Saul Klein’s description of himself gives some idea of the man’s many talents. In a career spanning 17 years, he has founded, invested in and run a host of start-ups. One of those, Video Island, became DVD rental business Lovefilm, which was sold this month to online retailer Amazon. The deal yielded what one investor described as another “home run” for its venture capital backers, including Index Ventures, where Klein now works as a partner.

Klein was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1970, but moved with his family to the UK when he was six. He studied at St Paul's School in London, then read English at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He had several short stories published and penned plays as an undergraduate, taking two to the Edinburgh Festival. "Obviously it was the perfect education for a career in technology investing," Klein joked.