PJ DARLING · ENTREPRENEUR · INVESTOR · SCOTLAND
Building businesses around overlooked opportunities.
PJ Darling is an entrepreneur, investor and business founder based in Scotland, with more than two decades of experience building businesses across energy, technology, property services and customer acquisition.
ABOUT PJ DARLING
Founder, operator and investor.
PJ Darling began his career in advertising and marketing in Canada and the UK before moving into entrepreneurship. His work has centred on identifying markets where the existing commercial model does not work particularly well for customers or distribution partners, then building a better structure around the opportunity.
In 2007, PJ founded Spark Energy, a specialist energy supplier created around the needs of the UK residential lettings market. Spark grew substantially before PJ sold his interest and stepped down as chief executive in 2014.
Since then, his business activity has included telecoms, property services, technology, energy switching, customer acquisition, affiliate marketing and investment. Through Darling.Business, PJ now focuses on investing in, advising and helping to build businesses where commercial strategy and execution can materially improve the outcome.
PJ Darling is also known publicly as Peter Darling and Peter John Darling.
CURRENT FOCUS
Invest. Advise. Build.
Investment
Backing businesses where capital can accelerate a clear commercial opportunity.
Commercial strategy
Working on positioning, routes to market, partnerships, customer acquisition and business models.
Business building
Helping founders turn promising propositions into businesses with stronger economics and clearer execution.
CAREER
Selected business history.
Early career
Advertising & marketing
Commercial and marketing roles in Canada and the UK provided the foundation for a career focused on customer behaviour, proposition design and growth.
2007–2014
Spark Energy — Founder & CEO
Founded a specialist energy supplier for the residential lettings market, grew the business substantially, sold his interest and later stepped down as CEO in 2014.
2014 onward
New ventures & investment
Founded TenTel and subsequently worked across property services, utilities, technology, customer acquisition and investment.
Today
Darling.Business
Investing in, advising and helping to build businesses, with a particular interest in commercial models where distribution, technology and funding can be combined more effectively.
“You should hire for personality and fit with the company culture, rather than for existing skills.”
PJ Darling, quoted in the MIT REAP Team Scotland report on innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
INDEPENDENT REFERENCES
Selected public sources about PJ Darling and his business career.
Psion PartnersInvestment portfolio reference to Spark Energy and PJ Darling as founder.View source ↗
Startup GrindFounder profile covering Blueback, Spark Energy and TenTel.View source ↗
EurofoundPublic record of Spark Energy's expansion in the Scottish Borders.View source ↗
MIT REAP ScotlandEntrepreneurship report quoting PJ Darling on recruitment and scaling.View source ↗
*The £126m revenue and 300+ employee figures are reported by Spark investor Psion Partners as figures at investor exit.
CONTACT
Get in touch.
For business, investment and partnership enquiries.