British consumer tech brand Nextbase has appointed Simon Grantham as its new CEO.
Grantham most recently served as managing director at Panasonic UK and, prior to that, as MD at Miele for over a decade.
Founded in 1999, Nextbase was originally a manufacturer of in-car entertainment systems such as portable DVD players and introduced Dash Cams to the UK market in 2009.
It now has a market share of over 80% in the UK and 65% in key European markets, attributing its growth to ‘category-leading’ technology and trailblazing innovations such as Dash Cam-linked insurance policies and the National Dash Cam Safety Portal (NDCSP).
“Nextbase is a leader in UK developed consumer technology and it’s a great time to be joining as our business continues its rapid growth on a global scale,” said Grantham.
“Nextbase has seen strong growth over the last few years with recent expansion beyond Europe and into the USA, Canada and Australia, rapidly achieving market leadership positions.
“We have a very exciting product roadmap which will continue to support this growth and we look forward to unveiling this at the CES Show in January. Our team is ambitious and passionate about continuing to grow the Nextbase business and I look forward to being part of that team.”
He will oversee all operations of the business, working directly with the board of directors to continue driving Nextbase’s ambitious growth plans in the UK and worldwide. The announcement comes as the brand prepares to launch its latest product range to market early next year.
Matt Meehan, head of Europe at Sandton Capital Partners, the lead investor in the latest round of funding, and a non-exec director at Nextbase, added: “Simon’s strong track record of driving sales and profit growth in consumer goods is a perfect fit for Nextbase and we’re delighted to welcome him to the team at this key stage of the firm’s growth.
“This is a very exciting time for Nextbase who are growing at pace and leading the way as innovators in the next generation of automotive technology services.”