The Team

The team is made up of brothers William and Richard van der Byl.

Growing up in a family that owned and operated the family businesses, we experienced first-hand the necessary vision, commitment and hard work. These are values that we live by, and bring to the companies we acquire and operate.

We have worked in a variety of roles and companies, such as Uber and Jaguar Land Rover, as well as started and sold a zero-waste grocery business. We believe we have the skill set, determination and energy to continue the success of your company.

William van der Byl

  • Equipped with a Masters in Engineering from Cambridge University, I started my career as a consultant in the low-carbon energy sector. This exposed me to a variety of roles and sectors and I ended up leading the electric vehicle charging team. I then co-founded an online zero-waste grocery business where my role was Head of Operations - I am most proud of developing the back-end system that managed inventory, customer orders, and our zero-waste packaging. My most recent experience saw me swapping the start-up world for the corporate world where I helped develop the customer proposition for electric vehicle charging at Jaguar Land Rover.

    I have always been interested in owning and operating a business. This interest turned into action when I made and sold toasted cheese sandwiches during school break times, to starting an online zero-waste grocery business, and now has evolved to having the goal of acquiring and operating a high-quality company in the UK.

    Outside of work I’m a sports fan and enjoy being outdoors. This means you will often find me playing tennis and cricket with friends, or hiking and camping in the mountains.

Richard van der Byl

  • I started my career as an electro-mechanical engineer, where one of my proudest moments was leading the engineering teams to achieve South Africa’s first Net Zero Carbon rated industrial complex. I moved to Cambridge to do my MBA, subsequently joining Uber’s London office to build and launch a driver loyalty rewards programme countrywide, a first for UK gig-economy workers. Most recently, I’ve been working on increasing the efficiency of Picnic’s last-mile delivery operations, helping to scale this high-growth Dutch grocery startup across Europe.

    Now, with Nellmapius, I’m excited to bring my prior experience and learnings to find, acquire, and operate a high-quality business for the long term. The challenge of running my own business is something I’ve always wanted, and getting to do this together with my brother is the cherry on the cake.

    In my free time you can catch me reading the latest crime thriller, trying out a new sport like padel, or having a ‘braai’ with friends. I’m an adventure and outdoor enthusiast, and love to climb a peak or hit a new running trail when I get the chance.