Michael and Xochi Birch
Founders, The Battery

Michael Birch OBE is a British computer programmer and entrepreneur. Birch has helped co-found several startups including Blab, BirthdayAlarm.com, Ringo.com, and social networking site Bebo. Michael sold Bebo, his most lucrative business, which he started with his wife, Xochi Birch, was sold to AOL in March 2008 for $850 million. Later he purchased the company back for $1 million. Michael has made several large donations to charitable organisations, including charity:water.

Xochi Birch  OBE is an American computer programmer and entrepreneur in San Francisco, California. She is the co-founder of several companies since 1999, most notably the online social networking website Bebo, with her husband Michael Birch.  She and Michael also founded several domains, with support from Paul Birch and Morgan Sowden.