgage applications or monsterhandstakingeverypennyfrom theirperson. Although grim in nature, Hegarty said the ads were meant to show the true experienceofapplyingforastandard mortgage–andhowtheHabitobrand representsacalm,heaven-likepresence toahome-buyer.Theaccompanying sloganis‘HellorHabito’.“Thetruthis wefindfinancialservicesmarketing incrediblyboring,”heexplains.“[Other companies]aredesperatelytryingtoearn trust and will show you a happy familyatthekitchentable payingtheirbills. “I understand where it comesfrom,butwefelt liketherealityofgetting a mortgage is a much more intense and emotional experience,andnoneofthis advertisingreflectsthat.Wetriedto empathisemoredirectlywiththem.” WithBrexitlooming,themortgage marketisinaperiodofuncertaintyas homeowners wait in anticipation of how priceswillbeaffected.Hegartysaysthe situationmaynotaffectthenumberof applicationsformortgages,butthey haveseenaslowdownonthepurchase sideofthemarket.“About40percentof all mortgages are remortgages and so theycarryonregardless.Inthehouse- movermarket,there’ssomefundamental driverslikepeopledying,getting divorced,gettingintodebt,whichmeans peoplecontinuetomoveinallsituations. “There is this discretionary 20 per centofthemarketwhoisthinkingabout movingbut,giventheuncertaintyfor housepricesaroundsomethinglike Brexit,mightwaittoseewhathappens.” 53 @BCLOUDUK mortgagerecommendationsgive customersmorecertaintyaroundeligibility and ensures they get the cheapest deal nowandinthefuture. It’scompletelyfreetothecustomer, withMojogettingpaidbytheprovider. The company is also engaging with larger digitalbusinessestowhitelabeltheirown mortgagejourneys. “IntermsofvalueIgenuinelybelievewe couldbeahalf-a-billion-poundbusiness,” saysHayes. PROPERTY “At our core we are technology focused, we’re a mission led business and we are genuinely focused on creating a better mortgage experience.” Richard Hayes Richard Hayes could have been an actor or a pop star but found his calling as an entrepreneur. Now he’s shaking up the mortgage industry. He spoke to Chris Maguire. Hayes finds his Mojo in mortgages Richard Hayes gives the impression of being one of life’s natural disrupters. Between the ages of 11 and 16 he attended theatre school and after appearinginlotsofTVadvertsandtwo fleetingpartsinEastEnders,hereturned home unsure of what he wanted to do next. Attheageof18hesignedarecord dealwithEMIbuttheall-boygrouphe sangin,365,neverreleasedanysongs. “Ididn’tseeeye-to-eyewithanybody, primarilyatthelabel,”headmits.“I’m quiteastrongpersonality.” In2008hesetupanonlinecarfinance businessbutsaysthecreditcrunch camealongandhelostallhislenders. Bruisedbutfarfrombroken,Hayes reinventedhimselfandit’sinhis currentroleasco-founderofonline mortgagebrokerMojoMortgagesthat he is threatening to cause the most disruption. The entrepreneur says the mortgage marketisbrokenandhewantsto shakeitupasmuchashecan.Mojo –or‘mortgagejourney’–usesan algorithmtomatchthespecificneeds of customers against more than 20,000 mortgageproductstofindtherightone. ItwasonlylaunchedinApril2018 byHayesandNickSherrattbuthas alreadyhelped50,000peopleandsaved customers£4minbrokerfees. The early performance is the reason whytheMacclesfield-basedcompany recently attracted £7m in funding from NVMPrivateEquityandMavenCapital Partnersalongsideprivateequityand otherinvestors. The Series A funding was one the biggestraisesreportedoutsideof Londoninthelast12months. BROKEN SYSTEM The £7m is on top of an earlier round of£800,000inseedfunding.“Mojoisa mortgagejourney-ifabusinessiswilling tocallitselfMojothentheyaredefinitely doingsomethingabitdifferentinour opinion,”HayestellsBusinessCloud. “The old mortgage system was convolutedandbrokenwithnoend- to-endexperience.Ithadmultiple differentpeoplethatyouhavetospeak to,multipledifferentrelationshipsthat you had to manage, inaccurate pricing, inaccuratecomparisontables,alackof insight into the right product for you, andadistinctlackoftransparencythat isprobablyprevalentinallfinancial servicesintheUK. “TheUKmortgagemarketisthat massivethatwe’vegotabigpieceofpie togoafterhere,we’vegotamassive problemtosolveandwecansolvethe problemofmillionsofUKcustomersby stayingintheUK.” MojoMortgageshasaworkforce of 66 and currently has a run rate of £1.3m.Hayesadds:“It’sgrowingquite significantlysoourannualrunrateby January2020willbeabout£6m.” Hayes’previousiterationofthe businesssoldmortgages,income protectionandlifeinsurancebefore theyfocusedsolelyonmortgages. “Weareexceptionallyagileinour thinkingandinourwaythatwe buildtechnology-genuinely speakingweareafully-fledged FinTech,”hesays. “At our core we are technologyfocused,we’rea missionledbusinessandwe are genuinely focused on creatingabettermortgage experience.We’refocused onabetterexperiencefor the customers that come to MojoMortgages.” Mojo’salgorithm-powered Cloud technology is changing the world around us and having an impact upon every industry, even if you aren’t aware of it. Thetraditionalmethodofdigitalservices isbeingdisplacedbysystemswhichcanbe updatedautomaticallyandatscale. Whereyouusedtofindapplications runninglocallywithinbusinessessuchas accountancysoftwarelikeSage,peopleare movingtousesoftwareasaserviceinthe cloud.Tobeabletoprovidethissoftwareas aservicetypemodel,yourbusinessneeds tobeabletoreacttocustomerdemandata moment’snotice. Inthepastwebsitesthatexperienced suddenhighdemandusedtocrash,butthe cloudenablescompaniestospinup‘virtual machines’tocopewiththeinfluxofvisitors. Ifoneofourclientswasabouttohaveabig sale,withtraditionallegacyserversthey wouldhaveneededenoughcapacitytodeal withthatincreaseintrafficfromdayone;but withcloudtheycan‘burst’upanddownas andwhentheyneedto. Assoonastheyapproachthemaximum threshold, using APIs they can automatically spinupanothervirtualmachinetocopewith thedemand;foreveryXnumberofusers beyondthat,itwilladdanother,andsoon.All thistakesplacewithouthavingtogothrough any sales or account management channels –itjustgetsdeployed. OurclientLateRooms.comisagreat exampleofthis.Theymakeconstant changestotheirwebsite,perhapstweaking something 50 times a day and monitoring theresults–andeverytimeachangeis made, that code is pushed out automatically, spinningupanewvirtualmachineandkilling theoldoneoffacrosstheentireestate untilthatcodehasbeendeployedtoall virtualmachinesandisnowrunninglivein production. So how do we help push that out for them? Welcome to the world of APIs – or Application Programming Interfaces, as no onecallsthem. An API is sort of a sales and account managementengine.Theyallowcompanies totapintotechnologycreatedbyothers andadaptitfortheirownends.It’sliterally a gateway into the infrastructure of a companylikeUKFast:itgivesourclientsthe groundworktobuildtheirsystemsusingour products.Theycanpickandchoosewhich featuresandservicestheywantwithout beingdictatedtobyasetrangeofproducts. TheLateRooms.comsystemwilltalktoour APIandwhateveritinstructsittodo,itcarries out.Itmeansthatratherthanexperiencing delayswhendeployingchangestowebsites, theclienthasfullcontroloverwhathappens and when – they dictate this to us through the APIs and, through automation on our side,thoserequestsprovisioneverythingas quicklyaspossible. AtUKFastwearetakingwhatwecallan ‘API-first’approach.Inthepast,newproducts hadtobedeliveredintooursalesandaccount managers’productpipelinesbeforethey wentlive. We’retryingtoflipthatonitshead:once theproductorfeatureisbuilt,wemake itautomatablefromdayone,wrapanAPI arounditand,assoonasthatAPIgoeslive, theproductisreadyforpeopletouse. Itmeanswecandeliverproductsand servicesandfeaturesquickerthanwehave donebeforewithouthavingtowaitforthat fullend-to-endprocesstobecompleted. Wealsowanttomakeitaseasyaspossible forourclients’developerstoconsume theseproducts.Fulldocumentationonhow to implement our APIs sits in our UKFast DeveloperCentre. OurSDKs–SoftwareDevelopmentKits –canbedownloadedandembeddedintoa