LDC Top 50 2026
Ian Wilson
Founder and Group Director
Asteroceras Group
“We’re saving the planet,” says Asteroceras founder Ian Wilson. “We’re finding new species and protecting habitats. That’s what we do day in, day out.”
Marine biologist and oceanographer Ian operates several cutting-edge environmental companies and has developed new techniques for mapping underwater environments, starting his company back in 2004.
“I was working out of a cupboard then,” he says. Now Asteroceras encompasses seven ventures employing 86 people, with an eighth launching this year. Turnover stands at £20 million with projects as far afield as Angola and Malaysia. His hi-tech water monitoring company can detect pollution impacts and sources, helping deter dumping in the rivers and seas. “Our technology is desperately needed in the world.”
We’re finding new species and protecting habitats. That’s what we do day in, day out.”
Q&A
How have you changed your industry?
When you build in water, you still need to look at what wildlife is there, ensuring that you won’t damage any species or habitat. Before the millennium, environmental surveys were an afterthought. Companies often would do the bare minimum to tick a box but did not fully understand the risks. I saw that unexpected environmental obligations could stop a project in its tracks and so introduced a strategy of additional environmental assessment, resulting in a greater understanding and reducing possible conflicts if the project parameters ever changed. I established a new way of doing this, fundamentally changing the approach in commercial marine science.
How do you get the best out of your people?
I recognise good ideas and good people. The office is a nice place to be, and people love the work that we do. We travel all over the world looking at places humans have never been before. Seven years ago, I introduced a profit share scheme; 20 per cent of profits goes to staff as bonuses. I haven’t lost a single employee to a competitor in 20 years.
What project are you most excited about?
Our recent developments in water quality technology could be huge. We recently surveyed the River Lark, looking at the whole catchment area around it. In addition to sewerage emissions, we also identified when farmers were dumping waste into the river and discovered when ammonia was tipped into a nearby drain at a local garage retailer. We cannot roll out the technology yet because of government guidelines, but we’ll keep ‘punching the bruise’ until we can implement this desperately needed technology.
