Julie MeyerCEO, Ariadne Capital Founder, Entrepreneur Country BBC Online
Dragon Co-Founder, First Tuesday
Biography
Founder and CEO of Ariadne Capital, Founder - Entrepreneur Country, Managing
Partner - Ariadne Capital Entrepreneurs Fund [ACE]
Julie Meyer believes that
Individual Capitalism aligns and releases people's ingenuity for the solving of the
world's problems at the macro and micro levels as well as accelerating the
future.
She is one of the leading champions for
entrepreneurship in Europe and the UK as a force for growth and inclusiveness. Since she
arrived in Paris, France in September 1988, she has advised technology firms and backed
Europe's entrepreneurs in both Paris and London.
Julie
founded Ariadne Capital in August 2000 to create a new model for the financing of
entrepreneurship in Europe and the UK - "Entrepreneurs Backing Entrepreneurs".
She created the founding Investor Partnership of 58 leading entrepreneurs and business
builders who are Ariadne's core shareholders.
She has led the investments
and/or advisory mandates with BeatThatQuote, Espotting, Monitise, SpinVox, and
Zopa.
Julie was part of the early team at NewMedia Investors in
1998, which became early stage investment firm Spark Ventures in October 1999. At NewMedia
Investors, she managed deals in key technology companies including ArcCores,
lastminute.com and WGSN. Also, in 1998, she founded First Tuesday, the network of
entrepreneurs, which many credit for igniting the Internet generation in Europe. It was
sold in July 2000 for $50 million in cash and shares.
She has
been named one of INSEAD's Top 50 Alumni, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year,
World Economic Forum Global Leader of Tomorrow, TIME Magazine Digital 50, one of
WIRED's 100, one of London's 1000 Most Influential People (Evening Standard) and
one of the Top 30 Most Influential Women in Europe.
Julie is also one of the
BBC's Online Dragons in the award-winning Dragon's Den Online, and is also
currently setting up a "Dads and Daughters" foundation to support and extend her
thesis that women's identities are shaped - for good or bad - by the messages they
receive from their father's as children and young adults.
She is on the Board of Directors of Jellybook, Vestergaard Frandsen, a for
profit humanitarian development firm, and INSEAD, her business school. She graduated with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities and English Literature from Valparaiso University,
near Chicago, US in 1988, having spent her junior year in Cambridge, UK in
1986.
In 2011, she was asked to be on the Secretary of State's Entrepreneurs
Panel and the Secretary of Health's Innovation Pane
Recent Speaking Engagements
Media Guardian
Innovation Awards 2011, London - Judging panel
Chairman's Network event, London -
Keynote speaker
mWomen Programme at GSMA Mobile World Congress
2011, Barcelona
Monaco Private Equity & Venture Capital
Association event, Monaco
bigfish Business Club event, London - Keynote
speaker
Financial Times Intermediary Forum 2011, London - Keynote
speaker
The Economist's The Big Rethink, London - Opening keynote
address
Ecobuild Conference, London - Panel
Digital City/Girl Geeks event, Middlesbrough -
Keynote speaker
Internet Retailing Insights Conference,
Birmingham - Keynote speaker
JAM Sessions for Entrepreneurs, London - Host of
panel discussion
Siemens Enterprise Communications Partner
Conference- GoForwardLive! - Keynote speaker
Comment Conference: Enterprise, London -
Keynote speaker
Entrepreneurs' Summit, London - Keynote
speaker
Cambridge Union Society, House debate, Cambridge
NOIA Annual Conference,
Canada - Keynote speaker
INSEAD MBA Opening Ceremony 2011 - Keynote
speaker
Spears Insight Forum, London – Keynote speaker
Mindtrek 2011, Finland
– Keynote speaker
Legatum Convergence 2011 , Massachusetts
Institute of Technology – Panel Moderator
CompTIA, London – Keynote
speaker
Goldman Sachs, Leadership Academy – Keynote speaker
Green Strategy, London
– Keynote speaker
TEDx Brussels 2011 – Keynote speaker
Awards and Honours
INSEAD - 50 Alumni who changed the
world
E&Y – Entrepreneur of the Year (October 2000)
Wall Street Journal -
30 Most Influential Women in Europe
World Economic Forum – Global Leader of
Tomorrow
Selected to be a member of Vince Cable’s
Entrepreneurs’ Forum as part of
Broadcast and Print Coverage, Speaking Engagements
Video
TEDx Brussels, ‘A Day in the Deep Future’
– Entrepreneurs 2061
http://www.tedxbrussels.eu/2011/speakers/julie_meyer.html
INSEAD Knowledge
Interview
http://knowledge.insead.edu/INSEAD-knowledge-julie-meyer-on-individual-capitalism-
111024.cfm
Daily Telegraph – Julie Meyer: An entrepreneur’s will
to succeed
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financevideo/8432556/Julie-Meyer-An-entrepreneurs-will-
to- succeed.html
Financial Times – Why entrepreneurship is so
important
http://video.ft.com/v/791636608001/Why-entrepreneurship-is-so-important
The
Apprentice You are Fired - Episode 4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00vn2cw/The_Apprentice_Youre_Fired_Series_6_Episod
e_4/
Dragon's Den Online
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden/dragons/juliemeyer.shtml
Cambridge
Phenomenon http://vimeo.com/16392729
Live CNBC market commentary
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1189890099&play=1
Dragons Den
Dinner 2009 Speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPeCG8NgmPo
CNBC: The Good
