entrepreneurs 19


Pictures by Angus Thomas


it was also perhaps later than some sectors at embracing how technology and systems were central to the way businesses could be run.


It really was a case of necessity being the mother of invention, I put together a very simple specification for a solution which would be easy to integrate with Outlook, as that was the office tool used by most people in the sector, with the server based in the cloud (then called hosted). Next we needed to find someone to build product and met Richard Harrison, who had an identical vision and was working on early-stage product. We combined forces and formed a great partnership with his product and technical expertise complementing my commercial experience.


How did you fund the business?


We funded the business initially with investment from Erevena, and kept costs very low. Through the 2008/2009 recession, salaries were reduced and often absent and mortgages were increased. As the company grew, the revenues became


sufficient to sustain the business at a sensible level, and in 2013 we took institutional investment from MMC Ventures to fund international expansion and development of the company.


Describe your day-to-day role


We have a very experienced executive team in place which means I don’t have to oversee any individual function. In many ways, I’m still at my happiest when I’m with customers. I think it’s great for the business that I spend time with the people who pay our bills.


I’m also involved in everything from market strategy to product innovation. It’s essential to spend a lot of time thinking about what the different markets want from our software, what our competitors are doing and how our new technology can help customers change the way they work. Our customer and our products are at the heart of what we do.


Did you always believe you would succeed?


We never set out to build a small business, we always knew there was a decent-sized market for our product. After the first few hundred customers, we probably felt we had got to the point where we had proven our credentials and had the platform on which to build for the future. We don’t ever expect to be there by right, but we have the necessary ambition, people and product, to build a great British software company.


Is there a secret to your success?


We were able to take a product to people that was fresh, different, simple, intuitive and easy to use – and it changes the way they do business. We are very innovative, our approach is not just to give customers software, but to help them change the game.


Name some of your milestones


We’ve had a lot of them. We measure our success by the customers who choose to put their faith in us. If a highly-respected company


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2015


selects us to work with, then that’s a massive milestone.


When MMC Ventures decided to invest $4m in us in 2013 it made us very proud. They have lots of places they can invest their money, and we felt that was a real mark of recognition. On a par with that was when Mark Farmer came on board as a private investor and chairman. He is highly respected on the British technology scene. The fact we were getting a commitment from him was pretty fantastic.


And of course, the people who chose to join us; we have a great team and that’s very important.


Where does the business go from here?


I’m very much involved in how we can scale and grow the business in all different aspects, particularly when operating out in the US. We’re forecasting growing our workforce by another 50% in 2015 and we’ll only do that by taking people on in different leadership positions. I want to spend my time hiring people so I can make sure we stay aligned and focused on our market, customer service and delivery, and don’t become too inward looking.


Who inspires you?


Elon Musk (founder of Tesla and Space X) is building game-changing companies and shows us all what truly amazing products look like. Invenias is used by their in-house executive talent team so were really proud of that.


How would you describe yourself?


I would like to think I am very fair, decent and driven. What do you do on your time off?


I enjoy spending a lot of time with my family, I don’t have any great hobbies, but I try to stay fit. I’m currently studying navigation for my day skipper qualification ahead of our sailing holiday this summer.


Details: www.invenias.com www.businessmag.co.uk


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