Investors

Ian is one of the founding fathers of the UK games industry. He co-founded iconic games company Games Workshop in 1975 with Steve Jackson, launching Dungeons & Dragons in Europe, Warhammer and the Games Workshop retail chain.

He co-authored The Warlock of Firetop Mountain with Steve Jackson in 1982, the first interactive gamebook in the Fighting Fantasy series which have sold 20 million copies worldwide. He has written 15 books including international bestseller, Deathtrap Dungeon. Part book, part game, a Fighting Fantasy gamebook empowers the reader through choice and are acknowledged for improving children’s critical thinking and literacy levels. His new book, Assassins of Allansia, is published by Scholastic.

In 1995 he co-led the merger that created Eidos plc where he served as Executive Chairman until 2002, and later as Creative Director. At Eidos he launched blockbuster video games including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. From 2012-2017, he served as Chairman of Playdemic, developers of the mega-hit mobile game Golf Clash. He was an angel investor in Mediatonic, developers of global hit video game Fall Guys. He is currently Chairman of Sumo Group plc.

He is a leading advocate for ‘the power of play’ through games-based learning and digital creativity. In 2011 co-authored the Livingstone-Hope Next Gen review published by NESTA, recommending changes in ICT education policy to include computer science in the national curriculum. He chaired the Next Gen Skills campaign, working with government to introduce the new Computing curriculum in schools in 2014. He is opening The Livingstone Academy Bournemouth in 2021 in association with Aspirations Academies Trust.

James leads Sky’s investments and partnerships with startups, having joined the team at its inception in 2013. James has invested in companies across media and technology over the period and sits on a board of a number of those companies. James was previously an investor at a London venture firm and a Strategy and M&A consultant at Deloitte. startups.sky.com

Gina brings 20 years of business experience working with corporates, startups, and investors. Gina began her career in the TMT investment banking team at Jefferies. During her tenure at the firm, Gina was instrumental in developing and leading the global marketing function. She then founded and operated two startups – a wine marketplace for events and an AI powered smart coach via a mobile app. Gina is currently the Head of Network at Rooks Nest Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage media technology companies. In this role, Gina actively seeks, discovers, and supports entrepreneurs building the next generation of significant media-tech companies. To help drive innovation within media, Gina is working on building a network of networks – the most interconnected media-tech ecosystem that supports the development of new technologies and business models and serves as the conduit for growth for media’s most ambitious startups.

Fiona is CEO of Makerversity, the leading creative-tech incubator, headquartered at Somerset House, London. Fiona was previously a Board Director of Time Inc., the UK’s no.1 cross-platform publisher, responsible for iconic media brands across multiple sectors from luxury, lifestyle and design to leisure, science and technology. Fiona has 25 years’ experience in digital media, leading the launches of newscientist.com and wallpaper.com. She pioneered Time Inc. corporate digital initiatives, helping grow online audience from tens of thousands to tens of millions.

Fiona is a serial disruptive tech, media and creative sector investor and member of the UK’s
no.1 angel syndicate 24 Haymarket. She is non-executive director of Trackonomics and was a Finalist in the UK Business Angels Association Awards 2019 for ‘Best Woman-led Investment in Innovation’. Fiona sits on the Digital Advisory Group of the British Council.