company’sprojectcodebasemakingiteasier toconsumetheseAPIsandgetstarted. It is the way the industry is going: everybodyismovingtobeabletoconsume servicesascode. In a new column, UKFast CTO Neil Lathwood explains how cloud technology is enabling companies to deploy new features as soon as they are ready. The importance of an API-first approach laf.io/ @neillathwood COLUMN: NEIL LATHWOOD BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 54 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK Practical learning for resilience and wellbeing Accredited courses Resilience And Wellbeing Physical Activity Special Educational Needs Compliance Courses Safeguarding and Care Courses Flexible Learning Understanding the fundamentals Learn at a time, pace and place that suits you Charter Wellbeing Policy Accredited e-learning Wellbeing Audit Andy Lord is an unlikely-looking superhero – but if he can fix the UK’s digital skills crisis the only thing he’ll be missing is a cape and a mask. CiteslikeLondon,Leeds,Birminghamand Manchesterarebuildingalargechunkof their future around the digital tech sector butfacetherealandpresentdangerof notbeingabletofindthepeoplethey needtomakeithappen. ThisiswhereLordcomesin.He recognisedthewideningproblemafew years ago and set up Code Nation, which teachespeoplehowtocodebutalsohow togetajobbytrainingtheminlifeskills. Asitworksdirectlywithbusinesses, companiescanwalkaroundCodeNation’s NorthWestofficesand,iftheyseethe persontheywant,signthemup.The strategyisworking:around93percent ofthepaidstudentswhohavepassed throughthesystemhavebeenoffereda jobwithinthreedays. Sowhoistheunlikelysuperhero–and what’shissecret?Lordistheyoungestof threebrothersfromBury.Hisdadworked asaplumberandhismuminatraditional Lancashiremill.Hisdadwantedhimto jointhefamilybusinessbutLordquickly decidedhedidn’twanttobeaplumber andrecognisedhewasrubbishatDIY. Hedidn’tfaremuchbetteratschool, leavingwithoutasinglequalification. “Ifoundschooltobethesinglemost Can superhero fix the digital skills crisis? uninspiringplacethatIcouldeverturnup to,”hetellsBusinessCloud.“Itwasaplace forbatteryhens,itdidn’tfitwiththeway Ilearn.” Despitehislackofacademicsuccess, Lordsayshisexperiencesatschool taughthimthatpeoplelearnindifferent ways.“Ifyoucantapintoadifferentstyle ofteachingyougetadifferentlevelof learning,”hesays. MARKET LordgotajobonBurymarketandended uprunningaflagshipstallatBolton market.Hethenhadspellsofselling insurance,workinginthekitchenof a French restaurant and setting up a windowcleaningroundattheageof23. Herecalls:“Ilearnedthat‘cashisking’ becauseeveryonepaidcash[tohave theirwindowscleaned]soyouhadtobe hardcoreandknockonpeople’sdoorson aThursdaynight,otherwiseyoucouldn’t affordtogoandcleanthewindowsthe weekafter.You’vegottoworkreallyhard tomakeanymoney.MypatchwasinBury, thousandsofterracedhousesat£1.50 perhouse.Cleanthemslowlyandyou don’tmakeanymoney;cleanthemfast andyoumakeafortune.” Lord‘stumbled’intotechnical recruitment and admits his attitude at the startwasawful.“I’vestillgotmywritten warningthatsays‘you’llneveramountto AndyLordbelieveshiscompanyCodeNation hasthesolutiontothegrowingdigitalskills gap.ChrisMaguirespoketohim. 56 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 SKILLS GAP anything,youthinkyouknoweverything, you’rearrogant,you’rerude’,”herecalls. “ThosewerethedayswhenHRdidn’t mindifthatwasinaletter.Idon’tthink youcoulddothatnow.Ilookbacknow andthinktheguythatwroteitwas100 percentcorrect.Ispentayearbeing rubbishbecauseIwouldn’tlistenand thoughtIkneweverything–andthen foundoutIknewnothingandlistenedand learned.Ibecamereallygoodatteaching others.” AtemplateemergedofLord’s approachtolife.“Giveamanafishand he’lleatforaday,teachhimhowtofish andhe’lleatforever,”hesays.Hisbig breakwassettinguphisownrecruitment businesscalledRethinkGroupwithsome friendsin2005.Lordisstillashareholder inRethinkGroup,whichhasaturnoverof £130m. SKILLS CRISIS Howeverattheageof48herealised something was missing in his life so he setupCodeNationin2017withalong- termcustomercalledDavidMuir.“He’s agenius,”saysLord.“Hismemoryand retentionfordataandstats,hisability to forward calculate things in an instant ismindblowing.Itmakesagreatfoilfor mebecauseIdon’tlikethedetail,Ilike thebigstuff.Weweretalkingaboutthe digitalskillscrisisandIwasthinking‘What canIdointheRethinkGroupthatisn’t justdoingwhateveryotherrecruitment companyintheworldisdoing?’ “Wedecidedwe’dsetupacoding schoolinsidetherecruitmentbusiness andRethinkGroupgavemesome latitudetogoanddothat.Theycouldsee itwasaprojectofpassion.Wecouldgo andknockonanytechcompanydoorand say‘ifyougiveusthismid-seniorbitof work,we’lldothejuniorrecruitmentfor free–andwe’llmakethem[job-ready]for you,we’llgiveyouabespokepathway’.” OurinterviewtakesplaceatCode Nation’sManchesteroffice.Lord’sdesk is sparsely decorated, with nothing on his walls, which is at odds with the idea machineinhishead.Realisinghecouldn’t combinethetworoles,heresignedhis RethinkroleandbecameCEOofCode Nation.Lordsaysthevisionhasalways beensimple–thinkbig.“Tomakea differenceyoucan’ttrain100people, youneedtotrainthousands,”hesays. “Therewillbeatleastonemillionpeople extraneededwithdigitalskillstocope withthedemandasit’sdescribedtoday. InManchestereverybusinessIspeakto wants10or20andit’sgettingworse–or better,dependingonwhichsideofthe tableyou’reon. “I’mgoingtodotherightthingfor as many people that I can and access fundingsopeopledon’thavetopay,and makemoneyoutofdoingit.Soit’sstill thevision–anationwidebusinessthat has multiple classrooms and multiple curriculums.Wedocyberandsoftware now,we’llprobablydodatascience.And blockchain:it’sthenumberoneskillin America now with 56 per cent growth in one year in demand for people with those skills.” relationshipswithanimpressiveline- upofcompaniesincludingAO.com,N BrownandEMISHeath.“We’reinthe techindustry:ifyouwanttocherrypick oneofourstudentsyouhavetocome anddoa‘dayinthelife’talkandshare someknowledgewithourstudents,not onlyaboutwhatit’sliketoworkinyour organisation,butalsowhatthenextbig techthingis,”explainsLord. “Thebusinessesthatwecallpledgers whosupportussendtheirjuniorand aspiringmanagersintoleadprojectswith ourstudentssoit’sabitYinandYang.” Visitingbusinessescaninterview astudentandofferthemajob.Code Nationalsotakesadvantageofthe JOURNEY CodeNationworksoutofaseries ofclassroomsinSpringGardens, Manchester,whichtakesstudentsona ‘journey’.Oneroomisdevotedtoathree- weekcybersecuritycoursefollowedby athree-weekcodingcourse.Thenext twoclassroomsaredevotedto12-week coursesandthere’sasmuchafocuson teachingpeopleskillsaswellasacademic ones.Around95percentofthestudents onthethree-weekdevelopercourseare unemployedwhentheyjoinCodeNation. Studentscanpayprivately,withcourses costing£6,000.Lordisalsoabigfanof upskillingexistingstaff. CodeNationhasalreadybuilt ApprenticeshipLevy,whichalotof companiesaren’texploitingfully. Employing18-20full-timestaffwith 80students,ithasopenedasimilar classroom in Chester, with plans to launch otherfacilitiesincitiesallovertheUK. Leedsisverymuchontheagendaandit’s takingspaceatNuneatonandCambridge. LordbelievesCodeNationcanteach 5,000studentsayearandbecomea primarytrainingproviderforthedigital skillssector.Ifthathappens,Lordwill deservehissuperherocapeandmask. 