Piers Linney
Jonathan Linney | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 15, 1971 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, investor, television personality |
| Known for | Co-founder of Implement AI, non-executive director at British Business Bank, panelist on BBC Two's Dragons' Den |
Jonathan Piers Daniel Linney (born 15 February 1971) is a prominent British entrepreneur and investor. He co-established Implement AI and previously held a non-executive director position at the British Business Bank, a UK government-backed institution that has enabled over £12 billion in funding for small and medium-sized enterprises across the UK. This bank also manages the StartUp Loan Company and oversees British Patient Capital, a £2.5 billion fund initiated in 2018.
Linney served as co-CEO and proprietor of Genesis Communications and was also co-CEO of the cloud-centric IT firm Outsourcery. He gained widespread public attention as a panel member on BBC Two’s business reality show Dragons' Den between 2013 and 2015.
Additionally, he featured on Channel 4’s The Secret Millionaire in 2011, where he worked within a young offenders’ institution located in Wolverhampton.
In November 2018, Linney was recognized among the top 20 leaders in the Financial Times’ list of the top 100 minority ethnic figures in technology and was also highlighted as one of the top 100 BAME Leaders in Tech.
As an active content creator and keynote speaker, Linney dedicates efforts to supporting entrepreneurs through programs designed to foster start-up development and business expansion.
Career
Linney pursued studies in accounting and law at The University of Manchester before qualifying as a solicitor with SJ Berwin. His early career included roles in investment banking at Barclays de Zoete Wedd and Credit Suisse. Exiting banking in 2000, he founded an internet enterprise and engaged in multiple ventures within technology, media, and telecommunications sectors. As CEO of a corporate finance boutique, he concentrated on technology venture capital and arranging structured equity and debt financing from US hedge funds for small to mid-cap publicly traded companies. He also became a partner in an alternative investment fund worth €90 million that provided structured finance solutions to small cap public firms.
In 2007, Linney, alongside Simon Newton, led the acquisition of Genesis Communications, a company specializing in mobile voice and data resale. Two years later, Genesis purchased Thus Mobile from Cable & Wireless and rebranded itself as Outsourcery, shifting focus toward cloud IT services and communications. The mobile division was sold to Daisy Group for £15 million in 2012.
Outsourcery went public on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 2013, raising £13 million with backing from a Vodafone debt facility. Despite achieving £10 million in revenue by June 2016, the company remained unprofitable and was eventually sold for an undisclosed amount prior to entering administration.
Linney played an instrumental role as a founding member of the governance board for the UK's Cloud Industry Forum and frequently advocated for cloud computing advantages. In 2014, he joined the Cabinet Office SME Panel to provide guidance on challenges facing small and medium enterprises. He also established workinsight.org, a now-defunct national digital platform that connected young people with local employment opportunities.
He is a founding trustee of the Powerlist Foundation and serves on the boards of innovation charity Nesta and careers platform Plotr. Linney is actively engaged with Virgin Unite and contributes as both donor and patron to multiple charitable organizations.
In May 2023, Linney co-launched Implement AI.
Honors and Recognitions
In 2013, Linney was recognized as one of the top 100 most influential black individuals in Britain, featured on the JP Morgan-backed Power List. The following year, he earned the Entrepreneur Leader of the Year accolade at the first-ever Black British Business Awards, which were supported by EY.
Dragons' Den Involvement
Linney became a panelist on BBC Two's Dragons' Den in 2013 during its eleventh season, stepping in for Hilary Devey and Theo Paphitis alongside Kelly Hoppen. He exited the show after the twelfth series concluded in January 2015 to dedicate time to other business interests. His departure, together with that of Hoppen and Duncan Bannatyne, paved the way for newcomers Nick Jenkins, Touker Suleyman, and Sarah Willingham to join the investor lineup.
Among his investments is Wonderbly (previously Lost My Name), a technology-focused publishing firm that creates customized children's books. Since its inception in 2012, Wonderbly has distributed more than 2.7 million copies worldwide across 200 countries. In 2017, the company secured $8.5 million in funding from Ravensburger and existing backers such as Google Ventures and The Chernin Group.