The following mentors will be available during the Launch48 event to assist the Launch48 teams.

Charles Delingpole

Co-founder of Marketinvoice

Marketinvoice (www.marketinvoice.com) is an online marketplace for invoices. Small companies can sell invoices due from large corporates due in 30, 60 or 90 days to a network of investors. It’s the first marketplace of its kind in Europe, and is a solution to the problem of small companies trapped in a “double credit crunch” between banks who won’t extend overdrafts and their large customers who delay payment for long periods of time.

Charles previously worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan Cazenove advising technology, media and telecommunications companies on mergers, acquisitions and other issues. He is also the founder of Acumen PI (www.acumenpi.com). Acumen’s websites include the world’s largest student social media site TheStudentRoom, with currently over 5 million unique users per month. Charles has a Masters degree in Management from the London School of Economics and a double first honours degree in Social & Political Sciences from Trinity College, Cambridge University.

Eewei Chen

Experience Design, Creative Direction

Eewei has worked in the new media creative industry since 1993 and has had many ‘firsts’ in his professional career including designing the first secure online musical distribution service (before itunes!), launching the first online music publication (nme.com) and setting up the design department for the first truly integrated design agency (Conchango). Now as a principal consultant and creative director at ThoughtWorks UK, Eewei continues to keep innovation and users at the heart of all design decisions, and his wealth of experience across a broad spectrum of industries is fresh and invaluable asset to any project.

Twitter: ultraman Blog: eewei.com

Hugh Chappell

Investor, Entrepreneur, Advisor

Hugh has worked in the IT and publishing industry since 1976.  He worked for Apple Computer in the UK from 1979 when the personal computer industry was in its infancy.  In 1985 he established Taxan (Europe) Ltd, a wholly subsidiary of Kaga Electronics, Japan.  In an 18 period at the helm the business sold 5 million computer displays and graphics adaptors.

His personal goal to own and manage his own business was realised when he founded TrustedReviews.com in 2003 followed and acquired bit-tech.net in 2005.  Both on-line only publications quickly became market leaders in their respective sectors.  The sale of TrustedReviews.com in 2007 to Time Warner/IPC Media and bit-tech.net in 2008 to Dennis Publishing completed his ultimate goal.  Hugh is now involved with several start-up organisations and companies either as a mentor and/or investor. He also works with more established companies in non-executive roles using his considerable experience to provide advice and an independent voice on strategy, performance, risk and people.

He has invested in Net Communities (on-line publisher) and Lovestruck.com (on-line dating), ParkatmyHouse.com (on-line car parking) and is a non-executive Director of Time Out Group, Dennis Publishing and MyVoucherCodes.com.

Julien Fourgeaud

Bad Piggy Bank Manager & Magician, Rovio

Julien is Rovio’s Bad Piggy Bank Manager & Magician. Julien is driving Rovio’s Virtual Goods/Currency as well as the NFC productization. Before joining Rovio, Julien has established his own Mobile Strategy consulting company, working with the likes of Vodafone and Nokia. He has also worked at the Symbian Foundation, as a Technology Catalyst, helping shaping and communicate the value proposition and the future of the Symbian platform. Prior to to take up this position, he worked at Nokia, contributing to key projects such as the transition from keypad to touch interface, and leading the major effort behind third-party integration for the N97 in 2009.

Julien’s earlier experiences in the mobile industry include participating in leading research projects in the field of Micro and Nano Sensor Networks, conducted by Tampere University of Technology in 2004, and working to integrate sensors within a mobile platform at PurpleLabs (now Myriad Group) in 2003.

Julien holds an MSc in Computer Sciences, Telecommunications and Networks from the Ecole Francaise d’Electronique d’Informatique (EFREI), in France.

Paul Dawson

Total Experience Design, Innovation & Digital Strategy

Paul is an experienced hand in the digital business, having done ‘new media’ since it was actually new, and developed a huge amount of experience across a wide range of disciplines & industries.

He is focussed on customer experience in its totality, stemming from the Total Experience Design philosophy he helped develop over the last few years. Where he mostly brought this to life has been in eCommerce projects, and other digital touchpoints from airport kiosks to new natural user interface devices with brands like Barclays, Virgin Atlantic and Tesco amongst others.

Today he works with similar brands looking at digital strategy, customer experience, and their innovation practices. In addition, he built up a user experience design and branding team that in 2006 and every year since, is recognised by Forrester as being clear leaders in Europe for user-centred design and branding.

Twitter: @poleydee
Linked in: http://tinyurl.com/pauldawson
Work: http://www.fluxx.uk.com/