Meet our mentors: How startup mentors accelerate innovation

Startup mentors are seasoned professionals who guide founders through technical hurdles, business strategy, and the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. They bring experience, perspective, and networks. For embedded hardware startups – where design, compliance, and manufacturing risks are high – the right mentor can be the difference between stalling at prototype and scaling successfully.

At The Embedded Accelerator by ANDTr, our mentors are drawn from across the electronics, manufacturing, business, and research landscape. They don’t just advise, they’ve been in the trenches, building products, scaling companies, and navigating regulatory hurdles.

Mentorship goes far beyond “a bit of advice.” A 2024 study published in Management Science found that startups receiving structured mentoring were 11% more likely to survive after three years and raised 26% more funding than those without access to mentors. In the complex world of embedded tech, mentorship is especially valuable. It offers: 

• Strategic guidance: Helping founders focus on the right milestones, for example, when it comes to product roadmaps and market positioning.
• Technical troubleshooting: Supporting startups through rapid prototyping to spot circuit, firmware, or manufacturing issues early.
• Commercialisation advice: Connecting technical promise with market fit, and offering guidance from pricing to channel strategy
• Investor readiness: Coaching pitches, refining decks, and answering tough questions.

Emotional resilience: Providing a sounding board from people who have lived the ups and downs before.

Our mentors bring over 400 years of combined experience in electronics, research, and business. They are:

Dr Nicola Wheeler-Thorn

Nicola is the Managing Director of ANDTr, frequently working with electronics founders and university spin-outs. Nicola pairs technical fluency with strong business acumen, helping founders link tech vision to market viability. She has a PhD in Maths, sits on the University of Essex Enterprise Board, and is a UK National BSI Committee member for medical devices.

Dr Valerie Lynch, FRSA CIoD

Val is the founder of ANDTr and a leading voice in technology management and product launch strategies. As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Chartered Director, she combines deep manufacturing insight with strategic leadership. Her work has earned industry acclaim, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from Electronics Weekly.

David Whale, MIET

With over 30 years in embedded systems and firmware, David is one of the founding figures behind the BBC micro:bit initiative, helping put over a million micro:bits into UK schools. He understands the journey from prototype to scalable manufacture, and guides founders on how to bridge the gap between designs and real-world devices.

Sylvia Perrins, ACMA MBA

Sylvia is a highly regarded leader in skills development and education strategy. She served as CEO of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services, shaping how sectors mature talent pipelines. For embedded startups, she brings clarity on team structures, process models, and scaling organisational systems.

Dave Wallace

Dave is a veteran technology executive with more than 40 years of experience in embedded systems. Previously, he was the Director of Technology at Smiths Detection, a global industrial technology firm. He excels at helping startups navigate complexity, from systems architecture to scaling, reliability and go-to-market strategy.

Stacey Cockram, Dip CIPR 

Stacey is a dynamic marketing and communications strategist with experience in embedded cybersecurity, healthtech, femtech and more. She was previously Deputy Head of Technology at Aspectus Group, where she led PR, branding, content and marketing programmes for ambitious startups to multinationals. She offers advice on how to turn technical excellence into a marketable product across channels. 

David Fagan, LLB MBA MCMI

Dave Fagan is a mentor, coach, and educator renowned in management and entrepreneurship circles. He teaches at Henley Business School and the University of Manchester. He helps founders sharpen their business case, structure strategy, and align operations with growth.

Sally Brazier

Sally specialises in strategy, design integration, and SME growth. As a design management consultant, she works across sectors (manufacturing, creative, tech), helping founders structure product-market strategies, build teams, and forge meaningful differentiation. She’s also the Lead Design Coach at Magnetic.

Peter Whale

Peter is an experienced mentor who helps visionary technology businesses accelerate growth through a robust product strategy and operational excellence. His work with organisations such as Vision Formers, the UK Telecoms Innovation Network, St John’s Innovation Centre and Enterprise Nation has brought to market products from leading tech brands, now used by millions of people daily. 

Like any relationship, mentorship delivers the most value when approached deliberately. Successful founders do the following:

• Come prepared

Bring specific questions or problems, not just “tell me what to do.” Preparation and coming with defined objectives shows respect for your mentor’s time and helps you zero in on challenges that really matter to your business.

• Ask the right questions

Focus on strategic bottlenecks rather than trivia. Broad or vague questions often lead to generic advice, while probing questions that target root causes deliver deeper insight. For example, instead of asking “How do I get investment?” you might ask “How do I structure my next funding round given component lead-time risks?” 

• Be open to feedback

Feedback is most useful when you’re willing to hear it, even if it’s uncomfortable. A 2025 study found that the way mentors frame feedback strongly affects how well founders take it on board and use it to improve. The key is to listen with curiosity, ask clarifying questions, and test the advice in your next steps. Being open doesn’t mean agreeing with everything; it means giving yourself the chance to learn and adapt.

• Follow up

Apply advice, then share outcomes for continued learning. Following up creates accountability, builds stronger relationships, and demonstrates that you value the guidance you’ve been given. 

• Commit to building a strong partnership

Expecting quick fixes, failing to act on feedback, or treating mentorship as a box-ticking exercise are all common mistakes to avoid. Treat mentorship as a structured partnership to unlock maximum value.

This goes both ways. The success of any mentorship program hinges on creating a genuine relationship. Mentors must actively listen to mentees’ goals, challenges, and aspirations and provide tailored support. You should expect constructive discussions and a collaborative environment at all times. 

“Nicola’s mentorship was the catalyst that turned Haptiv8’s from just an idea into a physical prototype. The one-to-one guidance on design, electronics manufacturing and regulatory planning enabled us to answer a lot of the investor questions. We closed our seed round within months of finishing the prototype. I feel lucky to have found ANDTr.”

  – Nicki Allen, founder of medtech startup Haptiv8

Behind every great startup is a network of people who’ve done it before. ANDTr’s mentors are more than advisors; they’re collaborators who want to see your innovation succeed.

👉Find out more about The Embedded Accelerator
👉Register your interest here

• Startup mentors bring technical, strategic, and emotional guidance that accelerates learning and reduces costly mistakes. 
• Effective mentorship hinges on preparation, deep questions, and follow-ups. 
• ANDTr’s mentors offer 400+ years of combined experience, covering everything from circuit design to compliance, business strategy, and marketing. Cohort members will benefit from one-to-one coaching.