Simon Taylor
I am Simon Taylor, a technology entrepreneur and data protection innovator with a passion for creating transformative solutions. My journey began with a strong foundation in engineering and international business, then I completed an International MBA from IE Business School in 2011. My time at IE was transformative, providing me with lifelong friendships, a global perspective, and the skills to navigate complex challenges. IE was one of the most special times in my life... It prepared me for how you need to network in the workplace and created an internal board of advisors I rely on even today.
After successfully selling my first company to Citrix in 2016, I found myself inspired to explore new opportunities. A chance encounter with a former colleague sparked the idea for a revolutionary approach to data protection: Wouldn't it be much easier if we had a Swiss Army knife—something very simple that could back up and recover data across cloud, SaaS, wherever your data sets? This insight became the foundation for my current venture.
Today, I am the founder and CEO of HYCU, the world's fastest-growing data protection-as-a-service company. At HYCU, we live by three core values—authenticity, grit, and empathy—values that I believe are essential to building a high-growth company. Culture is what ultimately allows you to prosper… It’s about creating a living, breathing culture that can scale with the business. My leadership style is rooted in openness, resilience, and the belief that challenges are best faced with honesty and collaboration: In moments of crisis, authenticity and trust are what keep teams calm and resolute.
Through my work, I aim to redefine how businesses approach data protection in an ever-evolving digital landscape, ensuring they can adapt and thrive no matter the challenges ahead.
"Success is being able to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it, without hurting anybody else."
Q&A WITH SIMON
What inspired you to found HYCU? How did you identify the need for specialized software as a service for data protection?
It’s a great question. I had sold a previous company to Citrix in 2014. I was just three years out of IE, had graduated, and was on stage in Las Vegas announcing this acquisition. I was 36 years old, excited, and raring to go.
Right after, I walked into a bar and ran into an engineer friend I had known 20 years before in Europe. The world is small. We caught up, and he told me he was now a data protection engineer. My first reaction was, "That sounds really boring." And he laughed, replying, "Well, not as boring as selling monitoring software."
We had dinner, debated a bit, and that’s when I had a realization. I no longer had a job—I had just sold my company. So, I asked him to tell me more about data protection. He explained that throughout the history of technology, every time you have a platform, you need a way to back it up. Windows had a backup solution, VMware had a backup solution, and every major platform required one.
I thought, "Wouldn’t it be easier if there were a Swiss Army knife—something simple that could back up and recover data across clouds, SaaS, wherever data sits?" That conversation planted the seed for what became the world’s fastest-growing data protection as a service company.
What major shifts do you foresee in data protection as software as a service (SaaS) adoption continues to grow?
We’re all a bit tired of hearing about artificial intelligence, right? But the reality is, when I graduated from IE, people thought data was gold. The more data you had, the more valuable it was. But today, we’ve realized that data is more like ammunition—it’s a risk. Cyber threats, ransomware attacks—criminals are emboldened by the sheer volume of data company’s store.
Data is no longer sitting in dusty basements. It’s in the cloud, spread across applications. Think about your iPhone—you have a hundred apps, and all of them can be restored through iCloud. But for enterprises, there’s no equivalent of an "iCloud backup."
I believe AI will make data protection faster and more efficient, enabling companies to back up or restore data instantly, no matter where it resides. But AI also empowers cybercriminals, making attacks more frequent and sophisticated. So, the industry must fight fire with fire—leveraging AI to counteract cyber threats in ways we never imagined before.
What key leadership qualities do you believe are essential in building and sustaining a high-growth tech company?
When it comes to leadership in a high-growth company, three things are crucial: authenticity, grit, and empathy.
- Authenticity – There are a lot of buzzwords thrown around on LinkedIn, but authenticity is one I truly believe in. If leaders can't bring their full selves to the table, and if employees don’t feel empowered to challenge leadership, then you’re only harnessing a fraction of their potential. I don’t care what someone looks like, where they’re from, or how they sound—I care that they’re all in and willing to push us to be better.
- Grit – Every day, I walk into my office and tell myself that I need to be better than I was yesterday. The company evolves daily, and I have to evolve with it. Grit is about resilience, pushing through obstacles, and solving problems relentlessly. A startup is a cascade of challenges—you need people who can wade through that waterfall and keep going.
- Empathy – If you can’t put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you can’t lead. You can’t persuade, you can’t build, and you certainly can’t manage effectively. Whether it’s your team, customers, or partners, understanding their perspective is essential to long-term success.
How do you actively shape the culture at HYCU? What values are non-negotiable?
Culture is the heart of any successful company. If you're just selling a product with a bunch of random people, that business won’t go far. Yet, many startups focus only on the product and revenue, forgetting that the real differentiator is culture. Products can be copied—culture cannot.
At HYCU, we didn’t let marketing craft our values; we sat down as a leadership team and asked, "What truly makes HYCU successful?" That’s how we established our core values: Authenticity, Grit, and Empathy (A.G.E.). We live by these values in hiring, celebrating success, and decision-making. They aren’t just words on a wall; they define how we work.
Can you share a pivotal moment where your leadership style helped HYCU navigate a challenge?
The U.S. recently experienced a banking crisis. Several banks we worked with collapsed overnight. I remember my team looking at me, asking, "Do we have money there?" I could have panicked, or sugar coated the truth, but instead, I was upfront: "Yes, we have a lot of money there. Let’s order pizza."
They thought I was crazy. "How is pizza going to help?" But the point was to keep everyone together, brainstorming solutions instead of spiralling into panic. We spent that entire weekend—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—strategizing. By Monday, the government had stepped in, banks were acquired, and we had a plan in place. Because we stayed calm, transparent, and solution-oriented, we emerged stronger.
What was networking like during your time at IE?
IE was one of the most special times in my life. I’ve built and sold companies, but nothing compares to the friendships and experiences I had in Madrid. Networking at IE isn’t just about business—it’s about building deep, meaningful relationships.
Even today, my IMBA class from 2011 still has a WhatsApp group. We celebrate birthdays, share insights, and support each other. These people are more than former classmates; they’re an internal board of advisors who help me tackle challenges in both business and life.
What is your personal measure of success?
It’s not money. Years ago, I was asked this question, and I said "money." The person asking looked disappointed. That moment stuck with me. Over time, I realized success is about freedom—the ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want, without hurting anyone else. Whether you’re a startup founder or a street musician, if you’re living life on your own terms, that’s success.
If you had a billboard to display to the world, what would it say?
"Presentation is everything."
You can have the best idea, the smartest insights, but if you can’t communicate it effectively, it’s lost. Whether it’s pitching investors, leading a team, or explaining an idea, how you present it determines whether people listen or tune out. Storytelling, clarity, and impact—those make all the difference.