About us

Nick Lyth

Founder

Nick is co-founder and CEO of Green Angel Syndicate, the first business angel syndicate in the UK to specialise in investments in energy and water sectors. Nick is a marketing and sales specialist with over ten years' experience building up a new applied research institute in the eco and environmental arena: International Resources and Recycling Institute (IRRI).  

Nick has been asked to speak at numerous conferences around the UK and Europe on matters concerning sustainable resources, and has been invited to assess innovation competitions in the UK run by the Technology Strategy Board (now Innovate UK) and Scottish Government. He has also served on charitable Boards for the Big Issue Scotland, and Dundee Cyrenians, as well as many commercial Boards ranging from sectors as varied as Denholm Ship Management and Drambuie Liqueur Company. 

He founded GAS in order to use the knowledge gained from the research world to help to commercialise resource use innovations effectively and successfully, for the greater benefit of the green economy. Nick is married, has three children, and lives in Edinburgh.

Michael Anderson

Michael graduated in Law from Cambridge University and spent 5 years in the City of London as a financial commodities trader. He then became an entrepreneur buying and managing a business specialising in printing on plastics for 9 years and selling it to an Irish conglomerate.  He has had experience of chairing, advising, raising finance for and managing many small companies, and for 25 years he has invested successfully as a business angel in the UK. He is the co-author of ‘Successful Business Plans’, trustee of 2 charities and on the investment committee of the Angel CoFund.

Simon Acland

Founder

​Simon Acland has spent 30 years investing in young technology businesses. Much of his venture capital career he spent at Quester, which he helped to build into one of the UK’s most active early stage technology investors. Seven of the companies that he has backed achieved public listings on the London Stock Exchange, AIM, Nasdaq or Easdaq, including two companies which reached the FTSE 250; many others have been successfully sold.

Since Quester’s sale in 2007, Simon has been an active business angel investor. He currently chairs GAS portfolio company Naturemetrics and sits on the board of Powervault. He also sits on the boards of the Satellite Applications Catapult and Triple Point Income VCT (which has investments primarily in renewable energy and vertical farming) as well as acting as an advisor to the Triple Point Impact EIS Fund. He is a member of the investment committee of the Angel CoFund since its foundation by the British Business Bank. He has just stepped down after ten years as a Trustee and Vice Chair of Plantlife, the UK’s main wild plant conservation charity.

His book Angels, Dragons and Vultures – how to tame your investors…and not lose your company is regarded as one of the most helpful guides for entrepreneurs to the venture capital world.

Clare Beazley

Clare is an ex-PWC chartered accountant who has spent the past two decades working as CFO for software SMEs, CDC Solutions and PleaseTech Ltd.  She has a wide range of experience in all aspects of setting up, managing and developing high-growth businesses including fundraising, overseas expansion and business exit.  Having exited PleaseTech in 2017 following a successful sale of the business, Clare now involves herself with SETsquared in both Bath and Bristol, mentoring and helping tech start-ups to deliver their potential.

Cam Ross

Director

Chief Operating Officer.

Prior to joining Green Angel Syndicate, Cam co-founded, jointly ran and raised two rounds of angel funding for a contact centre payments business, with an exit to AIM-listed Eckoh. Cam is an Aeronautical Engineer by training, and has experience in creating, commercialising and patenting new technology. He has more than a dozen granted patents in the fields of telecommunications, payments and customer authentication. He has a practical ability to analyse and improve complex processes, from manufacturing to software systems. 

As Green Angel Syndicate COO, Cam and his team manage deal flow, systems, due diligence and post-investment engagement. 

Cam is also a Board member of SocietyWorks, the commercial arm of the not-for-profit social enterprise mySociety, which builds technology to help democracy and community in the UK and overseas.

Julie Blane

Julie’s expertise is in impact management and has worked with investors and mission-led entrepreneurs to develop strategies that manage and communicate how impact scales with growth. She also has many years’ experience working with Boards, NEDs and Trustees to improve Board effectiveness with a focus on Governance and Leadership Development. 

She is interested in Urban Tech, the innovations and smart technologies that underpin sustainable cities in foundational sectors like energy, water and waste.

