Mike Butcher, the Editor-at-large of TechCrunch, known for his tenacity as an industry pit bull on both the industry and journalistic sides of the technology sector. Since those early days, he has interviewed everyone from David Brooks to Beto O’Rourke. Among those signers are former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Russian politician Dmitry Medvedev, and such Hollywood stars as Kevin Spacey and Lily Cole. His wisdom and vision have influenced the story of technology in Europe and all around the world.
Aside from literature and commentary, Butcher’s trade has seen him publish in every UK red-top and broadsheet newspaper and in magazines. He has a skill for explaining complicated topics in an accessible manner. This talent has made him one of Europe’s most influential people in technology according to Wired UK. This honor is a testament to his incredible influence on the field, a lifetime career focused on advocating for entrepreneurship and innovation.
Outside of his impactful writing, Butcher is a frequent personality on national television and cable news networks. He is a regular expert commentator on technology issues. You can see him most recently on BBC News, Sky News, CNBC, Channel 4, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg. His appearances only serve to cement his growing status as one of the new tech community’s top thought leaders.
Butcher’s influence extends beyond journalism and media. In 2016, he was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to transport. This award was a fitting recognition of his remarkable contributions to the UK technology industry and journalism. This recognition speaks to his unrelenting dedication to driving the UK’s technological advancement forward and creating the best environment for our startup ecosystem.
His advisory roles, including the PLP roles mentioned above, indicate his extensive engagement in the highest levels of tech policy formation. He has advised UK Prime Ministers on tech startup policy, as well as the Mayor of London, helping to foster a supportive environment for emerging businesses. These presentations illustrate Butcher’s strong commitment as an innovation champion and evangelist, born from a profound conviction in the transformative power of technology.
Butcher hasn’t held back in his role as a judge on The Apprentice UK. He judges up and coming entrepreneurs and mentors them on their ventures. His knack for spotting raw potential has turned him into a cultural icon among the entrepreneurial class.
As a co-founder of other initiatives like IDEA, Butcher remains extremely active on the ground floor helping grow and seed that tech ecosystem. He was co-founder of TheEuropas.com. This community puts a well-deserved spotlight on some of Europe’s 100 best startups and emerging companies with the potential to make a big difference. He is co-founder of Techfugees, an initiative leveraging technology to assist refugees. He started TechVets.co, an initiative to connect military veterans with training and career opportunities in tech. He now serves on the UK-wide organization Startup Coalition, an organization founded to foster the growth of startup communities throughout the UK.
In 2020, Butcher co-founded Xayn, a privacy-focused search AI startup built first and foremost for smartphones. Yet this project speaks to his deeper commitment to advancing new technology in ways that prioritize user privacy and security. Despite these concerns, Butcher does not have any companies to divest. It is his deep network and ability to facilitate strong strategic collaborations that underscore his importance in the tech community.
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