Saul Klein

Saul is a serial tech entrepreneur, operator and investor with nearly 30 years experience starting, building and exiting global companies in the UK, US, Israel and Europe. As co-founder and managing partner of Phoenix Court, Saul backs entrepreneurs building global businesses based on innovative science and technology, to have the maximum positive impact on society. Phoenix Court, founded in 2015, is the home of LocalGlobe, EMEA’s number one venture fund (source: Dealroom Investor Prominence Ranking 2023) as well as Latitude and Solar, supporting companies at the breakout and scaleup phases. Phoenix Court also invests in over 60 emerging managers in the US, EMEA and APAC through its Basecamp programme. Phoenix Court’s mission is to be a good long-term neighbour and help people realise their full potential. To achieve this, 10% of profits of the management company and 2% of carry in all funds are allocated to the Phoenix Court Works foundation supporting organisations across Somers Town, one of the UK’s most deprived neighbourhoods, close to St Pancras and Kings Cross. Before founding Phoenix Court, Saul spent eight years as a General Partner at Index Ventures from 2007 until May 2015. He was co-founder and original CEO of LoveFilm, as co-founder and original CEO (acquired by Amazon in 2011) and part of the original leadership team at Skype (acquired by eBay in 2005). He co-founded Platoon (acquired by Apple in 2018). Saul was also co-founder of Seedcamp (2007), Europe’s first accelerator with seed investments in companies such as Revolut and UiPath; co-founded Zinc with LSE (2018) and Newton Venture Program with London Business School (2020). In 2012, David Cameron appointed Saul to be the UK’s first Technology Business Ambassador to Israel and he was awarded an OBE in 2016 for services to business. He is a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology, advising the Prime Minister on science and technology policy issues across government since March 2020 and in April 2023 was appointed a founding NED on the board of the new Department for Science, Technology and Innovation. Saul serves on Camden’s STEAM Commission and the London borough’s Economic Renewal Commission. He works closely with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on its regional innovation strategy. He was also a trustee of Comic Relief for six years. As his Twitter handle notes, Saul is first a husband and second a father to three children aged 17, 15 and 9, before being a founder, operator and investor. Saul is serial entrepreneur with two decades of experience building and exiting companies in the US, Israel and Europe. He has a passion for working with seed and early stage businesses. Most recently Saul co-founded Kano and Seedcamp, as well as a co-founder and original CEO of Lovefilm International (acquired by Amazon). He was also part of the original executive team at Skype (acquired by eBay).