57 @BCLOUDUK BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 SKILLS GAP The Digital Entrepreneur Awards are the longest-standing national tech awards in the UK. The DEAs have been a springboard to success for many of the web’s pioneers and cutting-edge creatives such as PrettyLittleThing, Missguided, Laterooms. com, Social Chain and Shop Direct. Manchester 21st November, The Principal Hotel THE DIGITAL ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS 2019 CELEBRATING BRITAIN’S FINEST ONLINE TALENT Could you be next? Get the recognition you deserve. Enter for FREE now at www.digital-entrepreneur.co.uk DEA 2018 winner - Forever Unique IN ASSOCIATION WITH: How do you monetise30 million users? Noveltime-savingcalendarappDoodlecounts someoftheworld’smostsuccessfulfirmsamong itshugeactivecustomerbase-andCEOGabriele Ottinoisdreamingofabillion-dollarvaluationand potentialIPO.AlistairHardakerreports. How do you monetise a product which has 30 million users per month and no intellectual property? ThatisthepuzzlebeingsolvedatDoodle, ameetingschedulingtooltakingthe worldbystorm.Itsnovelsolutionswaps longconversationsandemailchainsfor asingle‘poll’oftimeswhichagroupcan voteon.Theapproachhasbeenaviralhit: forevery‘Doodlepoll’createdonline,an averageofsixnewinviteesareintroduced totheserviceviathesharedlink.The resultingmillions-stronguserbaseisnow madeupofbusyfriendslookingtomeet up,interestgroupsorganisingevents andincreasinglybusinesspeoplelooking tospeedupadminintheworld’smost successfulcompanies. “Weareusedinabout80percentof theFortune500,”CEOGabrieleOttino tellsBusinessCloud.“Weseetheproblem asbeingmuchlargerandthatgives enoughrunwayforbuildingabigbusiness thatcanbeindependent,beabillion- dollarbusiness,gopublic,andallofthe dreamsthateveryentrepreneurhas.” Thenow65-strongcompanybegan lifein2007andsevenyearslaterwas acquiredbySwissmediagiantTamedia. Twoyearson,Ottinowouldmovefromits newparentcompanytoDoodle,tasked with formulating the growth strategy of thecompanyanditsthen20-strongstaff. “Wewanttobetheschedulingtoolsfor thepoorsoulsinmiddle-management whohavemyriadmeetingseveryweek andarelefttotheirowndevicesto schedulebecausetheycan’thavean assistant,”hesays. Doodleisnow buildingandreadying new products with consideration for the entire ‘meeting lifecycle’.“It’snotonly aboutscheduling,but it’salsoaboutsitting in the right meeting with the right people and getting a result,” Ottinohints. The CEO agrees thatsolvingone problemeffectivelyratherthantargeting severalhasbeenkeytoitsrapidgrowth. “IfyoulookatwhatGoogle,Microsoft orAppleisdoing,they’retryingtosolve anyproblemwiththesameintelligent assistant,”hesays.“That’sahard problem,butsoisscheduling.Byfocusing onthatproblemwecanbuildsomething reallyvaluable.” HepointstoGrammarly,adedicated spellingandgrammarchecker. “Grammarlyshouldtotallybeafeature builtintoGoogleorMicrosoft.They’ve donethisintheirtexteditorsforages,but Grammarlyhasanedgebyfocusingon thelanguageandonstyle,”hesays. WhenaskedifDoodleissimilarlyripe foracquisitionbyatechgiant,Ottino says:“Inthelongterm,youneverknow whatwillhappen.” Healsoacknowledgesthatsmartideas whicharen’tacquiredaresometimes stolen.“Ourbiggestadvantageisbeing smallbuthavingabiguserbase,which meanswecanmove fast.Whentheycopy our latest feature, weneedtobe workingonthenext onealready.”Heis now approaching its millions of users as adedicatedrevenue stream.Currently supportedby advertising,Doodle’s goalistobecome subscription-based. Ottinosaysthestaffwhohavebrought Doodleintotheirbusinesses‘through thebackdoor’areabeaconofthingsto come.“Thephilosophyincompanieshas changed.YearsagotheITdepartment wouldblockyouandsay‘you’renot allowedtousethis’.Todaythey’remuch more aware that if a tool is useful and peoplearebringingitintotheworkplace, theymightaswellacceptitand,ifit’s usefulenough,payforit.” Ottinosaidthecompanyischiefly interested in the US, where software as a serviceiscommonplace.“Weseeahuge opportunityintheUSbothinincreased usageandmoresubscriptionsales.” 59 @BCLOUDUK BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 PRODUCTIVITY Tech developed by world-leading academics could grab a slice of a market set to be worth $22 billion within three years. That is the tantalising carrot dangling in frontofUKstart-upMetaboardsasthe mobilephoneindustrybracesitselfforthe mass-adoptionofwirelesscharging. TheOxfordUniversityspin-out’s prototypeproductisbasedona dynamic new area of science called metamaterials – new types of materials made up of compounds such as plastics or metals that are arranged in ‘geometric structures’thathavepropertiesnotfound innature–andoffersamorepractical charging solution than the chargers currentlyonthemarket. NedkoIvanov,whoasCEOengineered the sale of audio and haptics company THEFUTUREOF WIRELESSCHARGING Ground-breakingtechnologydevelopedatOxfordUniversitycouldsoonseeanynon-metal surfacetransformedintoachargingportalthankstoaCEOwhoengineeredRedux’ssaleto Google.JonathanSymcoxreports. ReduxtoGoogleinAugust2017, is hoping to persuade smartphone manufacturerstoembracethenew technology. “We are addressing a challenge that the wireless charging industry is facing: toimprovetheuserexperience,”CEO IvanovtellsBusinessCloud.“Onecharger perdevicedoesn’tsolveanything.It’s ridiculous.Itisalsolimitedbecausethey needtobepreciselyaligned.Ifyouget amessageandyourphonevibrates,it mightstopcharging–andyouaren’t awarethathashappened. “Lookingatmydeskatthemoment Ihavealaptop,aphoneandamonitor. Otherpeoplemayhavesmartwatches, earbudsorgamesconsoles.Iwantall thesethingstobechargedseamlessly –thatiswhatismissingforittobemass- adopted.” Qistandardchargers,seeninthelikes ofAppleandSamsungphones,require precisealignmentbetweeninternalcoils insideboththechargerandthedevice. Metaboards’tech,demonstratedrecently atMobileWorldCongressinBarcelona, isbasedontheAirFuelstandardandwill chargedevicesplacedcasuallyupona non-metalsurfacesuchasatable. Metaboardsattracted$5millionof investmentlastyearinaroundledby scienceequityinvestorOxfordSciences Innovation.Itsboardscanbeanysizeand fittedunderneathworktops,tablesor desks.Infutureitcouldbeincorporated into furniture, should the company gain tractioninthemarketplace. SMALL COST Ivanovhassignedacontractwithoneof thebiggestsmartphonemanufacturers toproduceaproof-of-conceptand hopestogettwomoreonboardbythe endoftheyear.“It’searlydays,butI remaincautiouslyoptimistic,”hesays. “Iftheyliketheimplementation,they cantakealicencetoadoptitintotheir BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 60 CHARGING JOININGTHE ELECTRICCAR REVOLUTION JonathanSymcoxfindsthatEVs areaviableandcost-effective alternativetopetrol-guzzling commutingvehicles. portfolio and that will hopefully result in someproductionordersfornextyear.All whoevermakesthechargeddeviceneeds todoistoputadual-modereceiverinside whichcosts$2extra.Isthat$2aprice worthpayingfortheuserexperience? Thatisthequestionthemobilephone companieshavetoanswer.Anditisone consumerswillunderstand. “AQichargercosts£25,buta metamaterialsbasecouldactuallybea lotcheaperbecausethematerialsare printed on to PCBs as opposed to what wehaveintheQichargers,wirecoils, whicharevery,veryexpensive.” Ivanovjoinedthecompanyin2018 following the appointment of Pete Hutton-aformerpresidentofproduct groupatchipmanufacturinggiantARM -aschairman.“WhenIjoined,theteam was coming out of academia and saying theyhadthisthingworkinginthelab, butaddedupitcost£4,000,whichis completelynotviable,”hereveals. “Andwhenyoucombinethingsthat generatemagneticfieldsandputthem closetoelectronics,quitealotof unexpectedthingshappen!Overthe last12monthswehavecomethrough thatandbuiltprototypesthatlooklikea productwhichcostlessthan£200.That willcomedown–itisnotthefinalcost- optimisedversion. “Inacademiatheydevelopsomething thatisinterestingandthenextquestion theyneedtoanswerasabusinessis‘how dowemakethisthingintoaproduct? Howdowedevelopitsuniqueselling pointforconsumerstobuyit?’The challengeforusistobuildaproductthat actuallysolvesasignificantproblem whichpeoplearehappytopaymoneyfor. Ibelievewearedoingthat.” START-UP Ivanov,alsoaformerCEOofPCsecurity firmBullGuard,saysthathereceived severaloffersfromcompaniesfollowing thesaleofRedux–butMetaboards stoodout.“Oneofthemwasfora profitablebusinesswhichrequiredabit ofrestructuring.Iwantedtogetinvolved withsomethingwhereIdidn’thavetocut costs,”hesays.