About

Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma

As an EdTech entrepreneur, author, and international speaker, I’m on a mission to empower businesses to thrive in the ever-evolving technology landscape.

To further this mission, I founded Cambridge Spark in 2016, an EdTech company that works with leading multinational firms to upskill their workforces through cutting-edge data and AI skills programmes. Clients have included M&S, Lloyds Banking Group, and the BBC.

Cambridge Spark has been recognised by the Sunday Times 100 as one of the fastest-growing businesses in the UK, in 2024 and 2025. The company has also placed in the FT 1000, The Financial Times’ list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies, in 2023 and 2024.

Alongside my role at Cambridge Spark, I’m an Advisory Board Member of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, an Industrial Fellow and affiliated lecturer at the University of Cambridge, and a member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO).

Prior to founding Cambridge Spark, I worked on large-scale transformation projects for some of the world’s leading technology companies, including eBay, Goldman Sachs, Google, Morgan Stanley, and Oracle.

My software engineer journey started at the age of eight, when I created my first website. Since then, I’ve published several best-selling software development books, including Modern Java in Action, which has sold more than 60,000 copies, and Real-World Software Development. I’ve also published a collection of academic articles that have received more than 700 citations.

I hold a MEng from Imperial College London and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge. I have also completed the Owner/President Executive Education Programme at Harvard Business School.

Raoul's story

2024

Cambridge Spark rises to 240 in the FT 1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies.

2024

Cambridge Spark placed 42nd on The Sunday Times Hundred 2024, a list of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies.

2023

Cambridge Spark placed no. 253 in the FT 1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies.

2021

Awarded an Industrial Fellowship by the University of Cambridge for his sustained and important contributions to the Department of Computer Science and Technology.

2019

Co-authored Real World Software Development, published in December 2019. Exploring Java-based software development techniques and methodologies.

2018

Co-authored Modern Java in Action, published in September 2018. Connecting new features of the Java language with their practical applications.

2017

Nominated as an Oracle Java Champion, recognising his contributions to the technology community.

2016

Launched Cambridge Spark, an education technology company that enables corporate and government organisations to achieve their business goals.

2015

Completed PhD in Computer Science at the University of Cambridge. His fields of research included Software Engineering, Refactoring, and Programming Language Design.

2014

Cofounded Cambridge Coding Academy – with the mission of making high-quality technology education personalised and accessible to everyone.

2011

Obtained a MEng (First Class Honours) with a specialisation in Software Engineering and was awarded the Detica Prize for Technical Innovation and Outstanding Achievement.

About Cambridge Spark

Cambridge Spark is an education technology company that provides data and AI skills programmes, empowering organisations to transform their workforce capability. The company has worked with multinational employers including Aviva, the NHS, M&S, the BBC, and EasyJet. Its online programmes are delivered to learners globally, from London to New York to Hong Kong.

In 2024, Cambridge Spark placed 42^nd on The Sunday Times Hundred and FT 1000 fastest-growing companies lists. The company has generated over £300 million in confirmed value for its clients, by enabling them to build the capability to see the return on investment in AI.

The Cambridge Spark team are passionate about changing people’s lives and careers through education. From a diverse range of backgrounds, they bring experience from some of the large tech companies, high-growth startups and well-known training providers. The company has an educational campus and office in Kings Cross, London.