Bristol’s startup community came together recently for the fourth instalment of our SETsquared Bristol Startup Stories series, featuring two fireside chats exploring the founder journey – from the initial startup idea, to scaling and exit.

Two founders at different stages, Laura Gemmell, founder of AI and data education company Taught by Humans, and Andrew Smith, co-founder of flood and climate risk business Fathom, took the stage to share their candid stories of navigating the highs and lows of startup/scaleup life.

Building Taught by Humans: Laura’s path to purpose-driven tech

Laura’s entrepreneurial journey began as a side hustle in 2018 while she was doing a PhD and working full time. The idea for Taught by Humans grew from her experience running coding bootcamps and a long-standing vision to build a personalised learning platform.

“I was delivering kids’ bootcamps for other people. I kept thinking, ‘I could do this better.’ Eventually, I decided to give it a real go and started Taught by Humans.”

During the pandemic, Taught by Humans shifted focus to increasing women’s participation in data roles, but ran into challenges – especially as corporate social responsibility budgets were cut. So Laura began commercialising workshops to fund its social mission.

She officially launched Taught by Humans as a business in 2023 focusing on AI and data upskilling for companies, following over 10 years building tech and data products at places like PwC, Monzo and Worldpay.

Building by bootstraping

Laura avoided taking any early funding by consulting on the side to pay her salary. Workshop revenue and a recent Innovate UK grant allowed her to scale sustainably.

“We’ve been generating decent revenue, and the grant means we’ll be hiring more people soon.”

Selective hiring and systematised processes have helped Laura to scale without burning out. She’s chosen team members who align with her company’s needs and vision.

When asked, “Have you faced any challenges as a female founder?” Laura said:

“Definitely. People often underestimate me because I look younger than I am. During one pitch, someone said there was no way I had the experience I claimed on my slides. I also tend to avoid mentioning my PhD in Robotics – it can invite unnecessary scrutiny from certain people who feel the need to test my technical knowledge. I’ve learned to let my results speak louder.”

At the same time, Laura recognises the flip side:
“I do think some opportunities have come my way because I’m a chatty, young woman in AI. It’s complicated.”

What’s next?

Laura is keen to continue helping everyone build confidence with AI and data. Her vision for Taught by Humans is to become the backbone of workplace learning – helping individuals carry a “skills passport” with them throughout their careers.

Fathom – from university spinout to multimillion exit: Andrew’s journey

Andrew and Co-founder, Chris Sampson, began their journey by building computational models of extreme weather events during their PhDs in Hydrology and Water Resources Science at the University of Bristol. After seeing the real-world need—especially after the 2011 Thailand floods—they knew insurers could benefit.

“We realised our research had real-world value when $20B in damages hit Thailand and insurers didn’t have adequate models.”

Andrew and Chris knew their research was unique and ahead of competitors, giving them a strong value proposition when approaching potential clients.

Fathom landed clients like Microsoft and, rather than seeking early funding, they used UK government grants to fund growth. Pilot projects validated the commercial viability of their research while funding initial operations.

Scaling without sacrificing control

By focusing on generating revenue instead of raising investment immediately, Fathom grew organically. This allowed them to maintain control over their operations and avoid external pressures from investors during the early stages.

“Bootstrapping gave us control. We only brought in investors later when the timing was right.”

Andrew’s team grew to 60 employees before being acquired, all while maintaining a strong foundation through non-dilutive funding and early revenue.

Growth and exit strategy

Andrew’s commercialisation strategy revolved around identifying a clear market need, leveraging academic expertise, building strong relationships and strategic partnerships, and securing early revenue through pilot projects and grants. These steps allowed his company to grow organically before scaling further through investment, resulting in Fathom’s acquisition to Swiss Re.

What’s Next?

Andrew’s team continues to grow Fathom with the goal of establishing it as the innovation hub for the parent company.

Founder advice: strategy, grit, and adaptability

Both Laura and Andrew emphasised a few common threads in their journeys:

• Build relationships – the secret lies in surrounding yourself with good people, staying adaptable, and believing in your mission.
• Bootstrap early to retain control and avoid unnecessary pressure.
• Use grants and pilot projects to validate your business and build credibility.
• Tailor your product to the real-world needs of your market.
• Systematise operations to prepare for growth.
• Stay resilient in the face of doubt, stress, and setbacks.

Laura: “Some days I dream of living on a beach. Other days, I remember why I love building this.”

Andrew: “It’s a rollercoaster—but even the low points are part of the reward. Hearing stories like Laura’s reminds me how energising the journey can be.”

If you’re a founder needing help and support to launch or grow your tech startup, find out about SETsquared Bristol membership.

Book for the next Startup Stories – Spinout Edition.