In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, I speak with Elliot Riley-Walsh, founder and CEO of Valart, a platform revolutionising how collectors manage their prized assets.

Launched in September 2023, Valart provides an agnostic solution for collectors to catalogue, value, and manage their collections—whether it's fine art, classic cars, trading cards, or even Lego! With AI-powered valuation tools, end-of-life planning, and NFT creation for provenance, Elliot and his team are creating a much-needed digital solution for collectors worldwide.

What makes Valart’s growth strategy unique? Instead of relying on traditional direct marketing, Elliot is focusing on strategic partnerships with wealth managers, auction houses, and insurance companies to build trust and credibility. His goal? To reach 1 million users in the next five years—but the biggest challenge is convincing collectors to trust a new digital platform with their valuable assets.

During our conversation, we explore:

🔹 How Valart works – from its subscription tiers to its AI-driven valuation system 🔹 The bootstrapped journey – starting with a £40k investment and running a lean operation with just a £600 monthly burn rate 🔹 Why Elliot avoided VC funding and chose to grow through customer-driven development 🔹 The challenges of building a tech business as a non-technical founder 🔹 Elliot’s key lesson: Deep customer research before development is essential

If you’re scaling a tech startup, exploring alternative funding routes, or simply fascinated by the world of collectibles, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Make sure you don’t miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts.

For now, continue listening for the full story from Elliot.

 

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

You can get in touch with Kevin here:

[email protected]

 

 

Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

 

Elliot can be found here:

https://valart.co.uk/

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/valart_collectibles?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaweIsxKnaMJuQ8D2oWPRCV8iWbgQIoERAq4nIDEs-AbxRYgdsENc0CDsI_aem_VU1m0fqwldawH6FnnCsBzQ

 

Resources:

How To Be A Founder by Alice Bentinck and Matt Clifford - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-to-be-a-founder-how-entrepreneurs-can-identify-fund-and-launch-their-best-ideas-alice-bentinck/6624300?ean=9781399411608

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/shoe-dog-a-memoir-by-the-creator-of-nike-phil-knight/1040030?ean=9781471146725

Miro - https://miro.com/