Federico Castelli

Federico Castelli has extensive international experience in the energy and industrial sectors. He has worked across all segments of the power, gas and oil value chains as well as for global industrial companies. He has completed commercial, strategic, financial, M&A and operational assignments, while managing P&L, and leading multi-cultural and multi-functional departments and organisations. He has a nuclear engineering background complemented with business administration degree from Yale University. His most recent experience is in the renewable sector (wind, solar, biomass, biogas, biofuel) with roles such as country manager (for a Danish infrastructure fund), head of international sales, head of finance and strategy (for a major Danish Utility). He is currently working as global director for product management and commercial excellence at a leading global industrial company. 

Christine Chisholm

Finance Manager

Christine is a commercially focussed finance professional with twenty five years' experience in a wide range of organisations including SMEs, large multinational and charitable organisations. She has experience in all operational and strategic aspects of finance, including business analysis, systems implementation, process re-engineering and M&A integration. Christine has a degree in Business Studies and is a Chartered Management Accountant.

Christine is also a governor and Chair of the Audit committee of a local FE college whose aim is to provide vocational training to enable young people to gain skilled employment.

John Hinnigan

Chairman

Since 2001 John has been an investor in and advisor to numerous early stage businesses, normally coupled with a role as NXD or Chairman. He has also undertaken strategic evaluation and due diligence assignments with Advent International, Charterhouse, J.P.Morgan and 3i. He was an associate of the Beer and Partners angel network from 2006 to 2009. Previous to 2001 he worked for major corporations – Bowater, BP, Unilever, ICI, for the last 15 years as Chairman/Chief Executive of international businesses with scenarios including rapid organic growth, complex restructuring and multiple acquisitions and disposals. John is Chairman of the Green Angel Syndicate board.

Adrian Cheesley

Qualified as Chartered Accountant with KPMG in 1989 ; held several senior Financial roles in EMI Music Group before moving to Dubai to oversee EMIs MENA operations; from 2005 managed a portfolio of EMIs EMEA businesses out of London; appointed EMIs President for Asia Pacific and Latin America in 2008,with responsibility for 15 operating companies generating revenues in excess of €250m.Following the acquisition of EMI by Universal Music in 2012,he headed up the Emerging Markets for Universal for a further 6 years. 

Expertise in commercial,strategic,financial planning and M&A areas and strong operational and P&L management background with extensive International experience managing during a period of rapid structural and technological change in a creative industry.Now keen to atone for his  years of International air travel by investing in and bringing his financial,analytical and digital nous to assist early stage start ups in the green and sustainable sector.

Chris Clark

Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse, Corporate Finance with PwC, Mid-market MBO private equity with Hermes Private Equity, Private investment & executive management for the last 12 years.

Ares of expertise include Energy Efficiency, Energy Monitoring Metering and Reporting, Renewable Energy Technology and Installations, Energy Storage,Built Environment, Commercial Financial HR Assessment,  Valuation Exit Strategy, Business Strategy and Planning, Finance,Team-building and HR, Legal

Chris Joly

Director

Chris Joly is a Petroleum Engineer with 37 years of technical, commercial and executive management experience gained with a number of international oil companies including Shell, BP and Vitol.  Since retiring in 2016 to pursue new interests Chris has been investing and working in sustainable businesses, including renewable energy and the circular economy.  He sits on the board of three start-up companies and mentors young entrepreneurs, also working as a STEM Ambassador lecturing astronomy in schools to encourage interest in STEM.  Chris has been an active member of GAS for more than four years and manages the syndicate’s investment portfolio.  

Antoine Pradayrol

Director

Antoine is an experienced angel investor focusing on the cleantech space. Since 2015, he has built a portfolio of 18 early stage investments across the energy transition sector, clean transportation and smart cities, energy efficiency solutions, circular economy, robotics, and ed-tech – including one successful exit so far. In addition, he is actively supporting founders as part of Imperial Venture Mentoring Service, and as a Board observer with AirEx. Prior to joining GAS in 2017, Antoine had more than 15 years of experience in finance, as an equity research analyst covering the telecom sector. He was an Executive Director and partner with Exane BNP Paribas, based in Paris initially and in London since 2005. Antoine is passionate about companies applying innovative technologies to tackle global warming and climate change. He studied at Ecole Polytechnique (x90) and Telecom Paris Tech (1995), where he read economics and finance, technology and telecoms.

