James Markey

"My ideal is simply to have a positive impact by being kind, caring, optimistic and putting the difficult work in to make a good life worth living."

From the shop floor to haptic VR

James's path to founding the UK's leading haptic VR studio started behind a supermarket trolley. He began his retail career at Sainsbury's, then went on to manage Iceland Foods shops across the South East. By his mid-twenties he'd joined Russell & Bromley — opening their Edinburgh store, running their Cambridge and Richmond branches, and being tapped to launch Pure Leaf's flagship tea shop in Sloane Square.

In 2016 he pivoted into virtual reality as Commercial Director of JP Mentors VR Academy, bringing an operator's discipline into VR training and consultancy. In 2018 he joined HRV Simulation in the same role — leading commercial strategy for Virteasy Dental, NAWO Solution and Cottos Medical — and in 2019 founded UNI SIM (Universal Simulation Ltd), the British technology company that is today the UK's leading haptic VR studio and an official NHS supplier.

A seat at the table

Since 2024 James has volunteered with the UK Government's Department for Business and Trade as an Export Champion, helping British firms grow internationally — work that fed directly into UNI SIM's launch of Universal Exports, an open-source platform for electronic Bills of Exchange. He has represented UNI SIM and the British simulation industry at the highest levels, including being invited to meet the Prime Minister to discuss the role of homegrown haptic VR and healthcare innovation in modernising NHS training. Alongside this he serves as a school Governor at Bramley Oak Academy.

Lived experience

James lives with bipolar disorder and is an outspoken advocate for mental health in tech and healthcare. He volunteers as a media spokesperson for Bipolar UK and as a DBT volunteer. That personal experience directly shaped Bipolarbear.app — UNI SIM's free, browser-based mood tracker and survival kit — and informs the company's broader mission to put accessible, dignified tools in the hands of people living with long-term conditions.

Open by default

Alongside the commercial product range, James is a vocal advocate for open source in healthcare and small-business software. He maintains a portfolio of free, MIT-licensed projects on GitHub — from mood-tracking tools for people living with bipolar disorder, to webinar and PDF platforms, to electronic Bills of Exchange — built so the wider community can fork, extend, and self-host them.

What's next

With Universal Exports (open-source trade-finance documents), Ergo Assess (ergonomic MSK assessment) and ongoing work on Healthy Sim, UNI SIM is expanding from healthcare into trade finance, occupational health and wellbeing — proving that British innovation can sit at the intersection of clinical practice, social care, and software.

Education

• MBA, Computer/Information Technology Administration & Management — The Open University (2020–2024)
• BSc (Hons), Law and International Business — The Open University (2009–2019)
• OSS, Retailing and Retail Operations — University of Oxford (2009)
• French Language — LSF Montpellier (2016–2021)
• CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting (Cert BA)