Digital entrepreneur Daniel Lewis, founding director of Newport-based TheGenieLab (formerly PHP Genie) has stepped back from day-to-day involvement as business development officer at the company to focus on new projects he is involved with.

Specialising in developing bespoke ecommerce shops and APIs (application programmer interface), Daniel and Andrew Cargill, a fellow University of South Wales graduate, started their business in 2011.

TheGenieLab quickly grew in size creating a global client base including the Welsh Government, International Baccalaureate and Brightpearl.

Veteran entrepreneur Alf Gooding and Fredy Dellis, former international president of Hertz and Burger King, bought equity stakes in the business in 2014 and opened a US office in Miami.

Daniel Lewis said: “When Andrew and I started PHP Genie as it was known then in 2011, we were focused on being able to pay the bills at the end of the month. It was always our ambition to run our own business and the last four and a half years has certainly helped me achieve that.

“I am still a shareholder of TheGenieLab and will keep up to date with its progress. The company is firmly established as a leading ecommerce developer here in the UK and has a growing client base in the US.

"My passion is for business start-ups and TheGenieLab has outgrown this title. The time is right for me to step away from the day-to-day running of the business and hand this over to the experienced senior management team we have recruited.”

Daniel has already started planning his next venture, Digital Profile.

The online business start-up will aim to improve customer and client interactions in an established professional services industry sector. “Although we are not yet ready to officially announce any details, I have secured financial backing for Digital Profile from both private and public sector investors to help fund the development of the online products and services we will be able to offer,” said Daniel.

"The new business will be based in Cardiff and we will have created ten new positions by September when we launch with more to follow in 2016."