Episode #468 - The Future of Collectibles Management with Elliot Riley-Walsh from Valart
Release Date: 04/02/2025
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ScaleUp Radio
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Graeme Tennick, the founder of Tennick Accountants – a firm that’s challenging the traditional view of accountants as compliance providers by driving real strategic impact for clients and the wider community. Graeme shares how his firm has rooted itself in a compelling mission: to make lives better – for their team, their clients, and even the world. And this isn’t just a tagline. From the way they set goals with clients to how they measure internal performance and reward behaviour, it’s clear that purpose drives everything...
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ScaleUp Radio
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Episode #566 - Why Doing Things Differently with approaching Business Rates Helped This Young Business Scale Without Losing Control - with Tom Perry & Ella Chapman
ScaleUp Radio
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ScaleUp Radio
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Episode #563 - Turning Isolation into Growing A Collective That Transforms Local Shopping Into Shared Purpose - with Sarah O'Neill
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ScaleUp Radio
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Episode #560 - How Radical Focus Transformed a Struggling Consultancy into a Global Leader - with Hugh Taylor
ScaleUp Radio
I’m Granger Forson and you’ll find me at or on . In this inspiring episode of ScaleUp Radio, I’m joined by Hugh Taylor, CEO of Roadnight Taylor. His story is a masterclass in transformation, determination, and the power of experimentation. Hugh shares the remarkable journey behind Roadnight Taylor’s shift from a struggling generalist consultancy to a globally respected Independent Specialist Grid Consultancy, now recognised in the top 0.1 percent worldwide for client value perception and enjoying 100 percent team retention over six...
info_outlineIn 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.
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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:
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/