Launchbase: Building Tech Products & Scaling Startups

In this episode of Launchbase, host John Radford speaks with Hector Hughes, co-founder of Unplugged, a hospitality startup focused on providing digital detox experiences through off-grid cabins. Hector shares his journey from the tech industry to creating a business that encourages people to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with nature. The conversation explores the impact of digital detox on mental health and relationsh...

In this episode of LaunchBase, John Radford sits down with Kevin Jackson, Chairman of AI Forge, to explore what it takes to build and scale AI startups. Kevin shares his journey from advertising to AI, the mission of AI Forge, and the rigorous selection process founders must go through. They dive into the challenges and opportunities in AI, the role of resilience in entrepreneurship, and why AI is becoming as fundamental as electri...

In this episode of Launch Base, host John Radford is joined by Katie Dunn, an angel investor and startup advisor, to discuss her journey from corporate banking to the world of angel investing. They dive into the critical role of personal branding on LinkedIn, the key qualities that make a successful founder, and the evolving startup ecosystem. Katie shares valuable insights on navigating investor relationships, the significance of ...

In this episode of LaunchBase, I sit down with Dan Bowyer, partner at Super Seed, to discuss early-stage investing and why Europe’s tech scene needs a serious shift.

We cover:

✅ Why Dubai’s tech hype doesn’t compare to Europe and the US model ✅ How Europe can ‘Americanise’ its approach to funding and scaling ✅ The importance of founder-market fit and how it drives investment decisions ✅ Why personalized outreach trumps cold emails...

In this episode of LaunchBase, I sit down with Kiran Mehta, a former VC turned startup advisor, to break down the biggest mistakes founders make when raising capital. We cover:

✅ Why B2B SaaS is the safer bet for UK VCs ✅ What investors really want to see at pre-seed, seed, and Series A ✅ The funding challenges founders are facing today—and how to navigate them ✅ The real tipping point for scaling a SaaS startup ✅ Common founder mi...

In this episode of Launchbase, I sit down with Callum Woodcock, the founder & CEO of WineFi, a platform that’s transforming fine wine into an accessible investment class.

🚀 Key Highlights:

• How Callum went from idea to £1M+ in revenue within seven months.
• The power of building in public and leveraging LinkedIn for early traction.
• Raising £500K in an oversubscribed pre-seed round—before even having a product.
• Why personal...

In this episode of Launchbase, John Radford sits down with Eddie Whittingham—ex-police officer, lawyer, and tech entrepreneur. Eddie bootstrapped The Defense Works, a cybersecurity training company, and successfully exited to Proofpoint, a NASDAQ-listed firm. Now, he’s building Ministry of Work, a premium co-working space for ambitious founders.

They discuss:

✅ Bootstrapping to exit—what worked and what didn’t ✅ The role of luck v...

Jonathan Keeling has seen fundraising from all angles—helping CrowdCube raise over £1B for 1,000 startups and now scaling Haatch from £50M to £250M AUM.

In this episode, we dive into the realities of startup fundraising, crowdfunding do’s and don’ts, and what investors really look for. We also explore how UK investors differ from their US counterparts, the rise of AI-powered startups, and why recycled capital is key to a thriving e...

This week, we end off Season 1 with a bang as we sit down with Gabriela Hersham, Co-Founder and CEO of Huckletree. Huckletree is the home of conscious entrepreneurship across the UK and Ireland, providing a network of mentors, talent, investors and experts, along with the right services to help their members grow.

We discuss what the future of work may look like in a post-pandemic world, the role of community in facilitating growth...

With the dog days of lockdown slowly lifting, there are businesses that have built and maintained communities that have kept the world a happier place and our guests this week are one of them. BorrowMyDoggy is a digital platform that connects dog owners with trusted local people who would love to look after their dog and make it easy to arrange walks, playtime, overnight stays or holidays. Grab a coffee and sit back as we discuss a...

When it comes to developing digital products, it takes a village. And when it comes to building product for companies that strive to do good in the world, it makes the journey that much sweeter. This week at Launch Base HQ, we are joined by Rachael Box, Founder of Local Village Network (LVN). LVN are a charity dedicated to tackling network poverty and social inequality. Our sponsor Borne Agency partnered with LVN in delivering a na...

Different founders make different kinds of mistakes. This is where DropJaw comes in. DropJaw Ventures are a specialist business advisory firm and provide access to capital, interim management and advisory services to scale up businesses and companies in need of a turnaround.

This week, we have an insightful discussion with Roy Shelton, Managing Partner at DropJaw Ventures on the challenges faced by young, emerging, scale-ups and mo...

Execution is everything. This morning, our host is joined by Lydia Jones, Founder and CEO of Housemates. Housemates is a marketplace to discover and book student accommodation in minutes. Lydia has been featured in TechRound’s 29 under 29 for 2020 and BusinessCloud’s 35 under 35 to watch in the UK.

We discuss staying curious when solving a problem through product and building a product your users didn’t know they needed. We chat ab...

This week, we decode the role of CTO with our guest Andy Skipper, Founder and Chief CTO Coach at CTO Craft. CTO Craft’s community brings together technology leaders from across the world, from small startups to global organisations. They offer an easily digestible range of deep-dive courses and programmes to help technology leaders of all experience levels. We discuss the role of a CTO, what that entails, how CTO's can recognise ho...

The terms 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Machine Learning' and 'Big Data' have been in the limelight throughout 2020 and 2021 has been no exception. Our guest this week saw this potential and their portfolio demonstrates this. This week, our host has a catch up with Mads Jensen, Managing Partner at SuperSeed. SuperSeed accelerates B2B startups in launching great AI-focused products. John picks Mad's brain on all things: Big Data and A...

When it comes to scaling a business from the ground up, you want to build a category-defining company that owns the entire space and adds value for your users. This week, John dives in with Dr Charles Armitage, Co-Founder and CEO of Florence, an online marketplace that connects independent nurses and carers for freelance shifts.

Re-inventing your startup at every opportunity is key whilst scaling to pivot your business with your us...

Passion, Resilience, Coachable, Curiosity.

These are the qualities that seed/pre-seed investment firms like TIA Ventures look for in entrepreneurs and bringing 'Thought Into Action'. This week, John grabs a virtual coffee with Wills Hapworth, Managing General Partner at TIA Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital fund that partners with companies building emotional and visceral connections with their consumers.

We discuss identifyin...