Simon Murdoch

Category:

Angel Investor

Description:

Simon Murdoch is an angel investor who generally invests in young, emerging companies with a focus on UK-based companies with early traction. Murdoch aims to assist portfolio companies through efforts and expertise focused onadvising UK-based start up businesses on funding, business model. Murdoch founded Bookpages which was sold to Amazon in 1998. Simon is founder and CEO of FriendsAbroad.com Ltd, a company running two language-related web services: doyouspeak.com and friendsabroad.com. doyouspeak.com is on online English language school providing multimedia language lessons given by native English-speaking teachers. friendsabroad.com is a language exchange website for people who want to practice their language skills and develop friendships with people from other parts of the world. Previously, Simon was VP Europe of Amazon.com. He managed huge growth from start up in late 1996 through to multimillion turnover and hundreds of staff, ie from founding of his own Internet bookselling company Bookpages in late 1996, through acquisition by Amazon.com in April 1998, launch of Amazon.co.uk in October 1998 and ultra-high growth through 1999. He is also co-founder and partner of Episode 1 Partners Ltd, an early stage technology investment company. Episode 1 invested and managed the $100m Chase Episode 1 Fund which was launched in early 2000 to invest at start up or early stage in Internet and technology businesses such as Betfair. Simon has also invested directly as a business angel and advised as non-executive chairman or director a number of software technology and Internet businesses based in the UK including LoveFilm (DVD rental), Shazam Entertainment (music recognition) and Commerce Decisions (e-sourcing solutions).

Location:

United Kingdom