Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone

Pro

Interview

September 24, 2026

Northern Gritstone CEO: Exiting to US acquirers isn’t a failure

Duncan Johnson talks scaling the north of England tech ecosystem, Gritstone’s new San Francisco office and why portfolio exits are coming

Tom Nugent

7 min read

Duncan Johnson is on the road a lot. The CEO of Northern Gritstone has a regular round trip of more than 500 kilometres from his home in Hampshire to the north of England, which sees him stop in on universities across Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield.

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Tom Nugent

Tom Nugent is Sifted’s managing editor. He covers robotics, chips and university spinouts. Follow him on X and LinkedIn

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