Strategic communications for startups, scale-ups and the venture capitalists that back them.
Strategic communications for startups, scale-ups and the venture capitalists that back them.
Strategic communications for startups, scale-ups and the VCs that back them.
We help tomorrow's leading technology companies tell their story today - to the media, customers, investors, employees and other stakeholders.
O'Hear & Co (OHC) is a strategic communications advisory founded by ex-TechCrunch journalist Steve O'Hear and ex-Googler Rachael Brown. Our team of experienced communications specialists includes operators and journalists previously at Zapp, John Lewis, Amazon, The Times, Reuters, and the British Government.
We help tomorrow's leading technology companies tell their story today - to the media, customers, investors, employees and other stakeholders.
O'Hear & Co (OHC) is a strategic communications advisory founded by ex-TechCrunch journalist Steve O'Hear and ex-Googler Rachael Brown. Our team of experienced communications specialists includes operators and journalists previously at Zapp, John Lewis, Amazon, The Times, Reuters, and the British Government.
Our services
Our services
Strategy
High-level narrative, positioning, and key messaging, underpinned by the right communications strategy.
Strategy
High-level narrative, positioning, and key messaging, underpinned by the right communications strategy.
PR
Proactive and reactive 'always-on' press office, covering company announcements and media relations.
PR
Proactive and reactive 'always-on' press office, covering company announcements and media relations.
Owned media
High-quality owned content for relevant audiences, including company blog posts and LinkedIn.
Owned media
High-quality owned content for relevant audiences, including company blog posts and LinkedIn.
Change Management
Change management communications for transitions, including company pivots and re-organisations.
Change Management
Change management communications for transitions, including product pivots and company re-organisations.
Internal Communications
Supporting in-house teams to deliver effective internal communications, from all-hands to internal newsletters.
Internal Comms
Supporting in-house teams to deliver effective internal communications, from all-hands to internal newsletters.
Crisis Prevention
Reputation management and issues mapping to reduce the risk of crisis events and their impact on the business.
Crisis Prevention
Reputation management and issues mapping to reduce the risk of crisis events and their impact on the business.
Our team
Our team
Steve O'Hear
Chief Executive Officer
Steve has been an integral part of the European technology industry for over 20 years, serving as a journalist, startup founder, and executive. He spent a decade reporting for TechCrunch, covering European startups and venture capital. At Zapp, he was SVP of Strategy, leading on comms and sustainability. He previously co-founded a venture-backed startup and is an active angel investor.
Zapp, TechCrunch, Beepl, ZDNet
Chief Executive Officer
Steve has been an integral part of the European technology industry for over 20 years, serving as a journalist, startup founder, and executive. He spent a decade reporting for TechCrunch, covering European startups and venture capital. At Zapp, he was SVP of Strategy, leading on comms and sustainability. He previously co-founded a venture-backed startup and is an active angel investor.
Zapp, TechCrunch, Beepl, ZDNet
Rachael Brown
Managing Account Director
Rachael is an experienced operator at startups, big tech, and corporates. She was Senior Communications Manager at Zapp, responsible for internal and external communications. At Google, Rachael worked in the corporate press office and on various consumer campaigns. At John Lewis, she worked in corporate communications and supported the tech and home teams with consumer PR.
Zapp, Google, John Lewis
Managing Account Director
Rachael is an experienced operator at startups, big tech, and corporates. She was Senior Communications Manager at Zapp, responsible for internal and external communications. At Google, Rachael worked in the corporate press office and on various consumer campaigns. At John Lewis, she worked in corporate communications and supported the tech and home teams with consumer PR.
Zapp, Google, John Lewis
Dominic Smith
Strategy Director
After nine years as a journalist, writing, editing and commissioning stories for regional and national daily newspapers, Dom joined the UK government to advise prime ministers, cabinet ministers and permanent secretaries on communications. He served as Head of News at DCMS and as press secretary to seven secretaries of state for technology - leading, managing and delivering multi-channel communications strategies.