Derek Eltringham

Derek Eltringham is an experienced management consultant with over 45 years of industrial and consulting experience. He is a specialist in the formulation of competitive business strategies and in helping clients implement sustainable change to effect the implementation of strategy and the improvement of operational performance. He has experience of working in many countries, on five continents, in consulting and interim roles at executive and Board levels, in a wide range of industry sectors including oil and gas, maritime and land transport, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. Derek has a keen interest in assisting businesses that are starting in the green economy to survive and thrive by being effective and efficient in all elements of their value chain.

David Sheridan

Director

David Sheridan’s background is in international marketing and communications including senior management and C-Suite experience with Publicis, BAT, Showtime Middle East (a resident of Dubai for 7 years) and WPP. He has been a founder partner in three digital businesses one of which was sold to Publicis in 2011. An active private investor since 1986, David’s portfolio has diversified in recent years to include start-up and early stage businesses. He is a founder member of RESOC, a fund specialising in early stage resource companies and is now playing a more active role (whilst adding a ‘greener’ tint to his portfolio) with Green Angel Syndicate, in which David takes responsibility for marketing and sales management.

Vincente Filter

Started in renewable energy at Photon Consulting, a company founded by McKinsey alumni Michael Rogol.  Expertise in social infrastructure in general at Hitachi. Joined Global Strategy Group of KPMG as an Engagement Manager, supporting the business transformation needs of clients over a wide range of industries notably electricity. His work is mainly centered on facilitating growth through new market entries, and helping clients navigate strategic challenges around developing and launching new products and services. 

Areas of expertise include Renewable Energy Technology and Installations, Energy Storage, Battery Technology, Transport Technologies, Commercial Financial HR Assessment, Valuation Exit Strategy, Business Strategy and Planning, Sales and Marketing,Technology and Development, Finance,Team-building and HR.

Roger Simpson

Director

Roger Simpson is a seasoned strategist with over 50 years’ industrial and consulting experience. He is a specialist in applying techniques such as scenario planning, advanced economic modelling and game theory to strategic investment and due diligence. He has worked in some 25 countries on five continents, covering the entire value chains in the oil and gas, utilities (water and energy) and pharmaceuticals sectors, acting or advising at C-suite and Board levels. He has a keen interest in conservation and green economics, especially in the water and energy sectors, which he is promoting through participation in GAS. Roger was an Honorary British Consul in West Africa, is a "Chevalier d’Honneur" in "l’Ordre Congolais du Mérite", and received Du Pont's "Environmental Respect Award".

Ben Franchetti

Previously Director of Entropea Labs. Currently Solar Flow, non executive director. Agricola Moderna, Milano, Director of Technology. 

Areas of expertise include Energy Efficiency Energy Monitoring Metering and Reporting,Renewable Energy Technology and Installations, Energy Storage, Technology,Transport Technologies, Built Environment, Water Treatment and Purification, Agriculture Fisheries and Food, Recycling/Waste Reduction/Circular Economy, Business Strategy and Planning, Technology and Development

Caroline Halliday

Caroline Halliday has 20 years of technical, commercial and management experience, with a background in Chemical Engineering with British Gas and BP and later becoming a derivatives and Crude Oil Trader with BP. Following a move back to Scotland, Caroline gained a further Masters in Environmental Management and joined The Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Here, Caroline specialised in projects focussing on resource efficiency and waste management, later joining the Senior Operations Management Team. Caroline has been a Business Angel for several years, with a portfolio of investments in both private and social enterprise companies and has a strong interest in energy and resource efficiency. In addition, she is a Chair and Trustee of two charities. 

Hugh Bartlett

Investment Executive

MS Accounting & Finance.

Before joining Green Angel Syndicate in 2018, Hugh was with Titus Trust.

Internships: FinnCap, Schroders,  Richardson GMP

James Heath

James Heath is an Oxford educated engineer & computer scientist, who has had a wide & varied career, working in R & D, power engineering in the third world and manufacturing process improvement, with a track record of innovating and twelve granted patents to his name. For the last 20 years he has worked in IT & Software development, as co-founder & CTO of a start-up, and then as an R&D Director within the listed company that acquired the start-up. He has experience of business angel investing from both sides, through the company he co-founded, which used Angel Investing exclusively, and as an investor or board member in a number of companies through the Green Angel Syndicate.

