After three decades in telecoms, a London founder has swapped networks for new ventures – one connecting sports partners, the other powering start-ups with AI.
Jay Skipworth, who runs Glluz and Glluztech from his London flat, worked as a Senior Voice Architect at Sky Network Services before launching both ventures within the past two years.
Glluz, a sports-buddy app launched in December 2024, connects people who want to stay active but struggle to find training partners.
Glluztech, launched in May 2025, delivers AI agents and automation to help startups and SMEs scale without drowning in repetitive tasks.
“What inspired me to start Glluz was simple: I’m a keen golfer and joined a new Club, I’m outgoing and I have no problem asking people if I could join them to play,” Jay told Absolutely Business.
“I realise that not all people are outgoing, so having a mobile app allows them to reach out to people, and this is for any sports activity and what a better way to do this by finding a partner or buddy.”
The idea crystallised when Jay realised how easy it was to book other services instantly.
“I kept thinking, ‘How is it that we can book taxis, food, and holidays instantly but we can’t easily find someone to play a sport with?'” he said.
Glluz matches users with the right sports partner based on interests, skill level and availability. The app has already hit 1,000 users.
Glluztech emerged from a different frustration. While consulting with a business drowning in manual tasks, Jay had a realisation.
“At one point I thought: ‘If they had even one intelligent system doing this work, they’d save days, not hours,'” he said.
The AI automation platform now serves clients in the UK and United States.
One of Jay’s proudest moments was engaging with a CMO in Miami and expanding into reselling AI agents in America.
“Breaking into the US market so early was a huge achievement,” he said.
But building two businesses simultaneously hasn’t been straightforward.
“My biggest challenge as a founder has been navigating the sheer amount of uncertainty that comes with building something from scratch,” Jay said.
“Nothing is handed to you and you have to create momentum, open doors, and keep moving even when things aren’t going your way.”
He had to step far outside his comfort zone, particularly in sales and marketing.
One of his biggest mistakes was starting without a clear business strategy and underestimating the power of marketing.
“In the early days, I focused heavily on building the product and assumed that if it was good, people would naturally find it,” Jay said.
“But the reality is very different, without a strategy, you drift, and without marketing, you stay invisible.”
For Glluz, Jay found his first customers through family and friends, then built a following across social media before bringing in a marketing consultant.
For Glluztech, he leveraged his telecoms network, attended industry events, launched a networking group in Greenwich, and joined Home Grown, a private members’ club for entrepreneurs and investors.
Running both businesses has changed Jay personally and professionally.
“Personally, it’s made me more resilient, more patient, and far more self-aware,” he said.
“Professionally, it’s completely transformed how I think and operate. I’ve had to evolve from being purely technical into becoming a strategist, a marketer, a salesperson, a storyteller, all at once.”
If he had to describe his leadership in one word, it would be “resilient.”
He references a quote from Finding Nemo: “Just keep swimming.”
“It’s simple, but it captures the mindset every founder needs: stay persistent, keep moving forward, and don’t stop, no matter what,” he said.
Right now, Glluz is actively looking for an angel investor to fund advanced AI features and drive more aggressive marketing.
Glluztech is pushing into the telecommunications sector and developing an AI/AR immersive boardroom experience.
Looking ahead, Jay wants Glluz to become the go-to sports-buddy app in the UK and beyond.
For Glluztech, he wants to be seen as one of the most innovative AI automation companies in the UK and a serious player in the U.S. market.
“In short: Glluz as the sports connection brand people love, and Glluztech as the AI partner businesses trust,” he said.
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