“Theothercompanywas growingbuthadmarketriskasopposed toproductrisk:theyhadaproductand itwasinthemarket,butIcouldnotsee howitwouldscaleandremainaviable business. “WithMetaboards,ontheotherhand, themarketwasthere,theproblem wastheretobesolved–butithada technologyrisk.That’swhatpeopledoin techstart-ups,theysolvethisrisk...it’sa loteasiertosolveatechnologyriskthana marketrisk.” Workingwithuniversityspin-outsisa newexperienceforhim.“Whatgetsme outofbedinamorningisgettinginvolved withsomethingwhereIcanhavean impact.That’swhatI’vebeendoingforI don’tknowhowmanyyears,”hesays. “Iwouldnotgetinvolvedinacompany thatisjusttheretomaintainthestatus quo.Imightaswellretire! “Ihadthisvisionthatwecoulddeliver something that ultimately can change people’slives. “Yougoonajourney,tryyourbestand if the technology does not get adopted, noharmdone. “Butit’simportanttohaveavisionand tryandmakeanimpact.” Metaboards CEO Nedko Ivanov. I’vethoughtaboutgettinganelectric carforayearnowandfinallytookthe plungelastweek. Withmyhatchbackwingingitsway tothegreatscrapyardinthesky,I wasfacedwithastarkchoice:join theelectricrevolutionorconsign myselftoanotherfiveyearsofpetrol- poweredcommuting.Whilethe‘Zero Emission’statusisamassiveplusfor megiventhepotentialcatastrophe awaiting our planet, in all honesty it wasn’tmyprimarymotivation. Itmainlycamedowntocost.My weeklycommutehascostmeupto £300amonthinpetrol,whereasmy Nissan Leaf should only come out at 50quid,ifthe£2-3achargeclaimis correct.Itcostsmethesametorun the Leaf for a month as it did my old Chevroletforbarelyaweek. The down side is the range is only 84miles,farlowerthanthenewer models.I’vegot20-oddmileslefton thebatterywhenIgethome,soas longasIremembertoplugitin,that’s justaboutenough. Trafficonthejourneyhomefrom Manchester is always a nightmare, butthatactuallyworksinthecar’s favour.Regenerativebrakingputs energybackintothebatteryinthose annoyingstop-startsituations, meaningyoucanmakeitformiles acrosstownwhilebarelydrainingit. So far, so good – at least until my wifepointedoutthatIwon’tmakeit toBarnsleyandbackwhenthefootball seasonstarts! @BCLOUDUK TRANSPORT goonlineandgetthefinanceinplace beforevisitingthedealership.Atleast53 per cent of applications to the site are approvedwithin30secondstoaminute, aresultofthefirm’sinvestmentintech. “80percentofourapplicationstodayare generatedonmobilephones,”explains Reg,whorecruitedtechheavyweight RyanBryersasCIOandCTOearlierthis year.“Onceyourapplicationhasbeen approvedyouareassigned anaccountmanager. They’llengagewithyou andmaketheprocess offindingacaraseasy aspossible.Inthevast majorityofoccasions thedealershipisjustthe collectionpointforthecar. We’vedonealltheheavy lifting.” Car Finance 247 has around 150,000 used carslistedonitswebsite. Aroundsixmillionpeople accessitswebsiteayear. Thebrothershavehadnoshortageof offersofinvestmentbutturnedthem down.“We’relookingtogrowourmarket share,”saysReg.“Wehave4-5percent andwewanttodoubleinsizeinthenext sixyears.There’ssomuchgrowthinthe UKwedon’twanttotakeoureyeoffthe ball.” AstheinterviewdrawstoacloseIhit Regwiththekillerquestion.“Whatwould yousayifIofferedtobuyyourbusiness?” Iask. “I’dsay‘I’mokaythanks’,”ishisreply. RegRixishisownman. financemarket,itgivescustomers accesstoapanelofapprovedtrusted lendersandarangeoffinancialproducts. Thebusinesshasalotofsimilaritiesto anotherNorthWest-basedfirm,Zuto, which was originally called Car Loan 4Uwhenitwaslaunchedin2006by entrepreneursJamesWilkinsonand RyanDignan.Thepairworkedwiththe Rixbrothersbeforegoingtheirseparate ways and setting up CarLoan4U.Iget the impression there aresomeunresolved issues with what happenedbutReg deflectsmyquestions withastraightbat. “Jameswasmymate,” explainsReg.“Hewas a couple of years older thanmebutwewent to the same secondary school.” TOP TEAM Reg,36,andLouis,34,areagood teameveniftheydon’tsupportthe samefootballclub,withLouisbacking ManchesterUnitedandRegsupporting arch-rivalsLiverpool.Registhe ‘visionary’whileLouisisthe‘integrator’ whopullsthingstogetheroperationally. “Webothwantthebestforthe business,”saysReg.“There’savery strongbond.It’sbeensteady,sustained, organicgrowthandallwe’vedoneis reinvesttheprofits.Allourwealthis wrappedupinthebusiness.” The appeal for customers is they WHO IS REGRIXIII? RegRixistheco-founder offast-growingCarFinance 247andoneoftheUK’s brightestentrepreneurs. ChrisMaguiremethim. Reg Rix might share the name of his father and his father before him – but he is his own man. Theco-founderofManchester-based CarFinance 247 left school at 16, founded hisfirstcompanyat17andwentinto businesswithhisyoungerbrotherLouis afterrecognisingagapinthemarketfor peopletryingtoobtaincarfinance. Inthelastsixyearstheworkforceat CarFinance 247 has soared from ten to 500;turnoveris£50mwitha20percent profitmargin;andthere’sabusinessplan todoubleinsizeby2025.Thisyearthe companyisexpectingtooriginatemore than£500mworthofloans. Regispolite,focusedandeconomical withhiswords.Hisfatherruns Warrington-baseddealershipRixMotor Company.Reg’syoungerbrothers CharlesandHenrybothworkintheir father’sbusinesswhiletheironlysister Henriettaistheco-founderofLondon fashionbrandRixo.Asachildgrowingup Regwasanationalsprintingchampion andatalentedfootballer,representing RochdaleandSheffieldUnitedatjunior level.Hisdreamsofbecomingafootballer didn’tmaterialisebuthelaunchedan onlinecarsearchbusinesscalledNetcars, whichwaslaterboughtbytheRAC. Theexperiencelaidthegroundwork forRegandhisyoungerbrotherLouis tolaunchCarFinance247in2006.A brokeringservicewithintheonlinecar FINTECH BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 62 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK A group of education and training specialists operating throughout England www.ptegroup.co.uk | 0151 433 6100 | info@ptegroup.co.uk Our mission is to create long term value to our clients, shareholders and the communities we serve. 64 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK Almost everyone reading this will have come across the Encyclopedia Britannica at some point in their life. Volumesofthegrandoldpublication werelinedupontheshelvesofmyschool library,offeringupdetailedinformationon anythingfromanimalstozombies. InaneradominatedbyWikipedia,its finalphysicaleditionrolledofftheprinting pressesbackin2010.Howeverthatwas nottheendofthestory–andit’sagood job,too. TheEncyclopediaBritannicacelebrated its250thbirthdaylastyearandhas embraceditsfullydigitalstatus.The Britannicawebsiteisnowpresentin83 countries in more than 15 languages and reaches150millionstudentsayear.Ithas amassedfivebillionpageviewsacross devices. It is a welcome antidote in a culture wherethedefaultresponsetoarequest forknowledgeis‘I’llGoogleit’. “Anyuser-generatedcontentsitehas thechallengeofitcanberighttoday,it canbewrongtomorrow,”globalCEO KarthikKrishnantellsBusinessCloud. “Thequestionthatpeoplehavetoask themselvesis‘areweokaylivingina world, especially with children, that you present them this information, they learn CAN YOU TRUST WIKIPEDIA? The Encyclopedia Britannica has gonefullydigitalandcelebrated its250thbirthday.HayleySewell reportsonitsmissiontofightagainst misinformationandfakenews. somethingandwalkaway?’ “Ontheinternetyou’reapublisher, I’mapublisher,thepersononthestreet isapublisher.Wehavetoeducateour children on how to consume information andhowtobescepticalofitaswell.We need to prepare young people for 21st Centurylife.” WIKIPEDIA Referencebookshavebeenreplacedby convenientsourcesof‘information’such asWikipedia,whichwasfoundedasan onlineencyclopediabyJimmyWalesand LarrySangerbutbasedonamodelwhere anyonecaneditthecontent.Despite thepresenceofeditorswhocancheck theedits,itisdifficultforthefree-to-use platform – which relies on donations to function–tokeepontopofthemassive numberofWikipediapagesavailable. TherearealmostsixmillionintheEnglish languagealone;KrishnansaysWikipedia isbannedinhischildren’sschooldueto thehigh-levelofuser-generatedcontent thatcouldbewrong. BritannicahasevenbuiltaGoogle Chromebrowserextensionwhich elevatesitscontentabovethatof Wikipediawhenuserssearchfora subject.