Rising Stars 5.0 Judges

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the esteemed judges of Rising Stars 5.0 for their valuable contribution and unwavering dedication. They have made this year’s competition an overwhelming success.

Scroll down to view the full list of our judges.

City Winner Judges

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First NameLast NameRoleOrganisation
AlasdairGunnHead of BusinessGlasgow City Innovation District
AnthonyRoseFounder & CEOSeedLegals
CharlotteWaughEnterprise and Innovation Programme LeadUniversity of Edinburgh
ChrisTrotterInvestment ManagerClarendon Fund Management
DanielEvansCEOBirmingham Enterprise Community
DavidWaltersInvestment DirectorRiver Capital
DebHetheringtonHead of InnovationBruntwood Sci
DrewCurrieDirectorFounder Institute – Birmingham
EamonTuhamiEntrepreneur and Angel InvestorHwyl Ventures
EmmiNichollDeal SourcerCambridge Angels
LaurenCouchManaging DirectorGrowth Lending
GailEastaughProgramme DirectorAreospace Cornwall
GeorgeMensahInvestorSun Valley Ventures
HeniSongheurInvestment ManagerPuma Private Equity
JohnDaviesFounderCyber Wales
MariamCrichtonCEO7Staya
MarkPanayFounder of an unconventional tech agency and much moreSimpleweb
MatHunterCo-CEOPlusX
MattHydeFounder of FinTech Wales Awards121 Recruitment / FinTech Wales Awards
MoAldalouEntrepreneur Engagement Manager – NWTech Nation
NicolaMcNeelyPartner, Commercial Team and Head of Technology Sector

Harrison Clark Rickerby’s Solicitors
SarahWilliams-GardnerCEOFinTech Wales
ShacharRadin ShomratCMODeepCrawl
SimonBaillieCEODigital DNA
SubhashGhoshFounder & CEOTechnoplat
BenCooper
ChristopherLascelles
TaygaBaltaciogluFounder/CEODebite
FionaLawPotter Clarkson
FreddieBlackettFounderPatch
RichBrittonFounderRocket Studio
SimonKirbyFounderRocket Studio
NeilGriffinInnovation SpecialistInnovation Centre Knowldge Gateway
FayeHollandFoundercofinitive
KirstenMassonInnovation SpecialistSt John’s Innovation Centre
AlicePickersgillExchange Enterprise City
BenRaviliousFounderLeicester Startups
HamishRutherfordFounderFloe
JoYorkCEOIgnite
ChrisGilmanEnterprise ManagerDurham Uni
KarenO’HanlonDirector Digital TechONE Tech Hub
LeahThompsonDirectorEnterprising Oxford
OliverWatersFounderProtospace
KristinaPereckaiteManaging DirectorSouth East Angels
AkshaySaswadeCEOPercept Imagery
SaraOsterholzerCEOGood Business Club
TraceyJohnsonDMC / Barnsley Council
OliviaChattenUniversity of York / The Guildhall
StuartClarkeLeeds Digital Festival
JudithParryAmbassadorInstitute of Directors
LauraSmithKnowledge Transfer Manager – Digital EconomyInnovate UK KTN
ClaireNixonDirectorRealtime Recruitment
TheaGoodluck
MattExley
GinoBrancazio
ThanhQuan-NichollsInnovation ManagerFutureSpace
MbatangAchaMDOxford Seed Fund
ColinDartManaging DirectorSetSquared Exeter
AnthonyStoryDirectorSilicon South
AdrianScalesSenior Investment ManagerFalmouth Lauchpad
EsmeCaufieldAlumni LeadTech Nation
IanBrookesThe Startup Factory