British Government, Newsquest
Strategy Director
After nine years as a journalist, writing, editing and commissioning stories for regional and national daily newspapers, Dom joined the UK government to advise prime ministers, cabinet ministers and permanent secretaries on communications. He served as Head of News at DCMS and as press secretary to seven secretaries of state for technology - leading, managing and delivering multi-channel communications strategies.
British Government, Newsquest
Sophie Tran
Senior Account Executive
Sophie started her career in human resources, before choosing to focus on internal and owned channels communication. At Zapp, she was responsible for internal communications, all-hands programming, and newsletter creation. As an intern at edtech company MathSpire, Sophie supported marketing and business development.
Zapp, MathSpire
Senior Account Executive
Sophie started her career in human resources, before choosing to focus on internal and owned channels communication. At Zapp, she was responsible for internal communications, all-hands programming, and newsletter creation. As an intern at edtech company MathSpire, Sophie supported marketing and business development.
Zapp, MathSpire
Senior Account Executive
Sophie started her career in human resources, before choosing to focus on internal and owned channels communication. At Zapp, she was responsible for internal communications, all-hands programming, and newsletter creation. As an intern at edtech company MathSpire, Sophie supported marketing and business development.
Zapp, MathSpire
John Downes
Account Executive
John worked in journalism for ten years, beginning his career as a broadcast writer and video producer for Thomson Reuters, before writing and sub-editing for the likes of the MailOnline and The Times. He was also a senior associate for AI company Dataminr, who monitor real-time events and breaking news, before helping to set up Meta’s curated UK news service during his time with Upday.
The Times, Upday, Dataminr, MailOnline, Reuters
Account Executive
John worked in journalism for ten years, beginning his career as a broadcast writer and video producer for Thomson Reuters, before writing and sub-editing for the likes of the MailOnline and The Times. He was also a senior associate for AI company Dataminr, who monitor real-time events and breaking news, before helping to set up Meta’s curated UK news service during his time with Upday.
The Times, Upday, Dataminr, MailOnline, Reuters
Account Executive
John worked in journalism for ten years, beginning his career as a broadcast writer and video producer for Thomson Reuters, before writing and sub-editing for the likes of the MailOnline and The Times. He was also a senior associate for AI company Dataminr, who monitor real-time events and breaking news, before helping to set up Meta’s curated UK news service during his time with Upday.
The Times, Upday, Dataminr, MailOnline, Reuters
We act as partners for the companies we serve.
We act as partners for the companies we serve.
Laura Tyrylytė
Head of Public Relations
Nord Security
(Company behind NordVPN)
"O'Hear & Co was instrumental in helping Nord land the right messages with our target audience for our recent funding announcement. They undertook this strategically important project with expertise and professionalism, working seamlessly with our internal press team to secure high-quality coverage."
Ludwig Ensthaler
General Partner
468 Capital
"O’Hear & Co has consistently delivered for 468 and independently for our portfolio companies. They have not only secured high-quality media coverage that aligns with our strategic goals but also possess an exceptional ability to convey complex, deep technology and business topics in a way that resonates with journalists and other relevant stakeholders."
Ngoc Chu
COO
Zapp
"OHC has delivered effective comms to stakeholders across the business, from customers and employees, to investors and partners. It is unusual to find an agency that operates as a fully invested team member, but that is exactly what OHC does."
Jochen Doppelhammer
COO
Voicemod
"O'Hear & Co is not just an agency, but akin to having our own VP of Communications. Delivering strategic positioning, press office, owned channels, and internal comms, OHC is our trusted partner."
Kathleen Ong
Global Communications
Cleo
"We've been consistently impressed with OHC's ability to secure targeted media coverage that aligns with our strategic and business goals, while operating with the agility that is rare among outside agencies."
Alexander Heller
Co-Founder & CEO
HyperSpace
"Steve and his team are strategic in their approach and have the connections and experience to create amazing results for their clients. I could not recommend them more highly."