“Werealisethatconsumer behaviourishardtochangeandthat peoplealwaysstarttheirjourneywith searchorsocial,”saysKrishnan. “Howdoweinsertourselvesin meaningfulwaystogivepeoplethe informationtheyarelookingfor?Weare aknowledgecompanyandourgoalisto inspirecuriosityandthejoyoflearning, no matter which medium you choose to engagewith. “On social Britannica has launched Demystified,whichisanotherwayforus toanswercommonquestionsthatare floatingaroundinthesocialuniverse.So questionslike‘whyismarijuanaillegalin theUS?Whatwouldhappenifallthebees died?Doeslisteningtomusicwhenyou’re pregnantreallyhaveanimpactonthe child?’Ourgoalistoinsertourselvesand elevatetheseconversations.” HefeelstheviewofBritannicais changing.Whilstyearsagoitwouldhave beenseenasaplacetofindadefinition, BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 FAKE NEWS Britannica’s global CEO Karthik Krishnan. 65 @BCLOUDUK Encyclopaedia Britannica in times past. itnowaimstocreateabasefor‘human knowledgetobedocumentedand trackedsothatpeoplecanbuildonitto generatenewknowledge’. INSPIRE AND ENGAGE “Wewanttoinspireandengagepeople. Wegivethemaframeworkonhow tonavigatesomeofthesetopicsas opposed to spending time aimlessly on thewebtryingtogothroughfiveor20 differentlinkstostitchallthesethings together,”heexplains.“SoBritannica notonlygivesyoutrustedembedded information,wegiveyouanamazing learningframeworktounderstandthe topicinitsentirety.Howdoyouelevate thecontextsothatpeopleknowand walkawaywithbetterinformationand an understanding and appreciation of multiple factors that go into the topic?” Therapidriseofvoiceassistantscould provedangerous,Krishnanbelieves,as peopleusingthemtoaccessGoogle willtypicallyonlyreceiveoneansweras opposedtoviewingmultiplelinks.“It makesthestakesevenhigher,”hesays. “Howdoyouproviderelevant information that is right? And how do you helppeoplesavetimebecausethatisone ofthethingsthatpeoplearelookingfor today:conveniencetrumpseverything.” Heading into the future, Krishnan believesthat“trustisthenewalgorithm”. “Therearefewbrandsthathavethe pedigree that Britannica has and also the commitment and consistency of humanknowledgeithasshownfor thelast250years.Welookforwardto preventingtheworldfromgettingintoa holeofknowledgedilutionwhichcanbe pretty detrimental and put us into the digitaldarkages,whichisnotsomething weneedtosee.Wearetryingtofight misinformation and ensure people can haveaccesstoqualityinformationfroma validandverifiedsourcethattheytrust. We want to inspire curiosity and instil the joyoflearninganddeliveronthatpromise oflearnmore,besure. “WeneedbrandslikeBritannica,likethe BBC,liketheGuardian,allthesedifferent journalistormediaorganisationsthatlive toacertaincoreofethicsofjournalismto fightthisfight. “Idon’tthinkthere’soneorganisation onthisplanetthatcantakeonthis massivemisinformation,andIthinkit’s goingtotakeanarmyofpeople.We wouldliketoplayourpart.” BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 FAKE NEWS EDTECH EXPLAINED Friday 6th September 2019 Hear from the disrupters shaking up the education sector businesscloud.co.uk/events UKFastCampus,Manchester,M155QJ It’s scary to think that half of all women have experienced some form of sexual harassment. One entrepreneur determined to do somethingaboutitisGemmaMcCall,who founded Culture Shift with Carl Sadd and StuartBradleytosupportvictimsofall kindsofharassmentintheworkplaceand studentenvironment. Theformerbusinessdevelopment managerandsalesexecutivewasmoved toactafterfacingbarriersherselfinthe workplace.Sheworriesthatheryoung daughterwillalsofeelheldbackifthe futureworkingenvironmentdoesnot ENDINGTHESCOURGE OFHARASSMENT Harassmentinuniversitiesandtheworkplaceisseverelyunderreportedbutpeopleareincreasinglywillingtocallit outfollowingthe#MeToomovement.CultureShiftMDGemmaMcCallexplainstoHayleySewellhowtechnology cansupportandempowervictims. changesubstantially. “Thoseexperiencesunleashedmy innerfeminist.Iamreallyproudof it and not afraid to say it,” she tells BusinessCloud.“I’vegotadaughterand Ineverwanthertohavetoexperience anythingthatI’veexperiencedorbe heldbackinanywayjustbecauseshe’s agirl.Atthemomentshe’ssevenandon differentdaysyouaskherdifferentthings andshewantstobethosedifferent things. “Whatevershechoosestodo,Iwant hertobeabletodothat.Idon’teverwant hertothink‘I’mnotgoingtogointothat becauseit’sgoingtobehardforme’.” CultureShift’sonlinetoolReport+ Supporthasnowbeenlicensedbynearly 50universitiesacrossthecountryand allowsvictimstomakeananonymousor namedreportaboutanyincidentsthat havetakenplace.Amoresecuremethod BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 HARASSMENT 66 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK ofsendingsensitiveandconfidential information than email, this is then fedbacktoacentralsourceatthe establishmentwhichwilltheneithertake actionoroffersupport. INSPIRE AND ENGAGE MDMcCallbelievesnotenoughisdone tosupportvictimsorhelpthemcome forward, meaning many incidents go unreported.“Inlightofthe#MeToo movementpeoplearestartingtohave thecouragetosaywhat’snotacceptable anymore,andthat’sreallypositive changebecausewomenshouldn’thaveto cometoworkandjustacceptthingsthe waytheyare–ifthey’reuncomfortable withbehaviourtheyshouldcallitout. Butforeveryoneofthem,theremight beanothertenthathaven’tfoundtheir voiceyet…there’ssomuchmoretodo. “Oneofmybiggestfearswith#MeToo wasitwasjustamomentintime[where] peopleweresharingtheirstories.Idon’t wantittobeeasilyforgotten.We’ve gottodosomethingaboutthatand respondtoitandgivesurvivorsofsexual harassmentandbullyingavoice. “Thesamegoesforracistbehaviour andmicroaggressions–lower-level thingsthatpeoplesayandgetawaywith. Thatshouldn’tbethecase.” Thereisaparticularissuewithsexual violenceandharassmentoffemale studentsinuniversities,ashighlighted bytheNationalUnionofStudents’2010 HiddenMarksreport. “Staffatuniversitiesareusingtheir positionofpowertohaveaffairswith students,”McCallsays.“There’salso abigissuewithstalking.Areportfrom UniversitiesUK(ChangingtheCulture, 2016)foundthatthehandlingofhate crimeandsexualviolenceatuniversities isbeingcompletelymishandled.” Theproblemsstudentsfacerangefrom rapeto‘grabbing’inclubs,saysMcCall. “Atuniversitypeoplearelivingawayfrom homeforthefirsttimesothey’vegot thatfreedom–whichisliberating–and then, depending on what happens and theirreferencepointsofwhatisandisn’t acceptablebehaviour,everyonecomes togetherandmixesitallupwithalcohol anddrugs.Itmakesforauniquesituation thatoftenendsupbeingquitedangerous. “It’snotjustwomenthatareaffected: we’reseeinganincreaseinthereporting ofsexualviolencetowardsmenandalso anyone under the special categories of hatecrimeandbullying.Wedefinitely want to empower men as well as women toreport.” Culture Shift also acts as an online home for campaign information within universities.“AttheUniversityof Manchesterit’scalledthe‘SpeakUp! Standup!’campaign.Itfocuseson differenttypesofharassmentandabuse thatpeoplecanexperience.There’svideo contentaswell,”saysMcCall. Report+Supportoffersasupport section in which there are information sheetsondifferentformsofabusefor victimstofindinformationandhelplines. Thecompany’snextstepistorollthe platformouttoworkingenvironments. “Harassmentintheworkplaceisvery interestingbecausetherearethingsthat havebeenacceptedforareallylongtime, sotheyarenowseenas‘thewayitis’,” saysMcCall.