We are delighted to announce that James Clark has joined Draper Esprit as Marketing Director.
“James has a solid track record of using his marketing expertise to help dynamic businesses cut through the noise and establish relevance and credibility. He also has an in-depth understanding both of venture capital and early stage businesses and the listed company environment," Martin Davis, CEO of Draper Esprit.
Please see the press release below for more details
London, 27 April 2020 - Draper Esprit, a leading venture capital firm investing in and developing high growth digital technology businesses, announces the appointment of tech and VC marketing specialist James Clark as Marketing Director with immediate effect.
James will join the Platform team to focus on marketing and branding for Draper Esprit, its funds and portfolio activity.
James joins Draper Esprit following four years as Head of Tech and Life Sciences for London Stock Exchange, where he worked to build London’s global profile as a premier tech listing venue. While at London Stock Exchange, James focused his efforts on open engagement with companies, investors, media and the UK tech community, creating an approach of "mythbusting IPOs" by providing a balanced perspective on access to capital and acting as a source for quality market data.
In 2016 James hosted the Market Opening ceremony as Draper Esprit listed on London's AIM market.
Prior to his time at London Stock Exchange, James built his marketing, advertising and content specialist skills over a 20-year period including notable contributions to tech industry research during his time at the British Venture Capital Association from 2012 to 2015.
Alongside his professional experience, James sits on the Tech Nation UK Future 50 Advisory Board and is a mentor at the InnovX Business Accelerator in Bucharest. James has an MBA from Cass Business School in London and a BA in Political Science from Macquarie University in his native Sydney.
James's appointment forms part of a wider plan to integrate marketing, research and dealflow and align efforts with investment activities as Draper Esprit looks to maximise opportunities in a challenging and rapidly changing market.
Martin Davis, CEO of Draper Esprit, said: “James has a solid track record of using his marketing expertise to help dynamic businesses cut through the noise and establish relevance and credibility. He also has an in-depth understanding both of venture capital and early stage businesses and the listed company environment. Draper Esprit thrives on providing patient capital and strategic support to the companies of the future and we’re building out our team with the people we need to scale up this work over the coming years. We’re delighted that James has joined us on this journey.”
James Clark added: "I've known, liked and respected the Draper Esprit team for many years, was delighted to host their IPO ceremony in 2016 and I'm excited to play a part in the continued development of one of Europe’s most active VCs. As well as investing in fantastic businesses and entrepreneurs, Draper Esprit’s team applies the same entrepreneurial mindset to the business itself. As an investment fund this creates genuine differentiation. As a marketer, this differentiation is a vital asset in helping us attract the very best companies while building value for our own shareholders.”
Enquiries
Kevin Small: 07590 879260
Powerscourt:
James White: 07855 432699
Jessica Hodgson: 07561 424788
About Draper Esprit Draper Esprit is one of the most active venture capital firms in Europe, developing and investing in disruptive, high growth technology companies. We believe the best entrepreneurs in Europe are capable of building the global businesses of the future. We fuel their growth with long- term capital, access to international networks and decades of experience building businesses. Currently, Draper Esprit is a shareholder in a diverse portfolio of companies including Trustpilot, UiPath, TransferWise, and Graphcore. For more information please visit: www.draperesprit.com