Entrepreneur Ideas Masterclass
http://www.goodentrepreneur.com/Knowledge/Ideas-Masterclass/Julie-Meyer
Technology Strategy Board - Digital Horizons: Commercialising Innovation webcast
http://www.innovateuk.org/liveqasession/livewebcast.ashx
The Future of
Entrepreneurship http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uuzC5MEA
Cover Stories
Work Life magazine – Julie Meyer, The
Interview http://content.yudu.com/A1nenm/WL9/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl
Recent media coverage
BBC News, Business
– Is this a new tech bubble?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14087394
BBC Radio 4 - Today programme
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9490000/9490862.stm
Real
Business – Vince Cable’s Entrepreneurs’ Forum meets again
http://realbusiness.co.uk/news/vince-cables-entrepreneurs-forum-meets-again
INSEAD 50 Alumni who changed the world
http://50.insead.edu/alumni/julie-meyer
Financial Times – Funding
boost for fast-growth start-ups
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/14f2d36c-59f6-11df-acdc-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1
Growing Business Online – FGBA 2010: The Winners
http://www.growingbusiness.co.uk/fgba-2010-the-winners.html Wired - Watch
out, Silicon Valley: Europe's next billion dollar start-ups
http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2010/10/features/watch-out-silicon-valley?page=all
Money Week
http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-charts/people-in-the-news/profile-of-entrepreneur-julie-
You have the power to
transform.
For too
long, we British have been a bit sniffy about entrepreneurialism, regarding individual
capitalism as something rather vulgar. Well, personal enterprise and innovation among
small companies is the only dynamic that will propel us into a prosperous future. Whether
at First Tuesday, Ariadne Capital or through Entrepreneur Country, Julie Meyer has long
been a charismatic champion of entrepreneurialism in Britain. She’s shown us the way
through her own endeavours and by broadcasting the achievements of others. Julie knows -
Britain’s got entrepreneurial talent. She’s a superstar.
I just wanted to thank you for your time, energy and intellect last night.
You pitched perfectly providing inspirational words without ever patronising. We have
received many complimentary emails today and that’s down to your significant
contribution. I thoroughly enjoyed dinner and enjoyed your company immensely. Steven
Smith, Liverpool Vision
I just wanted to thank you on behalf of
TiE President, Charter Members and general members and guests for speaking on Monday
evening. We have had fantastic response to your talk – everyone found it fascinating
to hear the real people behind the ‘VC’ tag which sends shivers down most
people’s backs. I think most people are quite daunted with the thought of
approaching one! Jean Drinkwater, TiE Manchester
On behalf of
Crimson, I wanted to thank you so much for your contribution to the Startups Awards - not
only as a judge but as an award presenter on the afternoon. All the winners’
interviews show you what your judging decisions meant to the winners. Quite touching! We
were delighted that you could take part and hope you enjoyed the afternoon. Looking
forward to hopefully involving you in our events in the future.
It was refreshing to see someone
with so much passion and belief in what they do. Have a great day and don't forget to
relax occasionally, stay positive.
Andrew Britton, W R Evans
The cofounder of FirstTuesday is bringing the spirit of American venture
capitalism to Europe's new breed of Internet startups.
Forbes
Thank you so much for your speech and attendance at our Women in Structured
Finance event yesterday. I have received so many fantastic comments for the people who
attended including “inspirational”, “uplifting”, “simply
brilliant” are just a few. Mia Drennan, MD, SquareMile Connections
We are
most grateful for to you for sparing your time to participate in the conference and for
giving such an interesting and thought provoking address.
Mark Gough, Head of Editorial,
Financial Times
I found Julie Meyer to be a particularly
inspiring speaker and it was a great experience to see someone obviously [at] the very top
levels, yet still being able to find the time to come along and encourage the rest of us
at the workshop.Delegate, Equalitech: Advancing Women in ITEC
I
wanted to thank you for your keynote speech today. While the content was both timely and
full of relevant material I was struck by what an excellent public speaker you are and how
you captured and held the audience’s attention (Including my own). It's not
often that a speaker truly causes the audience to think and reflect. Usually it is a self
aggrandizing diatribe or even worse someone preaching and pontificating to their own
goals. You talk was refreshing. Cam Edgar, Vice President Business Development &
Sales, One Power
Just a short note to say how much I enjoyed your presentation
at the IRX in Birmingham this week, I found it very compelling, relevant and a great
source of inspiration... Really, Really, Really Good! Thank you. John Taylor, Global Brand
& European Marketing Director, ThinkSmart
Julie, you were
sensational – I was absolutely riveted by everything you said. I cannot tell you how
much I appreciate your having given us your time like that. Julia Hobsbawm, Chief
Executive, Editorial Intelligence
