Underline
Generic background image

MARTIN PORT

 

Entrepreneur, business adviser, philanthropist and angel investor

Martin Port is an Israel-based serial entrepreneur and angel investor on a mission to support and grow businesses with the potential to hit unicorn status (a $1bn valuation).

In 2024, he started his latest venture, Build Concierge, an AI-powered customer engagement platform. This secure, cloud-based, AI-powered engine allows service businesses to manage and automate calls, chats, WhatsApp, SMS, emails, and bookings in real time. Intelligent and capable, it understands intent, responds instantly, and follows up automatically.

Following an oversubscribed investment round in the summer of 2025, Build Concierge has been valued at £35m. The AI start-up has announced plans to grow to 150 people over the coming years.

Martin has already founded and built three successful companies during the course of his career. His previous venture, the workforce management platform BigChange, was launched in 2013. With Martin at the helm, BigChange became one of the leading employers in Yorkshire and a recipient of the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise – one of the highest official honours for UK companies.

In 2021, BigChange raised £75m from Boston-based private equity house Great Hill Partners, in a deal that valued the company at £100m. Three years later, the company was worth more than three times that after it was acquired by global field service management software company Simpro Group. Martin remains a significant shareholder in Simpro.

Outside of his entrepreneurial endeavours, Martin is involved with charities and is keen to invest in and support other fast-growing companies.

In 2022, he led a seven-figure funding round in online tradesperson marketplace Rated People and has invested a six-figure sum into analytics and business intelligence platform Panintelligence. He is also an investor in Handshaik, StoriBoard and Electron Green.

LATEST NEWS

View More
Category image Category image

Meet the young women taking on their family businesses

Workers ditch traditional nine-to-fives in favour of inherited career paths.

Category image Category image

Fuelling Growth: YFM Invests in Panintelligence’s Next Chapter

Panintelligence: Supercharging Growth and Innovation with £1 Million Investment and New CEO Appointment.

Category image Category image

Former Labour minister Lord Ian Austin joins board at Leeds-based Build Concierge

A former Government minister has joined the board of Build Concierge, the customer engagement platform, after it raised $5.1m.

INVESTMENTS

View More
Category image Category image

Martin Port leads funding round into Rated People

Martin Port is the lead investor in a funding round for online tradesperson platform Rated People, joining existing investors Frog Capital, Downing Ventures and Channel 4.

Category image Category image

Investment into BigChange by Great Hill Partners

BigChange is excited to announce that US investment firm has invested £75m in the business, valuing BigChange at £100m. Read here what the deal means for future business growth.

Category image Category image

There are so many ways to give back as an entrepreneur: Why I’m an adviser at MoreLife

There are so many benefits to giving your time to exciting businesses. That’s why I’ve joined healthy living company MoreLife as an adviser.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

View More
Post thumbnail Category image

What do we want? More women on the tools. When do we want it? Now.

Where are all the female apprentices? I caught up with an apprentice gas engineer to find out why there’s a shortage

Read post
Post thumbnail Category image

Why we need more female apprentices

Apprenticeships are attractive for both employers and students. They deliver on-the-job training, with limited costs for learners. So why are so few taken up by women?

Read post
Post thumbnail Category image

Where are all the jobs for people with disabilities?

Just 5.1% of people with a learning disability in England are employed. The UK needs to do better at giving opportunities to people with disabilities.

Read post

CLIMATE CHANGE

View More
Post thumbnail Category image

How are you planning to reach net zero?

Every business owner must stand up and be counted as the world moves towards net zero. We must take urgent steps to tackle climate change.

Post thumbnail Category image

Let’s do it. Let’s save the world

The global small business community needs to turn its attention to the climate change crisis. Any action is better than doing nothing.

Post thumbnail Category image

Flying the green flag – why we highlight exceptional performance

BigChange wants to help business owners make their teams feel valued and important, which is why we’ve launched a ‘green flag’ tool.

CUSTOMER SUCCESS

View More
Post thumbnail Category image

Chairman’s Spotlight: the couple helping protect our access to clean water

The best businesses are borne out of necessity. Perhaps there’s a customer need that cannot be ignored, or it could be a personal imperative. 

Post thumbnail Category image

Chairman’s spotlight: the man championing Britain’s gardeners

One of the reasons I so enjoy meeting BigChange customers is that the conversations we have always expand my mind and show me new perspectives.

Post thumbnail Category image

Chairman’s Spotlight on Andy Patterson, founder of Automotive Group

“I can’t sit still. I’m always on the go and constantly coming up with new ideas.”

CHAIRMAN’S BLOG

View More
Post thumbnail Category image

Leaders: don’t be taken in by the sunk cost fallacy

There have been times in my life when I have spent a chunk of change on a project, only to realise that I’ve bought the wrong technology or gone down a blind alley.

Post thumbnail Category image

Here’s how UK business can fight rising costs

As petrol prices hit 150p a litre, mortgage repossessions shoot up 15%, and economists warn that the UK is heading towards a contraction in the current quarter, business owners are forgiven for feeling the jitters.

Post thumbnail Category image

Humans, not chatbots, should deal with points of friction in your business

I’m passionate about technology. Automation and machine learning are amazing at taking care of the grunt work in every business, creating leaner, more streamlined organisations.

Post thumbnail Category image

What the Boston Red Sox can teach us about football (and business)

The Boston Red Sox are one of the giants of US baseball.

Post thumbnail Category image

Here’s the thing about high performance teams…

As leaders, our most important – and hardest – task is to motivate our people.

Post thumbnail Category image

Entrepreneurs: the sun is out but this is your time to shine

I visited a school as part of a prize-giving ceremony this week, and at the end the headmaster told the children to enjoy their summer break

Post thumbnail Category image

Record-breaking six months for BigChange

As entrepreneurs, it is vital to take the time to reflect on the performance of your business.

Post thumbnail Category image

Time for a cuppa sustainabili-tea?

If you have never been to Yorkshire and sat in a Bettys tea room or sipped a piping hot cup of Taylors’ Yorkshire tea, these are two of the region’s most beloved brands.

Post thumbnail Category image

Ignore the tech and your early-stage business will fail

In 2023, the survival of most businesses depends on technology.