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EEE Alumni Stories: James Brown
Meet James Brown, a UCL MEng and PhD alumnus in Electronic and Electrical Engineering. In this Q&A, James shares his journey from UCL to a diverse career creating impactful, real-world solutions.
17 October 2024
James Brown, an Electronic and Electrical Engineering MEng and PhD alumnus has forged a unique career spanning defence innovation and health tech entrepreneurship. James shares his journey from UCL to co-founding Supersense Technologies, a startup dedicated to supporting family caregivers through cutting-edge AI and radar technology. With a passion for solving complex problems and creating real-world impact, James offers valuable insights on interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership, and navigating diverse career paths in technology and innovation.
What attracted you to study here, and how did UCL shape your career path?
I’d always wanted to study in London, and UCL offered exactly what I was looking for: a challenging course combining theory, practical application, and early engagement with industry.
Some of my most memorable moments came from hands-on learning. From fabricating a semiconductor diode in the cleanroom to tackling real-world problems with industrial partners, UCL brought engineering to life for me.
When the chance to continue with a PhD on novel radar technology came up, supported by Thales, I didn’t hesitate. UCL’s mix of academic excellence and industry focus laid the groundwork for everything I’ve done since.
How did your UCL education, particularly your time in EEE, prepare you for the diverse roles you’ve held in your career, from the British Army to leading innovation at Defence Innovation and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)?
UCL gave me both the technical foundation and the perspective to succeed in diverse roles. Engineering is inherently about solving systems-level problems, which naturally shaped how I think strategically. Through hands-on lab work, I developed practical skills I still rely on, and as a tutor on an undergraduate course, I honed my leadership approach, focusing on enabling others to succeed.
UCL’s international outlook broadened my horizons, particularly during my third year where I undertook international study in the US. These experiences prepared me for roles where technical insight, problem-solving and strategy were essential.
What inspired you to move from a role focused on defence and radar technologies to founding a health tech startup? Were there skills or insights from UCL that influenced this transition?
A couple of years ago, I started volunteering as a trustee of a mental health charity and saw first-hand the challenges carers face every day, especially the barriers caused by technology that wasn’t designed with them in mind. That experience made me want to help, and a chance coffee with Matt Ash, my UCL PhD colleague, sparked the idea for Supersense Technologies.
What’s remarkable is that Matt and I first met at UCL nearly a decade earlier, during our PhDs. The relationships you build at UCL can last far beyond graduation, it’s the kind of environment where meaningful collaborations take root. We’d both pursued different paths since our time there, but that shared foundation brought us back together to tackle a big challenge.
Your career spans a unique combination of technology, defence, and now health tech innovation. What skills or mindsets have been essential in navigating these fields, and how can current students start developing these?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that opportunities don’t just appear, you have to seek them out and sometimes create them yourself. As a student, I used to think there was a set path to success, but I’ve realised that crafting my own journey is what makes a career truly rewarding for me. Some of the most valuable opportunities I’ve had came from being curious, taking initiative, and saying yes to new challenges, even when they didn’t fit neatly into a plan.
At the same time, it’s important to balance ambition with a focus on the process. Big goals drive me, but the journey of solving complex problems, building something meaningful, and seeing real-world impact is where the true satisfaction lies.
For students, my advice is to stay curious, take risks, and explore the opportunities around you to shape a career that reflects your interests and values.
As someone who has led at the intersection of people, process, and technology, can you share any insights on the importance of interdisciplinary knowledge and teamwork in tech careers?
Working as Chief of Staff was a great grounding for leading a startup as both roles require you to be across everything all the time, from technical details to people management to sales, while keeping the bigger picture in focus. Success in these roles comes from staying curious, being open to learning, and knowing when to seek advice.
At Supersense Technologies, we’ve been working with families from day one. Their insights have completely reframed how we think about our technology, helping us focus on what really matters: making a difference in their lives. Their feedback has highlighted challenges and opportunities we wouldn’t have seen on our own.
In tech, deep technical expertise is incredibly valuable and these skills are rare and critical for driving innovation. But to make those innovations work in the real world, you also need input from diverse perspectives. Collaborating across disciplines, listening to users, and staying open to feedback are what help translate technical breakthroughs into solutions that truly improve lives.
What challenges did you face when shifting from roles within the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to becoming a CEO of Supersense Technologies?
Shifting from the DSTL to co-founding Supersense Technologies has been a rewarding transition. As CEO, I’ve embraced everything from fundraising to PR to hands-on problem-solving, but what stands out is the immediacy of the feedback. Working directly with families and seeing their input shape our product in real-time has been incredibly fulfilling.
What stays consistent is the opportunity to have an international impact. In defence, that influence came through strategic, large-scale projects with national and international partners. At Supersense Technologies, it starts on a personal level, helping carers and families manage daily life, but the potential to scale this impact nationally and globally is clear. If we get this right, the work we’re doing today could transform care systems on a much broader scale.
Can you tell us more about Supersense Technologies and the motivation behind creating a solution to support family caregivers? What impact do you hope to achieve with this innovation?
Supersense Technologies is developing an at-home monitoring system that respects the privacy and independence of people with dementia and makes caring easier for families. Inspired by our own experiences of care, we’re using AI to help address the immense challenges carers face of balancing constant worry with practical demands.
We use novel radar technology and AI to provide carers with clear, actionable insights, enabling them to identify potential issues early and prevent crises like hospitalisations. While the technology is cutting-edge, our focus is on usability and ensuring it’s intuitive and accessible.
With around 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK, and this number expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040, there’s an urgent need for better tools to support the army of unpaid carers. Backed by the Longitude Prize on Dementia, we’ve worked closely with families to ensure our solution truly meets their needs.
Can you tell us about your time at UCL, both as an MEng and PhD student in Electronic and Electrical Engineering? For current UCL students and recent graduates interested in entrepreneurship or founding a startup, what advice would you offer on balancing technical expertise with business acumen?
Balancing technical expertise with business acumen is about playing to your strengths, building a complementary team, and using the resources around you as a springboard. UCL is a real force-multiplier in this journey. With its world-class academics, international reach, strong entrepreneurship support, and location at the heart of the UK’s innovation ecosystem, it provides a unique environment to explore and grow.
You don’t need to be an expert in everything, but you do need to be willing to try new things and share your vision in a way that excites others. That’s how you’ll bring people on board and create something meaningful. UCL offers an incredible platform to make connections, develop your skills, and take those first steps toward turning your ideas into reality.
Reflecting on your journey so far, is there a particular project or achievement that stands out as especially rewarding?
The most rewarding achievement is the tangible impact of our research pilot with Supersense Technologies. Seeing families use what we’ve built to care for loved ones with dementia has been deeply rewarding. It’s a reminder of why we do this work, to create solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives.
Finally, what would you say to prospective students considering a degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at UCL? What unique opportunities does the field offer, and what can UCL graduates expect in terms of career potential?
UCL is an international university in every sense. Studying there connected me with high-performing peers and colleagues from around the world, many of whom have gone on to excel in industries ranging from finance and transport to government and technology. Being surrounded by such talent not only inspired me during my studies but continues to drive my own ambition, I still feel I have many achievements ahead of me.
Being in the heart of London made my UCL experience even more special. The city’s energy, diversity, and opportunities left a lasting impression, providing a dynamic environment to learn, grow, and connect.
EEE at UCL is an incredibly versatile degree. It equips you with the technical skills and problem-solving mindset to excel across a wide range of fields, whether in academia, industry, or entrepreneurship. For me, it was the perfect foundation to build expertise, lifelong connections, and the ambition to keep striving for more.