“Inaworkplaceenvironment oftenyouhearthemsay‘wehaven’thad anyreportssoweobviouslydon’thave aproblem’.That’sasimpleviewofit becauseifyou’vegotanorganisationof acertainsize,it’sdefinitelyhappening, becausestatisticallyit’shappening,but noonehasbeenableorempoweredor hastheabilitytotellyouaboutit.” McCallsaidherco-foundersareequally passionateaboutthemovementand thatbeingparents–allthreehaveagirl andaboy–hasstrengthenedtheirviews. TheStockportcompanyisnowseeking investmenttogrowitsteamofseven and push products out faster to more organisations. McCall, who is originally from Hertfordshire,believesthatnew technologiessuchasblockchainand artificialintelligencecouldplayacrucial roleintacklingharassmentinthefuture, butthereareproblemswiththemfor now.Citingtheexampleofachatbotshe tested which was more interested in a descriptionofthedeskthanthefictional sexualharassmentincidentshewas communicating, she said: “I really want toexpandourdevelopmentteamand innovatewiththeproduct.There’sloads of things out there at the moment that arebeingdevelopedornewtechnologies that we could potentially incorporate, forexampleblockchainandartificial intelligence. “Thereareproblemswiththese technologiesatthemoment.Ithink thatkindofthingcouldbehelpful,but noneofitisareplacementforface-to- facecounselling.It’sjustanotherwayof accessinghelp. “We’relookingtoattractinvestment from people who are interested in tech for good so that we could do more, quickly,withthatinnovation. “Atthemomentwe’reasmallteamand there’sonlysomuchthatwecando.I’m lookingforpeoplewhoareengagedand excitedbythemissionandwanttojoin us.” BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 HARASSMENT 67 @BCLOUDUK GADGET GAVIN The previous edition of BusinessCloud carried a feature entitled ‘Is your child safe online?’ which struck a chord with me. My eldest daughter is now nine – and the all-important½–and weseemtohavejust reached the tipping point where lots of her friends are getting smartphones. This is not a trend we intend to follow, at least until shegoestohighschool.However shedoeshaveaniPadandChromebook, andgrabsmineormywife’sphonesquite regularly. So what are the practical things you can do tomaximisethesafetyofyourchildren? Foryoungerkids,Iwouldcategorisethe dangersintotwosimplifiedbuckets:content andcreeps. There are two places you can and should putsomecontrolin–thedeviceandthe network.IfyoursisanApplehouselikeus thensetupyourkidswiththeirownApple IDandtheywillbecomeapartofyourfamily, usingtheirIDtosignintoanydevicesthey own.Youcanthengotothesettingsonyour owndevice,clickon screen time and see theirnameappear. Clickingon thembrings up an array of options including content restrictions, thedisablingofmultiplayergames andtakingawaytheability toaddfriends.Youcanalso restrict the amount and times of use of all apps, orspecificones.Google has a similar approach for Androiddeviceswhichis calledFamilyLink.Youcan download the app and set up your family then install it onanyAndroiddevicesthey have.Ifyourchildhasoneofthe increasinglypopularChromebooks forschool,youcanalsouseFamilyLink toexertsomecontroloverthatdevice.Ifyour child is using the email address on your family account to sign into Chrome then content restrictionssetbyyouwillbeapplied. Thesearequickfixesyoucanapplyatthe devicelevel,butit’sworthtakingitupto networklevelforextrapeaceofmind–andin casetheyareonadevicethatisn’ttheirownor doesn’thaveanyrestrictions. Youcankilltwobirdswithonestonehere andwinsomebrowniepointswiththekidsby puttinginGoogleWifiaccesspoints,which areacoolwayofextendingthesignaland alsoimprovingspeedsaroundthehouse. Theaddedbenefitisthatinsidetheappyou canchooseindividualdevices,oncethey’ve beenseenonthenetwork,andseeoptions verysimilartothedevicearoundcontent restrictionsandtimesofuse. There’salsoacoolfeaturefortraffic prioritisation so, if your eldest needs togetanassignmentfinishedand theyoungestissuckingup bandwidthwithYouTubeKids, youcanensuretrafficisused appropriately. Ifyouhappentohave amazingWi-Ficoverageand don’twanttoinvestinnewpoints thenDisneyCircle(pictured above)isagreatoption.It’s anice-lookingboxthatplugs intoanexistingnetworkandgives youthesamecontrolsasGoogleWifi acrossdevicesbutusingyourexisting infrastructure. Noneofthisisasubstituteforthe educationandawarenessweshouldallbe providing,andwhichshouldalsobedelivered moreinschools–butitwillgivealittleextra peaceofmind. Self-confessed geek Gavin Wheeldon is going through the tech conundrum faced by all parents – and isn’t ready to give his nine-year- old a phone just yet. Practical steps for keeping children safe online BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK THE PILLARS YOU NEED TO SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS Tech Manchester is a non-profit organisation that works with hundreds of local tech startups to deliver support across four pillars: Education: Attend our business skills workshop series #techclassmcr Support: Access a 12-month community-led structured mentoring programme Workspace: Apply for space at UKFast’s new FastForward co-working incubator Events: Attend ‘Meet the Mentor’ speed dating, mentor training and workshops Visit techmanchester.co.uk/events for details, including the 2019 #techclassmcr speaker line-up and topics. @tecmcr 0161 215 3787 techmanchester.co.uk Co-work space UKFast Campus Register your interest techmanchester.co.uk/register INCUBATOR FASTFORWARD TECH Dedicated to answering challenges that keep entrepreneurs awake at night OPENING 2019 PODCAST TM TM Lawyers for Business Bermans prides itself on applying the best parts of old-world legal services to new age technologies Experts in the Tech industry Corporate Governance & Shareholder Documentation Data Protection & GDPR Compliance Human Capital & Share Options Investee advice for EIS/VCT & Equity/Debt Fund Raising Mergers & Acquisitions Protection & exploitation of Intellectual Property Real Estate Supplier & End User Agreements Liverpool 0151 224 0500 Manchester 0161 827 4600 www.bermans.co.uk info@bermans.co.uk 71 @BCLOUDUK BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 ‘Everyone has each other’s back’ TheNorth’stechsectorisafriendlyplaceforstart-upfounderskeentocollaborateandsharetheirentrepreneurial journey.ThatwastheviewofLondon-basedrecruitmentplatformTempo,whichhasexpendedintoManchester, atBusinessCloud’s‘BestofNorthWestTech’breakfastevent.HayleySewellreports. Starting out on an entrepreneurial journey can be a daunting prospect and every bit of help counts. Thisiswhystart-upfounderstendto congregateingroupswhicharekeen toshareexperiencesandexpertise amongthemselves.Howeverthespirit ofcommunitymaybestrongerinsome partsoftheUKthanothers. BenChatfieldistheco-founder ofLondon-baseddisruptivetech recruitmentplatformTempo.Oneof125 peopletoattendBusinessCloud’sBest ofNorthWestTechbreakfastevent, sponsoredbySiliconValleyBankand lawfirmBermansandheldattheUKFast Campus in Manchester, he says it was a natural decision for his company to open aManchesteroffice. “We saw Manchester as a natural nextstepasathrivingdigitalandtech community,”heexplains.“There’sareal sense of community in the Manchester marketwhichIthinkishardtogettoin London. “IthinkLondonfeelsincredibly competitiveandpeoplesaytheywillhelp eachotheroutandthenitdoesn’thappen –butinManchesteritreallydoesfeellike everyone’sgoteachother’sback.” Theeventfollowedpublicationof our North West 251 Tech list, which showcasedsomeofthebestdigitalfirms acrossManchester,Liverpool,Cumbria, LancashireandCheshire. AlthoughLondon’stechindustryis undoubtedlybiggerthantheregions,it can seem more insular than other areas oftheUK.TheideathattheNorth’stech sectorisfriendlierandmorecollaborative than its counterpart in the capital was alsoairedbyNickBlack,co-founderand directorofmobiledeveloperApadmi. Hesaysthere’sa‘differentwayoflife’ tobusinessintheNorthcomparedtothe South.“Idoknowsomepeoplewhoare lookingtocashintheir£1millionLondon flattomovehereandbuyamansion,”he jokes.“Thereisdefinitelythisfriendliness in the North that you might not get down South.Businessesshouldhelpeach other,worktogetherandthereisthis community feeling in the North West and Iseebusinesseshelpingeachotherin Manchester.” VIBRANT DawnEmbry,headofstrategyand planningatCheshire-basedMobica, says the North West and UK is playing to itsstrengths.