James Hirst is an entrepreneur, technology leader and co-founder of Tyk, a global API management platform used by some of the world’s largest enterprises. Recognised as one of the UK’s fastest-growing technology companies, Tyk was recently named to The Times Tech 100 as the 45th fastest-growing tech business in the country.
From its inception, James and his co-founders envisioned a different kind of company. Tyk has been remote-first since day one, long before it became mainstream, grounded in a culture of Radical Responsibility and flexible, trust-based working with a fully distributed team across 34 countries. Their vision was officially recognised in 2025, when TYK earned B-Corp certification.
James’ career began in the late 1990s, when the “world wide web” first went mainstream. Seizing the opportunity, he left Law school to join one of the UK’s earliest consumer ISPs, before launching his own startup building and hosting websites and e-commerce platforms for hundreds of businesses, including major music festivals (with a few backstage passes along the way).
As the web evolved beyond static sites, James joined the world of digital consultancy, leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering innovative digital strategies, campaigns and transformation programmes. His client work spanned the UK Government, the United Nations, High Street banks and national charities, covering everything from helping people quit smoking using digital tools, to supporting retailers online, to improving digital communication in disaster-relief zones.
In 2016, James made the decision to start his own company and cofounded Tyk. With 80–90% of global internet traffic flowing through APIs, Tyk’s platform secures, controls and scales this critical infrastructure, powering everything from mobile apps and connected vehicles to streaming services, border security systems and e-commerce operations.