Startups
see also: Biography, Consulting
Memrise (2008-2012; 2022), co-founder; CTO; cameo
I co-founded the Memrise app for language learning (with Ed Cooke and Ben Whately), now a global brand with 70m users, awarded overall Best App in the 2017 Google Play Awards and TIME’s #2 EdTech company of 2024. See also: TIME 2024 World EdTech #2 company in the world; Guardian (also); Independent; TechCrunch; MIT Technology Review.
I worked as the CEO from 2008-2011, the CTO from 2008-2012, and came back for a cameo to work on the AI-powered MemBot in 2022.
We blended the art and science of memory to produce a really effective, evidence-based general-purpose learning platform. Our global community produced amazing and memorable courses for more than 100 languages, as well as everything from maps to morse code to mushrooms. Memrise now focuses on language-learning, helping you 1) learn the vocabulary, 2) immerse yourself in how the language sounds, and 3) practice conversation with AI.
User testimonials (from ages ago):
Big Health/Sleepio (2014-2016), CTO
I was the CTO at Big Health, which develops best-in-class evidence-based mental health apps.
I helped scale up their astonishingly-effective Sleepio product, bringing together a great team, building the app, getting everything HIPAA-ready, all while the company moved from London to the US. Big Health has since gone from strength to strength - the NHS makes wide use of their apps, and the FDA treats them as the first 'non-drug treatments'.
Filtered (2021-2022; 2023-) CTO, Board Observer
Rehearsable (2023; 2024-) part-time cofounder; Board Member
Using LLMs to teach difficult communication skills through roleplay and expert-level feedback.
And consultant for many others
see Consulting
Belongs to these tags
Contains these sub-pages
- Startup thinking - the people who have most influenced my thinking on startups.
- On patents as a business tool
- Paul Graham, Joel Spolsky and Steve Yegge and the Law of Increasing Returns
- Memrise