Seven Bristol-based ‘business disrupters’ have been named among Britain’s 100 most successful entrepreneurs, philanthropists, investors, mentors and advisors.
The prestigious Maserati 100 list brings together a diverse group of high-calibre individuals who are not only helping contribute to UK economic growing UK but also provide much needed support to tomorrow’s business leaders. 
On the list from the Bristol area are Nick Sturge, director of Bristol’s Engine Shed innovation hub; Mel Bound, who set up the This Mum Runs national running group; Tom Carter, founder of pioneering touchless technology firm Ultrahaptics; Stephen Fitzpatrick, who founded energy group Ovo Energy; James Liang, founder of fast-growing Chinese takeaway chain Hotcha; Col Needham, the self-confessed ‘film nut’ behind movie database IMDb; and Henry Nurser, co-founder of telecoms tech firm Blu Wireless.
Only two Bristol entrepreneurs appeared on the list last year, one being Nick Sturge, pictured left, who is a key figure in Bristol’s burgeoning tech business ecosystem. He was director of the SETsquared business incubation centre– named as the best in the world – at Engine Shed for 10 years until last year. He is also regional chair of the Institute of Directors (IoD).
He has been recognised for engaging school children in the world of work, as he drives forward the mission to stimulate long-term sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
He is supporting and connecting business, inspiring young people to get involved, and showcasing to the public and potential inward investors the exciting opportunities that exist at the enterprise hub and incubators.
Nick said: “It’s incredible to be featured in the Maserati 100 for the second year in a row, and alongside such established and reputable leaders. I work with inspiring people every day and I continue to be impressed by the diversity and talent in this region that help create our ecosystem.” 
Mel Bound, pictured right, launched This Mum Runs in 2014 after making a plea on Facebook to other mothers for a running partner. She was amazed when 75 turned up. Since then, thousands in Bristol and Bath have joined. She has also worked with the National Trust, which hosts 10k runs on some of its properties.
Tom Carter, pictured left, came up with the idea for Ultrahaptics from his PhD at Bristol University which explored how ultrasound technology reacts to the movement of a person’s hands. Potential uses range from the car industry to Virtual Reality (VR) gaming.
Stephen Fitzpatrick founded Ovo Energy in 2009 to take on the Big Six providers, offering an annual average saving of about £150. It now has 680,000 customers — 2.5% of the domestic energy market — and employs 1,200 staff in Bristol and London.
James Liang, pictured right, launched Hotcha in 2012 with business partner Andy Chan to create the ‘Domino’s of Chinese restaurants’ by using 
franchises. The £6m-a-year turnover business now has 13 outlets.
Manchester-born computer engineer Col Needham started the Internet Movie Database in 1990. Now better known as IMDb, it is the world’s largest repository of information on movies, TV shows and video games. It was acquired by Amazon in 1998 for an undisclosed sum.
Henry Nurser, pictured left, co-founded and is chief executive of Blu Wireless, a developer of the technology for the next generation of consumer telecoms devices, 5G. He previously worked at chip firm STMicroelectronics, where he was R&D director, and started Blu Wireless in 2011. The company, based in the Engine Shed, has received a substantial investment from ARM Holdings.
