UP is a collaborator, investor and partner for those seeking innovation and growth in digital technology. We bring experience, knowledge, expertise, contacts and a track record of commercial success within corporates and in delivering high growth for young companies in Scotland, Manchester, Bristol, Belfast, Yorkshire and London as well as in Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the USA.
This track record has resulted in deep relationships across a broad range of tech including MediaTech (including AdTech), HealthTech, GovTech, EdTech, FinTech and AR/VR, AI, which means our contacts are international and we can call upon a huge network of industry leading entrepreneurs, advisors and mentors.
About us
We are organisational integrators who have a unique skillset in understanding the language of brands, startups, investors and governments, which gives us the credibility to create truly truly productive partnerships, joint ventures and SPVs.
This understanding enables us to move freely amongst these constituencies and gives us a unique window into the future that we use to help our customers create sustainable change and drive profitable, high value businesses.
Meet the team
He then joined Sky as Commercial Development Director, Emerging Products, where he helped develop and launch NOW TV as well as initiating the company’s corporate venture activities.
Paul then joined Ooredoo Group to develop their OTT TV product strategy working in Qatar, Oman and Indonesia. In August 2014 he joined MTG working in Pay TV across the Nordic region where he has responsibility for strategy for OTT TV products.
Danny has an extensive, high value international network and a long track record of helping digital businesses across software and technology in media, finance, health and telecoms to create shareholder value.
He has ran corporate and government-backed high growth company programmes in Scotland, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, Yorkshire, the West Midlands and London in the UK as well as across Europe, USA, the Middle East, South East Asia and Australia and retains strong connections across the high growth ecosystem.
Because of that experience Danny has become expert in accelerating the growth of venture-backed start-ups or new ventures within “market-making” corporations.
She provides clarity and objectivity in her dealings with partners, investors and entrepreneurs. Nicola is a real completer/finisher and is the glue that holds the UP team together!
Andy has previously been CTO at major digital brands such as Reelkandi, Demon Sport, Two Way TV, Buto.tv and is a Digital Expert on the Heritage Lottery Fund awards panel.
He has that rarest of gifts – being able to communicate technical issues in plain English!
Tilesh has also set-up his own firm focusing on services to entrepreneurs/investors, from initial concept through to launch and financing for growth.
He has successfully positioned The Landing as the driver of digital collaboration at MediaCityUK, engaging a wide range of commercial stakeholders and clients including designers of interactive media, engineers, software specialists and tech developers, while at the same time ensuring that The Landing complements and enhances the activities of other Greater Manchester and UK clusters.
He supported the development of Europe’s first paperless hospital, installing a Cerner system in Health Care International in Scotland in 1994. In Lewisham Hospital he developed the award-winning PharmAssist system harnessing multimedia t to help ethnic minorities with their medicines-taking. At The King’s Fund, Mark promoted shared clinical decision making, founded the Ask About Medicines campaign & authored ‘Producing Patient Information’. At the BBC, he developed a range of behaviour change interventions to improve people’s health and lifestyle.
Following roles in publishing and telecoms, Mark moved into consulting with clients including Cancer Research UK, Care Quality Commission, Pfizer, NHS England and Microsoft.
In addition to various advisory and (digital health) mentor roles, he is a Non-Executive Director of the Patient Information Forum, a Patient Ambassador for HIMSS UK and an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Salford.
Mark is a NW Service Champion for Diabetes UK who lives happily in Salford, England (despite being Scottish).
As a creative catalyst, he’s deeply experienced in the application of design thinking and rapid innovation techniques. This approach has led to the cultivation of a host of award-winning digital product launches, marketing campaigns and commercial initiatives.
Through his work in devising creative solutions with hundreds of start-ups, SME’s, Blue Chip Brands and agencies, he has developed a strong commercial acumen and has consistently driven revenue growth in the most challenging of markets.
Steven specialises in:
– Leading profitable change, particularly Digital Transformation, in complex environments
– Devising and implementing leading-edge tech partnerships
– Forming people-focused products many of are now used by millions of consumers
– Modern digital marketing strategy and implementation
– Content strategy and implementation
– Management of multi-million-pound P&L’s
– Leading data-driven, continuous improvement programmes
– Helping intrapreneurs, creatives, startups, and scaleups accelerate
Diana is the managing director of Montador Consulting; an insights, marketing, and strategy consulting firm based in Edinburgh. Previously, Diana was the director of market research for Microsoft’s Consumer Apps and Services Marketing Team, as well as running global research for Skype and international research for eBay.
Diana is a board member of Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University and Museums Galleries Scotland. She serves on the Novarum DX advisory board, and the University of Edinburgh Research and Innovation Team’s virtual board. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.
Diana has an MBA from Indiana University and a BA in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.