Ben Brabyn, the former chief operating officer of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Innovation Gateway, has been appointed as the head of UK-based, corporate-backed technology accelerator Level39.
Level39 was opened by property company Canary Wharf Group in 2013 to support technology companies relating to finance, retail, cybersecurity and future cities.
Brabyn has worked with more than 100 venture capital, institutional, and corporate investors during his career.
With an MBA from Warwick Business School, Brabyn has been a mentor at US-based startup accelerator MassChallenge and Microsoft Ventures, the accelerator program of software company Microsoft. He has also worked as an analyst at investment bank JPMorgan.
George Iacobescu, chairman and CEO of Canary Wharf Group, said: “Ben will play an important role in helping shape the next phase of Canary Wharf Group’s evolution as a diversified developer and landlord, helping us to create next-generation business locations, fused with technology and an attractive lifestyle to match.”
UKTI is the UK government department responsible for helping domestic businesses enter and succeed in foreign markets as well as connecting them with overseas investors. The department also works to attract foreign businesses to expand into the UK.
– A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site, Global Government Venturing. Photo of Ben Brabyn courtesy of Level39.