Ben Sheppard

4x Founder | 1 Exit | I help founders stop being the bottleneck in their own business | Fractional COO & Coach | AI, SaaS, Fintech & Web3

I partner with Seed and Series-funded founders to bridge the gap between 'scrappy startup' and 'scalable enterprise.' I am the person you call when the business outgrows its early operating system, growth plateaus, or the team needs to professionalize without losing its speed. My work blends founder experience, corporate scale, and hard-earned judgment from 20+ years operating in high-stakes environments. I move businesses forward with clear thinking and honest conversations—no theatre, no templates. The Track Record • Global Founder: Built 4 companies across HK, Switzerland, Spain, and the UK. • Rapid Scale: Raised $2.2M pre-product, led a hard pivot to AI, and grew to $1M ARR within the first year with backing from the Asian Development Bank ($150B AUM). • Strategic Turnarounds: Led 5 successful turnarounds in the last 12 months, including one from near-collapse to profitability in just 4 months. • Enterprise Experience: Negotiated hundreds of millions in deals, managed 120-person teams, and advised on $200M–$400M infrastructure investments. • Global Coaching: Guided 200+ founders across 25 countries and 15+ industries—from SaaS and Marketplaces to AI and Web3. How I Help Founders I help you tighten your operating rhythm and navigate the high-pressure moments of the scale-up journey: • GTM Resets & Pivots: Navigating product-market fit shifts and investor pressure. • Operational Scale: Moving from 5 to 30+ people (as seen at Streamr following their $32M raise). • M&A & Fundraising: Preparation for early exit conversations and high-stakes rounds. • Expertise Across: AI, FinTech, HealthTech, ConTech, GovTech, Sustainability, and Infrastructure. Speaking & Thought Leadership I speak at Google HQ, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum on AI, innovation, and systems change. If you’re scaling something ambitious and want steadier leadership and sharper decisions—let’s talk.