LDC Top 50 2025
Souroush Honary
Co-Founder and CEO
System Loco
Inspired by the work ethic of his Iranian parents, who came to the UK in the 1970s to study, Souroush Honary earned a PhD in satellite communications before founding System Loco in 2016. “I wanted to bring order to the crazy – ‘loco’ – world of modern supply chains,” he says.
Based in Lancaster, the company makes smart tracking devices used by clients such as Google, Apple and Sony to monitor high-value shipments. More than 90 per cent of revenue comes from the US. Now expanding into pharmaceuticals, perishables and reusable packaging, the firm is targeting £100 million turnover within four years.
I try to give employees ownership and space to fail. You learn faster by building than by overthinking.”
Q&A
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
My parents. They came to the UK from Iran in 1974 to study. When the revolution happened, their funding was cut off; my father had to finish his PhD early and find a job to support the family. They’ve always worked incredibly hard. My father, a professor in error-control coding, was often at work before 5am and home last. My mother, a physics professor, was nominated for a First Women Award and still consults for NASA. They had an amazing ability to connect with people from all walks of life and treated people equally, from the janitor to the chancellor.
What’s your leadership style?
I started the business in 2016 with Ian Martin, one of my father’s brightest PhD students, and my university friend Daniel Essafi. We were lucky to build a strong team through a ‘network effect’: great people attracting other great people. Today we employ 48 people across offices in Lancaster, Manchester, Nottingham and Dallas. I back their decisions and don’t try to grab the steering wheel. When you delegate, you have to accept things won’t be done your way. You learn faster by building than by overthinking.
What’s your approach to sustainability?
We’ve sold over three million devices and run a reuse programme where customers return them for recycling. Plastics are reground, boards are reprogrammed and batteries are recycled. Clients get a discount for returning them: it’s good for business and the planet.
