A personal experience inspired Cambridge entrepreneur Charlotte Ridley to launch Memorify Technologies, an AI-powered business on a mission to help people preserve, organise and relive their most meaningful memories.
What started as a deeply personal idea has evolved into an ambitious technology venture that is attracting investment, building strategic partnerships and gaining recognition within the UK's innovation ecosystem.
The founder story
Following the loss of her father while pregnant with her daughter, Charlotte began reflecting on how memories, stories and family history are passed between generations. The experience highlighted a growing challenge facing millions of people: vast quantities of digital content stored across multiple platforms, but with few practical ways to organise or revisit it.
Drawing on more than two decades of experience in the technology sector, including roles with global organisations such as Intel, Arm and Shell, Charlotte set out to build a platform that would help people reconnect with the moments that matter most.
Building the business
Today, Memorify combines artificial intelligence and neuroscience-informed design to help users organise, discover and share their personal memories. The company's first consumer product, Yoree, launched in 2026 and has already generated significant interest from users, partners and investors.
Combining artificial intelligence, neuroscience and technology, the business is developing solutions that help people preserve, organise and rediscover the moments that matter most whilst also dealing with the overwhelming clutter and memory debt we carry within our camera rolls.
At its heart is a simple idea. Our memories are some of our most valuable assets, yet they are often scattered across devices, lost over time or difficult to revisit. Memorify is changing that by transforming photos, videos and personal content into meaningful, accessible stories that can be enjoyed for generations.
Charlotte is also passionate about building the right team. She believes success comes from bringing together talented people who share the same values, ambition and commitment to making a positive impact which is why she is joined by a powerhouse of a founding team spanning over 110 years combined experience: Founding engineer Chris Charlton, Chief Experience officer Anja Kluver, and Chairman Gavin Anderson. Together they are pursuing an ambitious vision: organising the world's memories.
The business has achieved a number of notable milestones in its early growth phase, including support from Innovate UK, an oversubscribed funding round and selection for the prestigious #21toWatch programme, which recognises some of the East of England's most promising growth businesses.
Growth and ambition
With international partnerships developing and growing interest from the US market, Memorify is now focused on scaling its technology and expanding its reach.
Looking ahead, Ridley sees significant international potential for the business. Partnerships with organisations including Kodak Moments, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department for Business and Trade are helping to accelerate growth plans, with the United States representing a key strategic market.
Trusted advice for growth
As the business has expanded, Charlotte has worked closely with PEM for strategic and financial advice. Turning an idea into a growing technology business takes more than determination. It requires trusted advisers who understand the challenges founders face and can help them prepare for what's next.
PEM started supporting Memorify during the early stages of the business. Working closely with PEM Partner Andy Turpin, Charlotte received advice that helped her lay strong foundations for future growth.
From preparing for investment to navigating funding opportunities, PEM provided practical support at some of the business's most important milestones. This included helping Memorify unlock grant funding, ensuring the business was ready for the scrutiny that comes with investment and due diligence, and giving Charlotte confidence that key filing deadlines and HMRC requirements were being met as the business grew.
For Charlotte, one of the biggest benefits was working with advisers who understood the realities of running a start-up. PEM combined technical expertise with experience of supporting high-growth businesses, helping Charlotte navigate unfamiliar areas such as forecasting, fundraising, data rooms and investment readiness.
Just as importantly, PEM took the time to understand Charlotte's wider ambitions, becoming a trusted financial sounding board, providing guidance and reassurance when important decisions needed to be made.
Rather than focusing solely on compliance or reporting requirements, the team looked at the bigger picture. They helped Charlotte prioritise the right actions at the right time and provided guidance that would support both immediate opportunities and longer-term growth.
As Memorify continues to scale, Charlotte values having advisers who can adapt alongside the business and offer the support needed at every stage of the journey.
She said:
"PEM's support was instrumental in helping Memorify establish strong foundations. I really value the team's ability to understand both the technical requirements of growing a business and the practical realities faced by founders
From the outset, I found a team willing to listen, understand my goals and offer practical advice. The right advice at the start can make a significant difference later, and PEM has certainly provided that."
Future plans
With a growing team, expanding partnerships and a clear vision for the future, Memorify represents the kind of innovation-led business for which Cambridge has become renowned: combining cutting-edge technology with a genuine desire to solve real-world problems.
As the company continues its growth journey, its ambition is simple but far-reaching: to help people ensure that their most important memories are never lost.
