About this Event
The Isle of Man's phone company launched Europe's first live 3G network. It missed the world first to Japan's Docomo by a matter of weeks. The local headline read "Sushi 1, Kippers nil."
The man running it was Chris Hall. At 50 he walked away from the CEO job and started backing other people's startups as an angel. Then he co-founded one himself, and had to go and ask for the money.
That startup is Stacuity. It started with Isle of Man angel money and closed a multi-million-pound Series A in 2025.
So he's sat on both sides of the table. Tonight we ask him what that looks like from each chair.
What we'll get into:
- Running a corporate from the inside, and knowing when to leave
- Life after the CEO job: boards, portfolios and "being a pluralist"
- What an angel checks before writing a cheque, and what makes him say no
- Why he picked Stacuity, and why he joined rather than just invested
- Pitching as a founder after years of being pitched to
- Raising from island angels, then from a VC
- What you can build from here that you can't build from London
Who it's for:
Founders getting ready to raise. Corporate folk wondering if they've got a startup or an angel cheque in them. Anyone who's ever pitched and wondered what the person across the table was thinking.
Free to attend.
Where: Launchpad Event Space, Hillary House, Prospect Hill, Douglas, IM1 1EQ
When: Thursday 29 October 2026, 17:30
Hosted by Launchpad, the Isle of Man's Builder's Playground.
Event venue & nearby stays
Launchpad, Prospect Hill, Douglas, Man, Isle of
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