James Uffindell: Bright Network

James Uffindell, 34
Company: Bright Network
Web: www.brightnetwork.co.uk

One of our five to watch in 2013, James Uffindell’s two-pronged recruitment consultancy with a social twist has begun to seriously deliver on the rich promise we recognised it for last year. Bright Network connects the most exceptionally talented graduates to its portfolio of client organisations, which include innocent, Google and Goldman Sachs. Uffindell has clearly hit upon something big with Bright Network – his ventures currently generate £2m and £500,000 profit – but he is far from done.

His latest twist on recruitment, turns an army of users into recruitment consultants themselves, offering cash bounties of up to £2,500 if they successfully refer a friend into positions advertised on the site. Leveraging Bright Network’s growing portfolio of companies, Bright Network has added a social twist to the already impressive start-up, and put the foundations in place for further strong growth in the years ahead. Serial entrepreneur Uffindell also marked a successful exit this year when his first ever start-up launched during his last year at Oxford, Oxbridge Applications, was sold to a private investor.