British serial entrepreneur Brent Hoberman has launched a communications agency to support founders building high-growth start-ups and scaling up in the UK.
Founders Comms will provide services such as strategy, investor relations, media relations and crisis communications to guide founders through processes such as developing vision, mission and values or preparing a funding round.
Hoberman’s Founders Forum Group, which he co-founded in 2005 and is now executive chairman of, has invested an undisclosed sum in the new business. Its chief executive Carolyn Dawson will join the board of Founders Comms.
Hoberman said: “The holistic approach Founders Comms takes when developing a communications strategy really spoke to us – tailoring communications to investors, customers, staff, partners and decision makers is so important as a founder builds credibility in a new market.
“We are excited to partner with Natasha and Rachel to help even more businesses successfully scale.”
The co-founders of the communications agency, Natasha Jones and Rachel Gurney, have senior communications and policy experience both in-house and across agencies.
Jones, who scaled corporate strategies for fintech Funding Circle before starting her own advisory firm, said: “Communication affects and is affected by every part of your business.
“Effective communication is an integral part of fast-growing businesses, promoting and protecting your reputation while driving commercial growth. Yet many founders don’t implement strategies early enough.”
Meanwhile, Gurney most recently worked as Global Communications Director for Kry Livi, Europe’s largest health technology startup and at Portland Communications.
She said: “We ensure good communication is embedded throughout the scaling journey, from ideation to exit to a public company, delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time.
“Our fractional or project-based model means we can step in and add value as and when needed.”
The new agency was created out of an unmet need for innovators to access senior expertise at an early enough stage to make a meaningful difference.
Founders Comms already advises a number of organisations, including technology companies Apian and Careology, and will also advise Tech Nation, which Founders Forum Group bought last year.
