Founder, operator, investor — and still the one writing the code.
I co-founded Netsells in York in 2010 and ran it as chief executive for thirteen years, building digital products for Trainline, Coca-Cola, Uber, the BBC, Jaguar Land Rover and Red Bull Racing. GP Bullhound ranked it the ninth fastest-growing technology business in the North of England. In April 2023 it merged with hedgehog lab, backed by BGF, and I stayed on as an investor and advisor.
Alongside Netsells I joined YourParkingSpace as Chief Product Officer in 2016, became COO in 2022 and CEO in 2023. On the Flowbird Group executive committee I was part of the deal team that sold Flowbird to EasyPark Group, now Arrive, and I stepped down at the end of 2024 once the deal cleared US antitrust review. I also co-founded Railguard, a rail-tech business sold to Trainline in 2019, and I invest in and sit on the boards of UK businesses across software, fintech, health, consumer and leisure. I also lead M&A at The Good Golf Company.
Anyway Ventures is the single vehicle for all of it: my capital, my board work, and the thing that now takes most of my week — going into businesses and portfolios and building AI into how they run, with the people who'll be left with it.
The path here
The bench
Thirteen years of running a consultancy leaves you with people you trust. These roles join engagements when the work needs them — Brannan stays in the room.
How I work
Shipped beats specified
A working thing on Friday tells you more than a document in a month. Everything is organised around getting to that Friday.
Say the unwelcome thing early
On the first call, in the board pack, in the diligence report. It's the only part of the job that's genuinely scarce.
Leave it owned
Dependency on an outside expert is a failure mode, not a business model. I'd rather be re-hired than retained by inertia.