TechNation200 Almanac 2015/16

TechNation200 Almanac 2015/16 | London
Rosemary Forsyth
Founder
Forsyth Group
“We are a boutique and we’ve always kept our
entrepreneurial edge by working very closely with
entrepreneurs, founders and investors and being aligned
to their goals. It’s
not just about
skillset matching;
so much is about
understanding
the cultural team
dynamics, and we
do that really well.
We agree on the
skillset required
and how far and
wide we need to
look to find it. I’m as
passionate now as I
was at the start and
I have been all the
way through. It’s just
electrifying seeing
all these technology
and paradigm shifts
that have happened.”
Forsyth set up
Forsyth Group,
which helps IT and
emerging technology startups to fi nd and recruit senior executive
and management teams, in 1981. She is also a founding member
and investment partner in venture capital fi rm AngelLab, as well as a
Seedcamp mentor. @forsythgroup
Matt Fox
Co-founder and chief executive
Snaptrip
“Snaptrip focuses on last-minute discounted inventory. I knew
from running my previous business that owners and managers
of holiday rental properties were happy to offer compelling
discounts on a lastminute
bas is as opposed
to leaving a property
empty. It works and it’s
great but by April 2015
it encompassed 26,000
properties across 20
different brands, such as
Cottages4you, and trying
to keep all the information
accurate requires
constant assessment.
Our competitors are
the cottage brands
themselves but their
bread and butter is
peak bookings at peak
prices, made two to three
months in advance. Our
bread and butter is two
weeks in advance – 70%
to 80% of our bookings
are made within 10 days
of the stay.”
Snaptrip is a platform that offers last-minute discounted holiday breaks
in self-catered cottage accommodation. It promises guaranteed savings
with compelling discounts for guest users while members enjoy
exclusive rates. @snaptripuk
Lorenzo Franzi
Co-founder and managing
director
Zipjet
“Zipjet picks up and delivers dry cleaning and
laundry in London and Berlin. No one else
is as advanced as we are. We’re committed
to a 24-hour turnaround and 30-minute pick-up
and drop-off slots, which none of our competitors
provide. So we believe we’re being extremely
convenient for our customers. People don’t want
to go to stores any more, they want to be able
to use technology to have services come to their
homes. There is a real shift where the mobile
device is becoming the gateway to starting a
transaction. I saw what was happening in the
grocery and taxi industry and thought the laundry industry could benefi t from changing the way people consume the service.”
Rocket Internet-backed Zipjet offers Londoners a convenient app-based laundry and dry-cleaning service. Customers can choose their
30-minute pick-up and drop-off timeslots using Zipjet’s iOS or Android app or on the web. The service is available throughout central and west
London. @zipjetuk
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