Tony Snowdon

Director

Tony started working life in Automotive Engineering with worldwide travel to all major automobile manufacturers to assist in component specification. He was Resident Engineer in a South African subsidiary followed by a similar role as technical manager in a Parisian subsidiary. He joined a specialist engineering company as Technical Sales Manager, helped grow sales 10 fold, before forming part of a successful MBO team. He continued to help significantly grow the business as Marketing director before helping set up a successful trade sale to a large American company in 2013. Since 2014 has become involved in investing in mainly technical based EIS opportunities. Qualifications include MBA and MSc.

Ivan Izikowitz

Ivan’s entrepreneurial adventures started in 1995 with the founding of Virgin Net, the first consumer ISP in the UK and now part of Virgin Media. Since then, as well as creating a number of other businesses, he has worked as Business & Technical Leader and Advisor across a range of sectors - from early stage to established businesses. In the last couple of years he has started to focus on investing in the green economy and activities which help tackle the climate crisis.

James Kraft

Highly entrepreneurial Founder/CEO from the health and technology sector with a proven track record in bringing startup companies and new products to market. Hands-on experience of growing businesses from start-up to £5m as well as turning around and running larger businesses of £100m+ and 2,000+ employees. He was previously co-Founder and European Managing Director of The Motley Fool and Managing Director of Virgin Care. Energised by combining passion, people and processes to build profitable businesses. 

Life-long Treehugger whose areas of expertise include Business Strategy and Planning, Sales and Marketing, Finance.

Phil Levermore

Phil has over 30 years’ experience in the UK’s evolving energy market. He is founder and CEO of Ebico, the first not-for-profit enterprise established to widen access to affordable warmth amongst low income households. As Managing Director of Ebico Trading, Phil developed retail deals designed for families on a limited budget and grew the company into its position as the UK’s largest social enterprise in retail energy supply. Chairman of the Ebico Trust for Sustainable Development, Phil has been responsible for several innovative ventures in the community renewables space and is now expanding Ebico’s remit into social impact investing – with focus on widening access to sustainable, affordable, warmth.

James Manktelow

James Manktelow is an entrepreneur, a writer with an interest in workplace psychology, an executive coach, and an impact investor. Holding an MBA from London Business School, he founded MindTools.com in 1996, and led the company until 2019. During this time, Mind Tools grew to serve 24 million users each year in 160 countries and won two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

As well as leading Mind Tools, James has written, edited or contributed to more than 1,000 articles on management and leadership. His latest book, “Mind Tools for Managers: 100 Ways to be a Better Boss” was a finalist in the Business Book of the Year Awards in the HR & Management category.

James now helps accelerate the growth of IP-based startups, with a particular interest in those that develop solutions to climate change. Major focuses are on angel investment and CEO development.

Matthew O'Connor

30+ years in telecoms & tech Experience across EMEA & USA 11 years as COO & Director of listed satellite plc. Funds raised over $500m & AIM float. Launched 3 satellites. Sales growth - $0 to $85m Current - NED at McKenzie Intelligence & Board Advisor

Rachel Owen

Rachel Owen is a business advisor and non-exec director. Through her career as a communications consultant she has worked with a wide range of technology businesses from international engineering firms to emerging tech start-ups. She founded the specialist consultancy Black & White Communications, which she sold to Freshwater in 2006. Since then Rachel has been following her passion to explore big ideas that create positive impact for people and planet and she now works with start-ups and charities as an advisor, investor and non-exec director. At GAS, she is a member of the editorial committee and the Insights Programme group.

David Phillips

An entrepreneurial MD/CFO with broad sector experience in SME's, including financial services, software and travel. Formerly managing director of Flairford Securities Ltd Trading as Brunel Franklin, adviser to aquarium software , trafficbroker, Brightstar Technology and Harness Software. 

Areas of expertise include: Commercial Financial HR Assessment Valuation Exit Strategy, Business Strategy and Planning,Technology and Development,Finance

Kelly Price

Kelly works at a clean-tech start-up that is helping reduce food waste via AI. She also currently has her own consultancy that specialises in helping clean tech start-ups with their pitches to investors.

