OnBuy boss Cas Paton slams 'Silicon Beach lie' as online marketplace says goodbye to Bournemouth

OnBuy Founder and CEO, Cas Paton, has taken to social media to hit out at Bournemouth council as his company, an online marketplace specialist, departs the coastal resort town in the county of Dorset, England.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “As a tech founder, be careful where you set up your business. Not all cities and towns are equal - and some are working against you at every step. We are saying goodbye to Bournemouth. Bournemouth we tried, but the journey has come to an end and we have to part ways.”

He added: “We really tried to keep Bournemouth our HQ and believed in the council’s vision for Bournemouth and 'Silicon Beach' but the truth is, it is an under invested, council destroyed destination; high streets that are completely deserted, major homeless drug user problem worse than the streets of London or Manchester, a transportation nightmare, and the opportunity cost is just too great.”

“There is no support for tech here in Bournemouth. The 'Silicon Beach' dream was a lie. We say goodbye and hello to London and New York. We will always have a satellite office in the south, but we are no longer a Bournemouth company. Was fun while it lasted. We will miss the good old days! The new journey starts now.”

Bournemouth council did not respond to our request for comment.

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Online retail was a key focus area at the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering.