Ian Golden

Career Summary

Ian is an entrepreneurial leader and early-stage investor with over a decade of experience founding, scaling, and advising startups across cybersecurity, defence technology, and e-commerce. He began his career as an airborne infantry sergeant and sniper in the US Army, with combat deployments that forged the discipline and decisiveness he later brought to building companies. As CEO and Co-Founder of Manta Cyber Systems -work that earned him the 2024 Tech Entrepreneur of the Year for the East of England. Previously, he bootstrapped a defence operations company from concept to profitable exit, serving military and law enforcement customers without external capital. He brings a founder-operator's perspective to investment: commercial due diligence, deal structuring, and hands-on portfolio support through critical growth milestones.

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Key Skills

Investment analysis and commercial due diligence, early-stage venture strategy and portfolio support, IP commercialisation and licensing, financial modelling and valuation, deal structuring and negotiation, go-to-market strategy and product-market fit, and building high-performing teams under pressure. Also holds: Certificate in Applied Corporate Finance (Cambridge), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

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Future Objectives

Ian is pursuing his MBA to sharpen his strategic and financial toolkit while building an international network. He intends to remain at the intersection of entrepreneurship and investment: backing early-stage ventures where founder-operator experience creates differentiated value, and helping founders navigate the pre-seed to Series A transition. He is also drawn to Non-Executive Director roles, bringing operational credibility and governance experience to growth-stage companies and mission-driven organisations.