# Thomas McKenna

> Thomas McKenna is the CEO and co-founder of Ocula Technologies, an AI content engine that writes and optimizes product copy at scale so retailers can be found in both traditional and AI-driven search. Founded in 2021 with Dr. Gregory Fletcher, Ocula has signed more than 25 major retail customers including Marks & Spencer, Frasers, Boots and AO, raised multiple funding rounds totaling around £11.7m, and headquartered its software development center in Belfast with an £11m R&D commitment. A former consultant and data executive at Bain & Company, Deloitte, dunnhumby and Procter & Gamble, McKenna pitches Ocula as a way to level the AI playing field for brands that otherwise fail to make profitable use of their own data.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at Ocula Technologies
- **Organizations:** Ocula Technologies, Bain & Company, Deloitte (Monitor Deloitte), dunnhumby, Procter & Gamble
- **Nationality:** British / Irish
- **Education:** MSc in Business, Alliance Manchester Business School
- **Known for:** Co-founded and scaled Ocula Technologies to 25+ major retail customers including Marks & Spencer, Frasers, Boots and AO, Raised roughly £11.7m in total funding across seed and Series A rounds, Established a Belfast software development headquarters backed by an £11m R&D investment, with a target of 50+ technical staff

## Career timeline

- **Pre-2021** — Consulting and data roles at Procter & Gamble, dunnhumby, Monitor Deloitte and Bain & Company
- **2021** — Co-founded Ocula Technologies with Dr. Gregory Fletcher; became CEO
- **2023** — Ocula secures £5m investment from Lloyds Banking Group and Castelnau Group; establishes Belfast software development HQ with £11m R&D commitment
- **2024** — Closes ~£3.25m-£4m Series A round (Praetura Ventures, NYO Capital, Jose Luis Gomes); surpasses 25 major retail customers
- **2025** — Marks & Spencer partners with Ocula to create search-optimised product copy at scale

## Achievements

- Co-founded and scaled Ocula Technologies to 25+ major retail customers including Marks & Spencer, Frasers, Boots and AO
- Raised roughly £11.7m in total funding across seed and Series A rounds
- Established a Belfast software development headquarters backed by an £11m R&D investment, with a target of 50+ technical staff
- Built AI content technology credited with a 15% revenue increase for the Kansas City Chiefs' online store
- Developed product-content tooling that reduces brands' time-to-market by up to 90%

## Latest updates

- **2025-12** — Marks & Spencer publicly partners with Ocula Technologies to optimise product copy for search across its online catalogue.
- **2024-10** — Ocula closes its Series A round (~£3.25m-£4m) and passes 25 major retail customers.

## Links

- Website: https://ocula.tech
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tommckenna1

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/thomas-mckenna
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-08