Alex has been in the same position as many entrepreneurs having started, built and sold his own business. He founded Katalyst Ventures with his colleagues in 2000, creating the private angel network which would later be known as the Octopus Venture Partners. Over seven years, Alex led the business as CEO until its sale to Octopus in August 2007,. providing succession plans for the executive team as a series of VCTs were raised to invest into 42 companies alongside the newly branded Octopus Venture Partners. Since 2007, the amount of assets that the Ventures team manages has risen from circa £20 million to in excess of £200 million at a time when the economy has seen the worst financial crisis in a generation.. Alex is firmly of the belief that it is people that make the difference to businesses, whether within his own team, the Octopus Venture Partners, or most importantly, the entrepreneurs that are building the great businesses of tomorrow. Focusing on people rather than specific industry sectors has enabled the Ventures team to build a diverse portfolio of investments, including: Secret Escapes; Calastone; Zoopla; Graze; and SwiftKey.. Alex is Chairman of the Octopus Ventures Investment Committee, remaining actively involved in new deal transactions, portfolio management, exits and new fund creation. Under Alex's leadership, the Ventures team at Octopus has established itself as one of the leading UK venture capital houses.
