Chris

Chris van Kempen

Helping hardware founders survive the valley of death and bring physical products to market faster
Founder & Fractional CTO at VK Labs

Areas of expertise

I help hardware founders get a physical product to market before time and money run out.

  • Identifying genuine market opportunities worth pursuing
  • Validating a concept before committing serious capital
  • Building a funding plan that covers the full journey to revenue
  • Structuring a lean, efficient team around the right priorities
  • Establishing a supply chain that holds up under real pressure
  • Forecasting cashflow with enough accuracy to make confident decisions

I work with founders to reduce the risk of failure at every stage, from first idea through to a product that sells.

About Me

I am Chris, Founder and Fractional CTO, specialising in helping hardware entrepreneurs bring physical products to market fast.

I work with founders who need to spot real opportunities, build competitive advantage through innovation, and generate revenue before the runway runs out.

I help you survive the valley of death. That means validating your concept with real market evidence, building a funding plan that holds up under scrutiny, structuring your resources efficiently, securing a reliable supply chain, and forecasting cashflow with precision. Founders leave with clarity, not just confidence.

My track record backs this up. I built a medical device start-up from scratch to a 20M GBP-plus valuation, led new product innovation teams at Dyson, and designed the world's first smart menstrual cup. I have done the hard yards - I know what works.

Available for project-based work, ongoing retainers, fractional roles, and on-call advisory

Send Me a Message
Intro Call

30 minutes

A quick introductory call to discuss your needs and see if we're a good fit to work together. No commitment required.

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Details

Years of Experience

19 Years

Country

United Kingdom

Qualifications
2:1, Mechanical Engineering University of Southampton 2005 - 2008
MSc, Product Innovation and Development University of Brighton 2009 - 2010
A-Levels in Maths, Physics and Product Design. Final individual project involved design and manufacture of a rowing trike as a coaching and exercise tool for the school's rowing team. Reading School 1998 - 2005
Social Links

  • Founder & Fractional CTO at VK Labs

    Providing hardware leadership on tap. Integrated experience to deliver products. Fractional resou...

  • Built Startup to £20M+ Valuation

    Scaled a medical device company from scratch to over £20 million valuation.

  • Board Advisor at Emm

    Professional experience in Emm

Specialties and Expertise

Areas of Expertise

Leadership

Advisory

Product & Innovation

Specialties

Innovation workshops Concept testing Risk mapping Prototyping oversight Refine investor narrative Prepare pitch deck Model fundraising scenarios Coach investor meetings Map customer segments Define value proposition

Sessions

Intro Call

A quick introductory call to discuss your needs and see if we're a good fit to work together. No commitment required.

30 min
Book Now

Common Questions

I work with early-stage founders building physical products who are navigating the gap between a promising concept and a revenue-generating business. This is particularly relevant if you are facing funding pressure, supply chain uncertainty, or struggling to validate your market before capital runs out.

I help you build the foundations that most hardware startups get wrong: rigorous market validation, a funding strategy matched to your stage, a lean resource structure, and cashflow forecasting that reflects the real cost of bringing hardware to market. These are the things that keep you alive long enough to win.

I built a medical device startup from scratch to a £20m+ valuation, led new product innovation teams at Dyson, and designed the world's first smart menstrual cup. I have lived the full cycle of hardware development, from concept through to commercial scale, and I bring that operational experience directly into my work with clients.

A clear, validated path to market with the funding plan, supply chain, and financial model to support it. Most clients come in with a promising product and leave with a credible business built around it, one that investors take seriously and that has a genuine shot at generating revenue quickly.

We get straight into where you are, what is blocking you, and whether the problem is one I can meaningfully help with. If there is a real fit, we define what working together looks like and what success should look like at the end of it.