From their front room to one of the fastest growing private businesses in the world.
London, Wednesday 28th June 2017: Simon Rogerson, Group Chief Executive, and Christopher Hulatt, Founder of London-based Octopus Capital, were named ‘EY London & South Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 overall winner’ at an awards ceremony at BAFTA in the capital last night.Whilst still on a graduate training programme 17 years ago, Simon and Christopher (aged 25 and 23 respectively) set up Octopus Capital with, in their words, ‘no money and no experience.’ They raised funds for the company when they had no products, no customers and no office. They describe how almost everyone believed they would fail, but their passion and ‘terminator gene’ saw them through. The investment company now has more than 500 people and manages £6billion on behalf of more than 50,000 investors.
In the last few years Octopus has entered a number of new industries – most notably energy and healthcare – building care homes, hospitals, retirement villages, and special needs schools. It is also the third largest owner of renewable energy assets in the UK, capable of powering a city the size of Manchester with renewable energy.
Octopus dominates a number of the markets they operate in and are regularly voted the number one provider for customer service. Their aim is to turn their dream of “Octopus In Every Home” into a reality.
Simon Pearson, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year leader in London, said: “Set up in 2000, Octopus is a highly disruptive, customer obsessed business in the financial services, energy and healthcare sectors and is one of the fastest growing private companies in the world.
“Motivated by the opinions of their employees and customers and the impact they are making, Simon and Christopher want to breathe new life into the industries serving some of our most important needs and thereby improving the lives of millions of people.”
Simon and Christopher of Octopus, who also took home the Master award, were described by the independent panel of judges as ‘fast growth’ and ‘disrupting an entire sector in renewables.’
