Michael Lynch is a rare example of a top class European academic who not only made the transition to technology entrepreneur but went on to create a global company.

Lynch was raised by Irish-born parents near Chelmsford in Essex, where his mother was a nurse and his father a fireman.

At Cambridge University, he studied physics, mathematics and biochemistry, eventually specialising in adaptive pattern recognition. His doctoral thesis is reportedly one of the most widely read pieces of research in the university library.

He formed his first company in the 1980s, with a £2,000 loan from the manager of a band, producing audio products for the recording industry.

Later he specialised in automatic number plate, fingerprint and facial recognition software for the police.

Autonomy was created in 1996, and last year Lynch was estimated to hold a personal fortune of £400m.

• This article was amended on 20 August 2024. Mike Lynch was not born in Ireland as stated in an earlier version.