“TheUKhasaverygood vibranttechnologysector,”sheexplains. “Wehavealotofbignamescomingto theUKandtheNorthWest.Iguessthe differenceisthatwealwayshaveabit ofBritishnessaboutus,sothere’sa certain character that comes to our tech communitywhichisverylovely. BUSINESSCLOU EDITION13, REGIONS 72 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK “Ithinkthere’sarealsenseof community, a sense of connecting and organisationslinking.Also,overthelast fewyears,we’veseenamodernisationof thosegeographies,we’veseenlessofthe ‘UKtechsector’or‘Francetechsector’ butmoreofan‘automatedtechsector’ whichmaycrossfourorfivedifferent borders.” SheaddsthatMobica’spresencein Europemeansitisbetterprotected againsttheuncertaintyofBrexitthan manyfirms. RyanBryers,CTOandCIO atManchester-basedFinTech CarFinance247,agreesthattheUK’s unclear future relationship with the EuropeanUnioniscausingproblems. “Brexitiscausingcustomeruncertainty. People are not sure whether they should buyrightnow,especiallyinthenewcar market,”hesays.“Thegoodthingforus iswe’reontheusedcarsideandthere’s abouttwomillionnewcarssoldeachyear againsteightmillionusedcars.” SKILLS GAP MarketingdirectorofUKFastKristina McGuirkispassionateabouttheneedto bridgetheskillsgap.Shesaystechnology careersarenotexploredenoughthrough thelastyearsofastudent’sschoollife. “Oneofourapproachesisinvestment ineducation.We’rereallytryingtofocus onbridgingtheskillsgapandmakingsure we’reencouraging,notonlyfemales,but youthintothetechenvironment,”she says.“Ithinkwe’retryingtochangethe perceptionofthetechindustryaswell. Weworkwithsmallkids,wegivethema tourandshowthemwhatit’sliketowork withinatechenvironment,whichgets themreallyexcited. “One thing we found was when we do thesetours,they’veallgottheseamazing ideas of apps they want to do, and then somethingseemstohappenbetween 13and18whentheystartmakingcareer choices: they seem to shift in direction intermsofwhattheywanttodo.We’re investinginapprenticeshipstobesure that we are creating choices for young peopleandshowingthatthere’sa differentoptiontogoingtocollegeor university.” UKFast’sfoundersrecentlydonated £5mintoanewlycreatedcharitabletrust togiveahelpinghandtodisadvantaged youngpeoplebyprovidingeducation, traininganddevelopmentopportunities, particularlywithinGreaterManchester. Thefirmhaspartnershipswithmore than 60 schools and colleges and reaches 60,000youngpeopleacrossGreater Manchester, while its education team runsmorethan500eventseachyear. McGuirkalsotoldtheaudience howparentsreturningtoworkneed support to prioritise their families while continuingtheircareer.“Thesecondpart of our approach is geared towards tech returners,”sheadds.“Ifyou’reamum ordadandyou’vegoneawayforawhile, techevolvessoquicklyandit’sabout supportingthembackintotheindustry andcreatinganenvironmentthat supportsyoungfamilies.Peopledon’ttalk aboutthatmuch.Wehaveourcrècheand flexiblehours–itenablespeopletojoin theindustry.” AndyKent,CEOofLiverpool-based AngelSolutions,highlightstheproblem ofwageinflation.“We’velostpeopleto biggerbrandsbecausetheypay£20,000 ontopofanormalsalary,”hesays.“We can’tcompetewiththatandIwonder howmanysmallbusinesseshavebeen in Manchester trying to recruit people whereyou’vegotyourlargercompanies who are desperate to recruit and can affordtopaythat.” GENDER Aquestionaskedofsomepanelmembers waswhetherbeingawomanhad impactedontheircareer.ChloeBarrett, CEOandco-founderofDigidentistry, sharesherexperienceofbeingasked inappropriatequestionsduring investmentpitches. “Ihavebeenaskedinappropriate questionsbyinvestorsbeforebutI’ve beenaskedthesebymenandwomen,” sherecalls.“Weneedtoberolemodels andleadthewayandhavethecourageto standup.Iwasasked‘whenareyougoing tohavechildren?’ “Thatdidmakemeopenmyeyesand thinkaboutwhoIwantinvolvedinthe company.Itquestionstheirintentions withyourabilityandwhatyoucanbringto thetableasawoman.” TheeventwassponsoredbySilicon ValleyBankandruninassociationwith HarperJames. OtherspeakersincludedMartinCutbill, Alertacall;SonyaIovieno,SiliconValley Bank;ZoeRoss,MindMoose;andChris Haralambous,Laduma. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION13,2019 REGIONS Silicon Valley Bank is authorised and regulated by the California Department of Business Oversight and the United States Federal Reserve Bank; authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority with number 577295; and subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request. Find out how we could help rfaulkner@svb.com +44 7810 055819 svb.com/uk We believe in believers. At Silicon Valley Bank, we work with some of the brightest minds in the innovation economy – in the UK and beyond. We’ll help you build your business at every stage. Erin Platts, Head of Relationship Banking, Europe at Silicon Valley Bank’s UK Branch, talking to client Philippe Chainieux, CEO of Made.com at his London showroom The£40millionNexusinnovationhubattheUniversityofLeedsismodellingitsvisionfor connectingbusinessandacademiaontheworld-renownedMassachusettsInstituteof TechnologyinBoston.JonathanSymcoxspeakswithdirectorDrMartinStow. When it comes to spinning out cutting-edge technology companies, MIT in Boston is king. The Massachusetts Institute of Technologyisviewedasanincubator forthedigitalage.Alumnihavefounded firmsincludingHubSpot,whileithas birthedseveralhundredcompaniesinthe last20years. Onefigurewhohasbeenpaying attentionisDrMartinStow.Directorof theUniversityofLeeds’new£40million Nexusinnovationhub,atrailblazing facilitywhichseekstoconnectstart- upsandSMEstotheuniversity,hesays Nexuscanbecomethe‘MIToftheUK’. “Thevisiongoesfarbeyondthebuilding. It’saboutmakingiteasyforbusinesses toconnecttotheUniversityofLeeds:to accessknowledge,experience,facilities, equipment,skillsandtalent,”hetells BusinessCloud.“Thevisionistobecome thebenchmarkasbeingtheUKuniversity whichcanworkreallyeffectivelywith businesses–inthesamewayasMITin Bostonisknownforthat.Iwouldloveto getthatreputation.Ithinkwe’vegotall theelementstodrivetowardsthat.” DrStowhasledstart-upbusinesses and also spent 17 years at multinational Johnson&Johnson,whereheledglobal teamsincludingR&D.Hebelieveshis uniquemixofexperienceenableshimto understandboththecorporateandstart- upmentalities. “Theotherpartofmyvisionis webecomeproactiveandapproach companiesandsectorsbecausewehave solutionsforthem,”heexplains.“Atthe momentpeoplearecomingtous,butif weweretoactivelygooutandmarket ourselves,thatwouldreallydifferentiate Leedsandputitonthemap.” Nexus,whichboastsoffice,laband exhibitionspace,collaborationareas and meeting rooms, employs a team of relationship managers with deep and practicalsectorexperience.Ithasspace for65-70businessesandis50percent occupied.Itislookingforfast-growth orhigh-potentialbusinessesthatcould feedintotheuniversity’sparticularareas ofexpertise:HealthTech,engineering, environmentandclimate,anddataand analytics. DrStowisalsoseeinga“biginflux” ofdigitalcreativecompaniesfollowing Channel4’sdecisiontorelocateitsHQ to the city, in much the same way that theBBC’smovetoMediaCityUKramped upthecreativeindustryinSalfordand nearbyManchester.“Sincewe’vebeen upandrunningwe’vehadover300 newenquiriescomeintotheuniversity throughNexus.It’saportal,”saysDr Stow.“Wecouldhavefilledthespace severaltimesover[butwewanttobe selective]. BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 74 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK “Weaskthemnotonlywhatcanthey gainfrombeingpartofourcommunity, butwhatcantheygivebacktoit?” TheUniversityofLeedshasaproven trackrecordofcommercialisation, creatingover110companiesinthelast 20years,sixofwhichareAIMmarket- listedwithacombinedvalueinexcessof £500m.Onespin-outwhichis‘coming home’istransportationsoftware companyTracsis,whichhasspentover15 years’developingtechnologicalexpertise attheLeedsInnovationCentre. “Tracsiswaskeentore-establishand strengthenitslinkswiththeuniversity andNexusisagreatwayofdoingthat,” saysDrStow.