Matthew Scullion is not your typical CEO.

He’s the co-founder of Manchester-based Matillion, which joined the ranks of UK unicorns in 2021 when a Series E fundraise took its valuation to $1.5bn.

He tells The Dealmaker Uncut podcast how he doesn’t obsess about being a unicorn and says companies should stop blaming investors if they can’t raise funds.

Scullion also talks about:

• The game-changing pivot to making their own software
• The rise of artificial intelligence
• Why US founders don’t talk about exit – unlike their UK counterparts
• His fear about leaving anything on the table

After the break, Jonathan answers listener questions.

Dean Ward has created a global business on the back of the surge in demand for touch screen kiosks.

Ward is the co-founder of Liverpool-based Evoke Creative, which can count McDonald’s, JD Sports and Google among its clients.

The game-changing moment for Evoke came in 2015 when it secured a multi-million order from McDonalds that led to 5,000 kiosks – despite only having 15 staff!

What made their story even more incredible was the company’s growth was bootstrapped until 2018 when it received the first of two investments from BGF.

In the podcast, Ward talks about choosing the right investor and the highs and lows of scaling a global business, which included opening a base in the US.

In the second half of the show, Jonathan answers listener questions.

Beth Houghton started her working life travelling the world as a SAP consultant but gave it up for the world of deals.

Today’s she heads up Palatine Private Equity’s Impact Investing Fund and is one of the leading names in all things ESG.

She’s proved that doing the right thing for the environment doesn’t have to bad for business.

One of her most noticeable successes was Anthesis, a sustainability consultancy which Carlyle Group bought for a 6x return on their original investment.

In the week of International Women’s Day, Beth also opens up about what it’s like to be trailblazing female dealmaker.

In the second half of the show, Jonathan answers listener questions.