The founder of global location technology platform what3words will visit the Isle of Man next month as the headline speaker at TEKEX IoM 2.
Entrepreneur Chris Sheldrick, who in 2013 divided the entire planet into three‑metre squares and assigned each a unique three‑word identifier, will speak at the event on May 7 at the Santander Work Café in Douglas.
Once dismissed as an eccentric idea, what3words is now used by emergency services worldwide, adopted by the UN in disaster‑response operations and integrated into major car‑navigation systems.
The system operates in more than 190 countries and over 60 languages.
Tech Event
TEKEX IoM 2 follows February’s sell‑out debut, which drew more than 150 founders, investors and operators and quickly reached capacity.
The series forms part of a wider network across the Crown Dependencies, connecting entrepreneurs and capital across Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
To date, TEKEX has hosted more than 30 events, engaged over 3,000 attendees and helped facilitate over £10 million in early‑stage funding.
Founder Ed Prow said Sheldrick’s story embodies the type of innovation the event aims to showcase.
Alongside Sheldrick, the line‑up includes several Manx entrepreneurs:
- Chris Lee, founder of Own Homes, developing new models to improve access to home ownership;
- Guy Wood, founder of Jobsearch.im, building an AI‑driven recruitment platform;
- Richard Tavernor, founder and CEO of Yoono, working on intelligence tools for financial decision‑making;
- Andrew Ferrari‑Bradley, founder of Fortunate Partners, specialising in connecting investors with high‑growth opportunities
Organisers say the event aims to strengthen links within the Island’s business and innovation community by bringing global operators into direct conversation with local founders.
Tickets are available via Eventbrite.
