What is a dealmaker?

Dr Alan Lowdon

North East region of the UK

Alan has over 30 years’ experience as a practitioner within the international energy and utilities sectors.

Alan has also led 3 university start-up companies and been a Director of Technology & Innovation at the UK’s National Renewable Energy Centre.

Alan’s experience also includes energy technology investment, IP commercialisation and new venture creation.

Alan currently operates a portfolio of interests which includes adviser to Carbon Limiting Technologies, MD of two technology commercialisation investment vehicles, adviser to a global subsea technology business, Royal IHC, and consultant to the New Bedford Offshore Wind Innovation Centre.

Alpesh Patel

UK

Alpesh is an authority on investing & entrepreneurship. He is founding CEO of a Private Equity/Hedge Fund, an international best-selling Financial Times author, and a TV presenter with his own investing show on Bloomberg TV.

Alpesh co-founded the UK chapter of world's largest entrepreneur mentoring organisation (TiE.org).

Formerly a barrister, he is the founder of Investing Software, part of the award-winning UK's largest private investor software company.

Eamon Tuhami

Wales

Eamon is a successful and impressive entrepreneur/founder and investor having built his own tech companies after running sales teams for larger tech companies such as Experian.

He is also a Non-Executive Director of Fintech Wales whose CEO provided the introduction.

Elizabeth Varley

UK

Elizabeth is a serial entrepreneur who spent the last decade supporting tech companies globally through TechHub and board roles.

Broad experience cross-sector, including fintech, health/med tech, SaaS, consumer and creative. Worldwide focus, US (NY-LON corridor) and African companies, and strong support especially for Black founders, and women and non-binary founders.

She is a specialist with skills in strategy, commercial, comms, branding, PR, high-level product and service design, team/people and operations.

Paul Forrest

UK

Advising businesses large and small, Paul is an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader with a 30-year track record founding and scaling successful companies. With experience in management consultancy, corporate finance and film production, he is an investor and board member of several disruptive businesses.

Paul has advised governments globally and worked with numerous FTSE 100 and Global 500 companies including Ford, Virgin, BAE Systems and Walmart on raising finance, market entry and exit planning.

Recognised as a thought leader in finance, innovation and leadership, Paul is a Freeman of the City of London with the Company of Entrepreneurs and fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Chartered Institute of Management and Institute of Leadership. He lends his expertise as a course tutor in Entrepreneurial Finance at LSE. Paul continues to share his insights as an advisor, with his work on start-ups and scaleups spanning greentech, AI, data and mixed reality. His vision and strategy expertise consistently guide companies to growth and success.

Simon Sprince

The North-West region of the UK

Simon’s background is in digital product development with over 20 years' experience of application production.

He has an in-depth understanding of digital industry’s key sub-sectors as well as the technologies and markets that drive them.

For GEP clients, Simon provides strategic support across product market fit, networks to access the market, research relationships, routes to R&D and venture finance.

Stephen Mooney

UK

Stephen has over 20 years’ experience as an entrepreneur in high-growth start up and Fortune 500 environment.

As co-founder of ENXSuite he led customer acquisition and was also responsible for successfully leading that company’s expansion into the UK/EMEA market until its acquisition in 2010 and has been founder and director or 2 further software acquisitions.

Stephen currently serves as a director within a number of UK growth companies with a special interest in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

He has previously served in a various roles for Pfizer and holds a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Calgary and a Masters of Business Administration from The University of Victoria.

Tim Luft

The Midlands region of the UK

Tim is the dealmaker based in the West Midlands. He focuses on digital, computer games, advanced manufacturing, rail and the automotive supply chain. Tim has extensive experience across digital media, AR/VR, ICT, advanced engineering, e-learning and simulation.

Tim has set up University Institutes and currently runs his own VR/AR studio in the Midlands.

He also sits on the Telford Business Board, and remains on the board of early stage technology start ups.

Tony Hughes

UK

Tony has vast experience in media and technology related businesses. He established the UK’s first Digital Media incubator in the late 1990s, with an international focus working with incubators in the US, Europe and Asia.

Tony works with start-ups to introduce them to relevant networks, whether academic or commercial, along with potential mentors, partners and founders.

He has worked with the UK Government for 10 years, supporting hundreds of overseas creative and tech companies landing in the UK from Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Tony Kypreos

UK

Tony is an entrepreneur, corporate innovator, and angel investor with over 25 years of leadership experience. He is an authority on start-ups, corporate venturing, building high performing teams and international business development.​

He is especially focussed on building high-value, technology enabled health, environmental & sustainable development impact-driven organisations.