James Lewis

Director of Startup & Commercial Programmes

As Director of Startup & Commercial Programmes at the Cyber Innovation Hub, James leads the design and delivery of our venture development support, helping founders, researchers, and innovators turn ambitious ideas into commercially viable cyber businesses. He works closely with individuals and teams to shape their entrepreneurial journey, from early-stage idea generation and market validation through to launch-ready ventures with strong commercial foundations.

With more than 20 years’ experience across commercial, IT, and startup roles, James brings deep expertise in entrepreneurship, business model development, product design, agile project delivery, and go-to-market strategy. A professionally qualified coach, he is skilled at mentoring founders through the practical realities of building a business, including forming high-performing teams, running design sprints, and navigating the challenges of scaling. James’ hands-on approach and proven track record in coaching founders is central to the Hub’s mission to grow new cyber companies and strengthen the UK’s innovation ecosystem.