Strategy · Operations · AI & Automation · London
Founders call me when something is too important to ignore and too messy to delegate.
Seven years building inside VC-backed startups, £100m+ deployed as a VC before that. I find the real shape of the problem, weigh the trade-offs, and stay to execute the roadmap.
Previously in the room with
Selected work
De facto Chief of Staff to the COO on a B2C solar spin-off: built product, ops and GTM from concept, designed the onboarding and legal flows, and led the 9-month consumer-code certification that cleared the way for national rollout.
Product-managed a proprietary AI tool automating lead qualification, solar design and proposal generation end-to-end, turning bespoke pitches into a scalable, high-volume outbound engine.
Owned and rebuilt the deal funding workflow for the Series A parent business. Complex deals, blue-chip lenders, a funding cycle cut by over 90%, and £600k of cash released into the business.
Led venture and debt investments end-to-end, from sourcing and modelling through legal and close, working directly with founders on business design, commercial strategy and go-to-market. The investor's lens I now bring to every client problem.
What I do
A second brain for the problems you can't hand to the team. I clarify messy problems as a solutions architect, act as a sounding board you can trust, and run the special projects that follow.
The hard-skill core: pricing architecture, commercial models and financial modelling. I source the data, pressure-test the assumptions, and build the numbers that back the decision.
I get into the guts of the company and improve how it runs: processes mapped, manual work automated, AI applied where it pays. Systems that keep working after I leave.
What clients say
"James has the rare mix of strategic depth, emotional intelligence, and sincere curiosity.
He's the kind of person who helps you unlock your own thinking, and for a founder, that's absolute gold."
DavidFounder, Beacon
"One of those rare operators who can switch seamlessly between strategy and execution.
What makes James stand out is his range, and his ability to turn messy problems into outcomes that stick."
SebCOO, Electron Green
"His ability to move between financial rigour and product insight made him invaluable throughout our early stages."
BrianFounder, 532 Design
"James showed me that pricing is strategy. We moved from being viewed as an operational expense to a strategic revenue shield."
Gadi EichhornFounder, Indicatione
Engagements
Two to six weeks, scoped to a specific outcome.
One to three days a week, embedded in your team.
Thinking sessions, workshops, pressure-testing a decision.
Most work starts with a 20-minute call to find the shape of the problem. If you have a process that isn't working, an opportunity you don't have time to take advantage of, or you've hit a snag that's costing you time and revenue, book in a call.
Book an intro callBackground
I'm in London, working with founders and leadership teams at Seed to Series A. The problems worth solving rarely get easier by waiting. They get more expensive, more entangled, and harder to undo.
or reach me at james@jamesabraham.co.uk · LinkedIn