David James Richards

Early life Richards was born in Sheffield, England in 1970, where his father worked in the steel industry. He graduated with a degree in Computer science from the University of Huddersfield in 1992, after which he became an early member of the team at Druid Group .

Career In the mid-1990s, Richards formed a SAP consulting company, which he sold in 1998 and relocated to Silicon Valley. Raising $25 million from venture capital, he founded business software company Insevo before creating Librados, which was acquired by NetManage in 2004 .

WANdisco was incorporated in 2005 following a chance meeting between Richards and chief scientist Dr Yeturu Aahlad. Richards recognised the potential of Aahlad's invention and the two decided to create the company without the use of Venture capital or angel investors . In June 2012, the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange The Financial Conduct Authority(FCA) investigated the company's market announcements and closed its investigation in November 2025 with no action taken; Richards said the outcome confirmed "what I've always known"

After leaving WANdisco in 2023, Richards co-founded Yorkshire AI Labs, a Sheffield-based venture capital firm with an initial £10 million fund aimed at investing in Yorkshire-based technology businesses. The firm's portfolio of co-founded companies includes IntelliAM AI Plc, of which Richards is co-founding Chairman, a manufacturing asset management platform applying machine learning to improve productivity for global food and beverage manufacturers, which was admitted to trading on the Aquis Stock Exchange; DigitalCNC, an AI-driven precision manufacturing software company spun out of the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in 2025 in partnership with industrial research fellow Dr Rob Ward, which has drawn interest from aerospace manufacturers including Rolls-Royce Holdings and Boeing; PureTec, which applies AI to orthodontic treatment planning and the manufacture of biodegradable clear aligners; and LEXcelerate, an AI-powered law firm launched in 2026 and led by Paul Firth, former UK managing partner of DLA Piper, designed to automate high-volume legal services including residential conveyancing.

In February 2025, Richards was appointed to the Economic Growth and Investment Group of the Social Mobility Commission, an advisory body sponsored by the Cabinet Office, established to drive regional economic development and support social mobility initiatives across the UK.

Philanthropy In 2017, Richards and his wife Jane donated stock valued at $1.5 million to create the charitable David and Jane Richards Family Foundation to educate, empower and improve the lives of children.

Richards cited frustration at the UK Government's efforts to teach computing skills to schoolchildren and consequently a lack of adequate skills in a future economy where artificial intelligence and automation are prevalent. He said "You can’t have all this money and hold on to it or buy a football team. There’s only so many houses you can live in. I think it’s better to do something good for the world."

During the COVID-19 pandemic Richards co-founded Laptops For Kids, a charitable organisation to facilitate the donation, secure erasure, and distribution of used digital devices, enabling children from disadvantaged backgrounds to have access to the technology they need to participate in remote learning. He said "nearly one in 10 children living in households with no access to a laptop, desktop or tablet computer, the shift towards remote learning during the pandemic has excluded up to 1.77m young people from active schooling. No access equals no education. I am not prepared to let this injustice go unchallenged."

Awards and honours Richards was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to the information technology sector and young people, particularly during Covid-19.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate from The University of Sheffield (2023) for giving distinguished service or bringing distinction to the University, the City of Sheffield, or the region.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University (2017) in recognition of him being a champion of British technology and a passionate advocate of entrepreneurship.