“Itisverymuchananchor tenantforus.” Brain-trackingstart-upThoughtBeanie has relocated from Bristol while other companieshavemovedtoNexusfrom theSouthofEngland.“Iwasalsospeaking to someone recently from Boston, a medical diagnostic company interested insettingupabaseofaccesstotheUK marketandNHS.Theyaretalkingabout usingNexustodothat,”revealsDrStow (picturedbelow,secondfromright). REGIONS SAVINGTHE WORLD’S WATERWITHAI KrystianZajachasalwayshadapassion forstoppingbadthingsfromhappeningto people.Nowheistacklingoneoftheworld’s mostpressingproblems.HayleySewell reports. If you’ve ever suffered a flood in your home, you know how devastating it can be. But the damage may not end with your furniture,flooringandphotographs: accumulated water lost in this way could provecatastrophicfortheenvironment. KrystianZajachasalwayshadapassion forsolvingpeople’sproblemsandnoticed agapinthemarketforprotectinghomes againstleakingpipes.“Anyonewhohas sufferedwithaleakwilltellyouthatitcan feelliketheendoftheworld,”hetells BusinessCloud.“Theycandamagethings thatareirreplaceable:documents,artor evenoldphotographs.Manyofmyfamily andfriendshavesufferedfromthem soitisclosetomyheart.Iwitnesseda ceilingfallingdownatmyparents’ flatrecentlyastheneighbour upstairshadaleakandhe refusedtoadmitit.” Zajac’sentrepreneurial careerbeganwhenhe movedtotheUKfrom Polandin2001.“Because Ididn’tknowthelanguage well enough I had to start atthebottomofthefoodchain, washing dishes in restaurants and cookingincoffeeshops,”herecalls.“Very quickly,withinacoupleofyears,Isetup myownITconsultancybusinessin2003.” Thatbusiness,AndrewLucas London,grewquicklybeforeacustomer approachedhimin2007andaskedhim toinstallsatellitedishes.Zajacfound his calling in the home tech sector andcreatedaseparatedivisiontothe business,CEDIA,whichspecialisedin smarthomes.“In2010Icameacrossa multi-billionairecustomerwithabout15 multi-millionpoundpropertiesallover theworld,”hesays.“Hehiredustoinstall bigboygadgetsintohishomes.Irealised thatthiswasaverynicelifestylebusiness forme,butnotscalable-howmany multi-billionaireshaveyougot?” BIG PROBLEM He realised there was an area in home insurance ready for disruption and beganlooking intofloodclaims. “Waterescape- related incidents claim£2.5milliona day,”heexplains.“I put together a small team of people and we started thinkingaboutaproductthat couldstoptheseleaksfrom happening.Manypeopleinthe UKdon’trealisethatby2025,two thirdsoftheglobalpopulationwill sufferwithwaterscarcity. “Thisisabigsubjectthatisbeingswept under the carpet; not many people are talkingaboutwaterbecauseitseemsso obviousthatwehaveaccesstoit.” TheteamathiscompanyHeroLabs createdaprototypeforSonic,anartificial intelligence-basedleakdetector,in2015 butparkedtheideatosetupsmarter homeinsurancecompanyNeos.After sellinghissharestoAvivain2018,he returned to Sonic, which monitors a home’saveragewaterconsumptionand spots irregular patterns, with an app to checkstatusinrealtime.“[Sonic]can measurereallysmallflowsaswell,even atapthat’sdripping.Ithasanintegrated shutoffvalve,soifitdetectsapattern that is unusual, it can automatically shut offyourwatersupplyandnotifyyou.You canalsoshutitoffmanually,sayif yougoonholiday.Whenwe were testing it, we realised we could tell whether our team washed their hands after using thetoilet!” The product, which willbereleasedthisautumn, aimstoeducateusersabout theirwaterconsumptionbutcan alsobeatooltoprotecttheelderlyfrom harm.“I’vegotelderlyparentsandIliketo makesuretheyarewell.Manycompanies suggestputtingcamerasinyourparents’ orgrandparents’homes,whichisreally invasiveforme. “IamputtingaSonicinmyparents’ apartment,becauseitwillstopleaks fromhappeningifthereiseveraproblem, buttheycanalsoaddmeaspartoftheir ‘circleoftrust’soIknowwhenthey’ve putthekettleoninthemorning,which givesmepeaceofmind.” BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 75 @BCLOUDUK ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BUSINESSCLOUD EDITION14,Q22019 76 BUSINESSCLOUD.CO.UK CAN ‘BIG BEAST’ MANCHESTER BECOMEGLOBAL HEAVYWEIGHT? InvestmentfromAmazon,theHutGroupandboohooisjustthestartasThe GrowthCompanylaunchesasearchfor50GreaterManchestercompanies tojoinitsGlobalScale-upProgramme.ChrisMaguirereports. The hunt is on to turn 50 ambitious companies in Greater Manchester into global heavyweights. TheGrowthCompanyhaslaunchedthe UK’ssecondGlobalScale-upProgramme inGreaterManchestertogetbusinesses tothinkinternationally.Theprogramme issectoragnosticbutRichardJeffery, directorofbusinessgrowthatThe GrowthCompany,saysheexpects asignificantnumberofthechosen businessestocomefromthedigital industry.HedescribesManchesterasa ‘bigbeast’whichcouldbeevenbigger. “It’sgonefrombeingpromising tobeginningtodeliver,”hetells BusinessCloud.“You’vegotGCHQ,the Amazoninvestmentandallthoseother bigannouncements.LookingatwhatThe HutGroupandboohoohavedone,you’re startingtogetareallystrongbasehere. Itisabigbeastbutit’sonethatcouldbe biggerandevenmoresignificant.” TheGrowthCompanyisaneconomic impactorganisationworkingacross GreaterManchester.Ithasabout 1,100employeesandaturnoverof around£100m.AkeypartofGreater Manchester’sstrategytobeatop20 globalcityistogetmorecompaniesto operateglobally.TheGlobalScale-up Programme has space for 50 companies andreceived130applicationsbythe 6thMaydeadline.Ithasbeendeveloped inpartnershipwithhigh-profile international companies includingSantander,DWF, KPMGandManchester Airport with support from theScaleUpInstitute. “GreaterManchester hasgotsomereallybig strengths around the digitaltechcommunitybut we’vealsosomegreatstrengths inlifesciencesandadvancedmaterials,” saysJeffery.“Thoseandhealthhavegot bigtechelementstothemandmanyof the companies that are growing rapidly in thatspacearetech-enabledbusinesses themselves.” Jefferysaidthecompaniesthey’re targetingarealreadyturningover£1 million-plusorhaveraised£1m+in funding–butbusinesseswitha‘great idea’arestilleligible.“Iwasapproached recentlybyabrandnewManchester- basedstart-up,”hereveals.“It’sateamof fivethathavecometogetherfromsome oftheleadingtechbusinessesaround theworld.They’vegotareallyinteresting ideaandtheywillbeabletogoglobal withthatproduct.Fromdayonethey’re alreadythinkingaboutwheretheycan getininChina,IndiaandtheUSA.They haven’thadasaleyetbutthey’realready thinkinglikethat.” He said too many companies aren’tgraspingtheopportunitythat internationalmarketspresent.“When it comes to international, people sometimesoverestimate thecomplexityandwhat’s required,”heexplains.“It’s notjustamarketsales opportunity.Italsorepresents achancetogetnewinvestment anddevelopmentpartners. Whenyougoglobalyouoftenfind yougetalotmoreinnovationcoming backintoyourbusinessbecauseyou’re accessingglobaltalentandinnovation networks.Youfindyourselfworkingwith universities,researchinstitutionsand partnersacrossthosemarkets.Youlearn somuchaboutthosemarketsthatyou canplaythatbackintoyourproduct, whichcanalsohaveagreatspin-off benefitbackintoyourdomesticmarket.” JefferysaidhisambitionfortheGlobal Scale-upProgrammewassimple.“We wantall50businessestobeoperating inmultiplemarketswithreallyclear plansforthem.Wewanttoseethat they’veraisedfinance,thatthey’vegota developmentpartner,thatthey’vefound a new client there – and that they are now internationalbusinessesasadirectresult ofbeingonthisproject.” REGIONS s e c a r m a . c o m Attack is the best form of defence Penetration Testing Red Teaming Consultancy Cybercrime is on the rise At Secarma we believe that all organisations should have the opportunity to do business with an understanding of the threats they face. We understand that cybersecurity is a complex discipline and our approach is to guide an organisation through the process of securing their business with expert advice and education on best security practices. Don’t waste any more time. Call our experts today on 0800 231 5977 @Secarma Secarma @SecarmaLabs