Steve O'Hear

Steve O'Hear was a prominent figure in the European technology and startup ecosystem. He was the founder of O'Hear & Co, a strategic communications firm, and also served as Senior Vice President at Zapp, a grocery-delivery startup.12

Career Highlights

Journalism:: O'Hear had a distinguished career in technology journalism spanning over 15 years. He was best known for his work at TechCrunch, where he spent more than a decade covering European startups and venture capital.2 His reporting played a significant role in documenting the rise of many successful UK tech businesses, including Monzo and Wise.7

Entrepreneurship:: In January 2023, O'Hear launched O'Hear & Co, a strategic communications firm aimed at supporting tech scale-ups.3 The company was founded with co-founder Rachael Brown, who had previously worked at John Lewis, Google, and Zapp.3

Technology Executive:: Prior to founding O'Hear & Co, he worked as Senior Vice President of Strategy at Zapp, a role he maintained alongside his new venture.14

Other Pursuits

Beyond his primary career, O'Hear had diverse interests:

• Music: He wrote and produced music, releasing a debut album called "In Between Floors" in 2020 under the moniker Otis 'Max' Load.2
• Hardware Design: O'Hear designed music hardware, with his first commercial product being a Eurorack synthesiser module called 'VCO's Little Helper'.2
• Filmmaking: He had a background in filmmaking and directed a documentary on Silicon Valley titled "In Search of the Valley" in 2006.2

Tragically, Steve O'Hear passed away in October 2024, leaving behind a significant legacy in the European tech and startup community.567