Gordon Bateman is a career company builder who has worked with the investment community for over three decades. Straight from university, he joined a small business that grew internationally and floated on the London Stock Exchange. During that time, he created and led the firm’s emerging-technology practice, supporting early-stage and high-growth companies around the world and partnering with venture capital and private equity investors at every stage. Those years inside the deal flow made one thing clear: the hardest constraint on growth is people. Gordon founded CRSI to solve that challenge, focusing on leadership, organisation design, hiring, retention and culture. Today, CRSI also works with many of the UK’s leading universities to help spin-outs achieve commercial traction and investment readiness. As investors sought stronger regional connections, Gordon founded Investor Ladder, now one of the UK’s largest informal investor networks, spanning angels, syndicates, venture capital, private equity and investment banks, engaging across the UK and internationally. In 2023, he founded ClimbUK, an international festival for business growth, innovation and investment. Built by operators for operators, Climb attracted nearly 2,000 people in its first year and continues to grow toward 3,000 delegates. To close the loop for founders, Gordon also leads Climb Ventures, providing investment-readiness support and connections to active funds. Gordon is known for building platforms that help others succeed, but his core craft remains unchanged: building businesses.
