Lewis Upton

Background

About Lewis Upton

Throughout my career I’ve had the privilege of building businesses that merge innovation with execution, thriving in fast-paced, high-pressure environments where adaptability and strategic thinking are key. After starting my career at Bluecrest Capital, one of the world’s leading hedge funds, I qualified as a solicitor in one of London’s top media firms. I then joined MusicQubed, a disruptive music startup, where I played a pivotal role in growing the company into the third-largest music subscription service in the UK. As part of the executive team, I helped secure over £40 million in debt and equity capital and negotiated unique partnerships with Universal, Sony, Warner, O2, and Samsung. This experience taught me the art of complex multi-stakeholder sales and negotiation. As Head of Business Affairs, I focused on strategic partnerships and the complexities of digital licensing, all while developing a global perspective on scaling businesses in competitive markets. After my time at MusicQubed, I co-founded Nikura, an e-commerce and manufacturing business in the health and beauty sector, with a longtime school friend. We grew our operations significantly to manufacturing and shipping more than 2.5 million products annually. One of our key achievements was integrating tech solutions into our operation, enabling us to scale the business’s operations with a cost-effective, data-driven approach. Our growth through Amazon and Shopify showcased our ability to adapt, innovate, and meet the demands of a fast-evolving market. Today, I bring that same entrepreneurial spirit and experience to my current role as Commerical Director at Oxford DataPlan, where I focus on business development and strategic partnerships in the alternative data space. Leveraging my background in scaling companies and driving revenue, I work to create and maximize new revenue channels, expand market reach, and build alliances that deliver long-term value.