Regional Winners Judges

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First NameLast NameRoleOrganisation
AimeeSkinnerInnovation ManagerFuture Space
AlasdairGunnHead of BusinessGlasgow City Innovation District
AlistairCameronStartacus Co-FounderStartacus / Digital DNA
Anna-LisaWesleyPartnerSapphire & Steel
AnthonyRoseFounder & CEOSeedLegals
AntonioTombananeMDGB Recruitment
CharlotteWaughEnterprise and Innovation Programme LeadUniversity of Edinburgh
ChrisTrotterInvestment ManagerClarendon Fund Management
DanielEvansCEOBirmingham Enterprise Community
DavidWaltersDigital Investment ManagerNorth Edge/MSIF
DebHetheringtonHead of InnovationBruntwood Sci
DrewCurrieDirectorFounder Institute – Birmingham
EamonTuhamiEntrepreneur and Angel InvestorX8IQ
EmmiNichollDeal SourcerCambridge Angels
FayeMcDonoughPrincipalBOOST & CO
GailEastaughProgramme DirectorAreospace Cornwall
GarethI. JonesFounderTown Square Spaces
GaryDavidsonInvestment LeadTech Nation
GeorgeMensahInvestorThe Angel Co-Fund
HeniSongheurInvestment ManagerPuma Private Equity
JaneHoltBusiness Development DirectorUniversity of Southampton Science Park
JaniceCunninghamEcosystem Development ManagerUniversity of Strathclyde
JohnDaviesFounderCyber Wales
KateZatlandFounderForme Partners
Kate PattonPattonEntrepreneur Engagement Manager – NETech Nation
LiamWardHead of Programmes and Upscale Programme LeadTech Nation
LindaSmithCEO & FounderBeta Den
LorraineAchesonNI ManagerInnovate UK
MarekTokarskiHead of Durham Venture SchoolDurham Uni
MariamCrichtonManaging Director4Water Intelligence
MarkPanayFounder of an unconventional tech agency and much moreSimpleweb
MarkMcCartneyLeadership CoachSpencer Stuart
MarkJohnCo-Founder/DirectorTramshed
MatHunterCo-CEOPlusX
MattHydeFounder of FinTech Wales Awards121 Recruitment / FinTech Wales Awards
MiguelMartinezCo-FounderSignal AI
MikeCraddockFounder & CEOKairos
MoAldalouEntrepreneur Engagement Manager – NWTech Nation
NicolaMcNeelyPartner, Commercial Team and Head of Technology Sector

Harrison Clark Rickerby’s Solicitors
NikiHaggerty-JamesManagerBarcalys Eagle Labs
OllieBoneVCEvolution Equity Partners
PeterBlakePartnerSapphire & Steel
Prof DylanJones-Evans OBEAssistant Pro Vice Chancellor (Enterprise)Uni of South Wales
SamBeniApplied AI Programme LeadTech Nation
SarahWilliams-GardnerCEOFinTech Wales
ShacharRadin ShomratCMODeepCrawl
SimonBaillieCEODigital DNA
SimonHillFounder & CEOWazuko
StevePetteCo-FounderOrmeau Baths / Central Working
SubhashGhoshFounder & CEOTechnoplat
SufJogeeFounder AquisitionFounders Factory

Semi-Final Judges

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First NameLast NameRoleOrganisation
HeatherDelaneyManaging Director/FounderGallium Ventures
IsabelleO’KeefePrincipalSure Valley
LekeSholuadeFounderBlack Valley
StuartClarke MBEDirectorPaceline
MarikaBeckfordCreative TechnologistsDigital Shapers UK
TraceyJohnsonCreative & Digital Industries Sector SpecialistEnterprising Barnsley
LouiseHarrisCo-founderTramshed Tech
EdStevensonInvestorSFC Capital
PaulExcellCOOScaleup Group
CharlotteBarttelotInvestorMMC Ventures
MariamCrichtonCEO7Staya
SophieHossackScaling CoachTech Nation

Roundtable Judges

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First NameLast NameRoleOrganisation
EdPriorVice PresidentGP Bullhound
SimonThorpeChairCambridge Angels
DouglasLloydFounder & CEOMacademia
AndrewCastellPartnerPar Equity LLP
JessJacksonInvestment ManagerPraetura Ventures
ZandraMooreCEO, Co-founderPanintelligence
WesRashidCEO, FounderAccountancy Cloud
LyubovGukFounding PartnerBlue Lake

Regional Partners

Local Partners