Tim Revill

Tim Revill is a "retired" chartered accountant with a background in financial services and property development. Tim founded and was CEO of a cross-border financial services business, STM Group Plc, undertaking an IPO on the AIM market in 2007. He also played a leading role in listing European Wealth Management Group on AIM in 2014, through a reverse takeover. Since "retirement" in 2010, Tim has built a portfolio of angel investments in the renewable energy sector and is particularly interested in solar PV. Tim was resident in Spain for over 30 years and relocated to Guernsey, Channel Islands, two years ago. Tim acts as NED or Non Executive Chairman for several companies and has experience of chairing audit committees for public companies. Tim has invested in over 12 early stage companies and continues to learn the tricks of the trade.  

Bekir Sami Acar

Bekir Sami Acar has a background in energy and telecom utilities including C-suite and Board positions. He has intimate knowledge on grids, retail, trading, renewables and has been involved in numerous greenfield, M&A and restructuring projects. He is providing investment management and advisory services out of London as well as pursuing investments into cleantech and renewable space. He holds an Executive MBA degree from Columbia Business School and London Business School.

Patricia Silva

Investment & Deal Management

Patricia has spent the past decade working with diverse sustainability projects. She has incorporated several roles in startups and scaleups in the cleantech space, from strategy and operations to business development and co-founder, and has a vast multicultural work experience, having lived in 6 countries. Now, Patricia supports startups by advising on their strategy and, with an investment lens, she participates in the pre-screening of ventures and analyses business and financial models to help them prepare for capital raise.

Prior to entering the venture and investment career, she managed sustainable industrial and commercial construction projects and worked on renewable energy projects.

Patricia has a B.S. and a MSc. in Engineering, and an MBA from Berkeley Haas School of Business focused in Energy and Cleantech. At GAS, she spearheads our Diversity Working Group and works with Cam helping with the deal flow.

Edward Stevens

A serial entrepreneur having founded 8 different companies in the media and advertising technology over the last 13 years. Of these, six have successfully exited. Areas of expertise include Commercial Financial HR Assessment, Valuation Exit Strategy, Business Strategy and Planning, Sales and Marketing.

Johnny Stormonth-Darling

Johnny is a nanofabrication engineer with time in both industry and academia and particular expertise in biomedical applications, polymer replication techniques and topographic metrology. He is also a director of the UK’s emerging agritech industry collective (UKUAT), has worked as domestic PV and wind turbine installer and has recently ventured academically into the social sciences around broad themes of prosperity and governance.

Noting a distinct lack of pound-symbols in front of the numbers of his past, he hopes that the sum of this experience will nonetheless precipitate some wise investments which will bear the ethical scrutiny of future historical perspectives.

John Waters

John Waters is an investor in, and advisor to, start-up companies/early stage ventures, drawing on his experience of leading high growth, privately held businesses, serving multi-national clients, and successfully driving innovation to grow new business. For a number of these companies, he advises or mentors the CEO and senior leadership team, and provides strategic input on sales and operational issues. He was previously with ERM, the world's leading sustainability consultancy, retiring in late 2016 after almost 20 years with the company. He served in a range of executive leadership roles, serving multinational clients needs, tailoring ERM services to respond to these evolving needs, and driving growth in ERM's capabilities to meet the growing demand for these services. His ERM roles included EMEA Commercial Director, Global Managing Partner and member of the ERM Global Executive Team.

Dave Wheeldon

Dave Wheeldon has a passion for applying IT technology to drive industrial improvement with experience spanning the energy, oil/gas, chemicals, pharma, water and marine engineering sectors. Dave graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering coupled with Environmental studies and went on to research advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Dave switched to a different career path joining the Computer Aided Design Centre in Cambridge (subsequently AVEVA Solutions) in 1981, progressing from software engineer through a variety of management roles including R&D, software portfolios, line of business. He was appointed to the Board of AVEVA Solutions in 2003 and continued as CTO, with additional responsibility as Deputy CEO prior to retiring in 2018.

Throughout his 37 years with AVEVA, Dave travelled extensively working with internationally recognised customers across 44 countries. Dave led the establishment of AVEVA’s technology hubs globally and was key person in undertaking the planning, due diligence and integration of 22 acquired businesses.

