Apr 2, 2025
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!
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For now, continue listening for the full story from Elliot.
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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.
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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/