Laura Tyrylytė
Laura Tyrylytė
Head of Public Relations
Nord Security
(Company behind NordVPN)
Head of PR
Nord Security
(NordVPN)
"O'Hear & Co was instrumental in helping Nord land the right messages with our target audience for our recent funding announcement. They undertook this strategically important project with expertise and professionalism, working seamlessly with our internal press team to secure high-quality coverage."
"O'Hear & Co was instrumental in helping Nord land the right messages with our target audience for our recent funding announcement. They undertook this strategically important project with expertise and professionalism, working seamlessly with our internal press team to secure high-quality coverage."
"O'Hear & Co was instrumental in helping Nord land the right messages with our target audience for our recent funding announcement. They undertook this strategically important project with expertise and professionalism, working seamlessly with our internal press team to secure high-quality coverage."
Ngoc Chu
Ngoc Chu
CFO
Zapp
COO
Zapp
COO
Zapp
"OHC has delivered effective comms to stakeholders across the business, from customers and employees, to investors and partners. It is unusual to find an agency that operates as a fully invested team member, but that is exactly what OHC does."
"OHC has delivered effective comms to stakeholders across the business, from customers and employees, to investors and partners. It is unusual to find an agency that operates as a fully invested team member, but that is exactly what OHC does."
"OHC has delivered effective comms to stakeholders across the business, from customers and employees, to investors and partners. It is unusual to find an agency that operates as a fully invested team member, but that is exactly what OHC does."
Kathleen Ong
Kathleen Ong
Global Communications
Cleo
"We've been consistently impressed with OHC's ability to secure targeted media coverage that aligns with our strategic and business goals, while operating with the agility that is rare among outside agencies."
"We've been consistently impressed with OHC's ability to secure targeted media coverage that aligns with our strategic and business goals, while operating with the agility that is rare among outside agencies."
"We've been consistently impressed with OHC's ability to secure targeted media coverage that aligns with our strategic and business goals, while operating with the agility that is rare among outside agencies."
Jochen Doppelhammer
Jochen Doppelhammer
COO
Voicemod
"O'Hear & Co is not just an agency, but akin to having our own VP of Communications. Delivering strategic positioning, press office, owned channels, and internal comms, OHC is our trusted partner."
"O'Hear & Co is not just an agency, but akin to having our own VP of Communications. Delivering strategic positioning, press office, owned channels, and internal comms, OHC is our trusted partner."
"O'Hear & Co is not just an agency, but akin to having our own VP of Communications. Delivering strategic positioning, press office, owned channels, and internal comms, OHC is our trusted partner."
Hussein Kanji
Founding Partner
Hoxton Ventures
"O'Hear & Co has a deep understanding of the European tech ecosystem that you can only acquire by being part of it. OHC has become our go-to for strategic communications, both for ourselves and our portfolio brands."
Alexander Heller
Alexander Heller
Co-Founder & CEO
HyperSpace
"Steve and his team are strategic in their approach and have the connections and experience to create amazing results for their clients. I could not recommend them more highly."
"Steve and his team are strategic in their approach and have the connections and experience to create amazing results for their clients. I could not recommend them more highly."
"Steve and his team are strategic in their approach and have the connections and experience to create amazing results for their clients. I could not recommend them more highly."
Ludwig Ensthaler
Ludwig Ensthaler
General Partner
468 Capital
"O’Hear & Co. has consistently delivered for 468 and independently for our portfolio companies. They have not only secured high-quality media coverage that aligns with our strategic goals but also possess an exceptional ability to convey complex, deep technology and business topics in a way that resonates with journalists and other relevant stakeholders."
"O’Hear & Co has consistently delivered for 468 and independently for our portfolio companies. They have not only secured high-quality media coverage that aligns with our strategic goals but also possess an exceptional ability to convey complex, deep technology and business topics in a way that resonates with journalists and other relevant stakeholders."
"O’Hear & Co has consistently delivered for 468 and independently for our portfolio companies. They have not only secured high-quality media coverage that aligns with our strategic goals but also possess an exceptional ability to convey complex, deep technology and business topics in a way that resonates with journalists."