Dave has a strong passion for Lean processes and is an active supporter of green start-up businesses both as an individual and through Associate membership of Green Angel Syndicate.

Syndicate Room

Syndicate Room

Triple Point

Triple Point

Sustainable Ventures

Sustainable Ventures

Techtalent Charter

Techtalent Charter

Investing in Women Code

Investing in Women Code

Positive Planet UK

Positive Planet UK is a dynamic professional social enterprise and non-profit, with its core mission to develop and manage high-value impact ventures and entrepreneurship programs for under-served communities. PPUK also supports the development and funding of Positive Planet Intl in its entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and inclusive value chain programs in Africa. 

HERmesa

Reach UK

Jonny Hughes

Jonathan (Jonny) Hughes is Chief Executive Officer of WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Centre) which works in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme as UNEP-WCMC. Prior to this Jonny was the CEO of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scotland’s largest environmental charity.

Since being fascinated by wildlife from the age of four, Jonny has devoted his life to helping create a world where nature and people can prosper together. Throughout his career he has pioneered new ideas in nature conservation, challenged received wisdom and focused on turning words into action.

Jonny is on the Council of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) where for four years he chaired the Council’s policy and programme committee and the EU policy advisory group. He is also a non-Executive Director of Corrour Estate, a large upland estate in Scotland, and chair of the Ecological Advisory Board of Ardtornish Estate.

Dr Matthew Hannon

Matthew works as Director of Research and Senior Lecturer at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, within the University of Strathclyde’s Business School. His research examines the policy and market conditions necessary to accelerate low-carbon energy technology and business model innovation. He is a co-investigator on UKRI’s £10m EnergyREV consortium on smart, locally led energy systems, and the UK Energy Research Centre’s Community Energy Finance project.

Matthew has published in ‘Financial Times 50’ ranked journals, written a book on innovation to accelerate the energy revolution and received an international prize from the World Energy Council for his research.

In terms of impact he has written reports on behalf of the Labour Party and World Energy Council, been cited in government and parliamentary reports and currently sits on Scottish Power Energy Networks’ Customer Engagement Group to inform their five year business plan for Ofgem’s RIIO-ED2. His work has enjoyed extensive media coverage (e.g. BBC, Forbes) and he has also provided commentary for national newspapers (e.g. i news).

Matthew is a British Institute of Energy Economics council member, trustee for the community energy charity South Seeds and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Mairead Hancock

Mairead is a senior investors relations professional, leading engagement with growth capital investors in the Asia Pacific region for the Department for International Trade. Her previous roles include: Director of Investor Relations at a specialist investment bank, supporting impactful ventures with their capital raises; Head of the Innovation network at Oliver Wyman providing consultancy and thought leadership to complex enterprises with their innovation challenges; and heading the Client Services and Strategic Marketing function at an ESG (environmental, social and governance) research house, supporting both asset managers and asset owners with their sustainable investment strategies.

Mairead holds an MBA from Warwick Business School; a Master of Applied Linguistics from Birkbeck College, University of London; and BA Business Studies from the University of Liverpool.

She is passionate about deploying capital to not only make returns but to solve the challenges identified by the Sustainable Development Goals.

Green Recruitment Company

Andy Ayim MBE

Andy Ayim MBE is the creator of The Angel Investing School, that trains diverse professionals on how to get started with investing in the next generation of diverse startups. He also consults companies in highly regulated industries with his Product Playbooks on how to set up and scale new agile product management teams. He was previously Managing Director at Backstage Capital and was on the Advisory Board for London Tech Week 2020, Black Tech Fest, One Tech, Translate Culture, Black Tech Fest, Startup Garage and YSYS.

Andy believes that potential is widely distributed but the opportunity is not. He is on a journey to create pathways to leadership for diverse founders and investors in tech.

Over the last decade, he has co-founded a business with his brother and friends, called Mixtape Madness. He has also worked with clients in Hong Kong, China, South Africa and across the US as a startup and investment consultant. Last year, he was voted as Top 100 BAME Leader in Tech in the FT and this year was awarded an MBE for his services to diversity in technology.

Angel Investing School