Paddy Lawton has spent the last 30 years building and scaling data and software businesses.
He founded Digital Union, which was later acquired by Nasdaq-listed VerticalNet, and went on to build Spend360, a spend analytics platform acquired by Coupa. He’s also co-founder of Fact360, where AI is used to analyse complex, unstructured data in areas like fraud and investigations.
At PlanningAgent360, Paddy focuses on making sure our AI works securely and accurately in a planning context. That means bringing together policy, site history and project information alongside Local Authority and internal data in a way that’s structured, reliable and easy to interrogate, so
He founded Digital Union, which was later acquired by Nasdaq-listed VerticalNet, and went on to build Spend360, a spend analytics platform acquired by Coupa. He’s also co-founder of Fact360, where AI is used to analyse complex, unstructured data in areas like fraud and investigations.
At PlanningAgent360, Paddy focuses on making sure our AI works securely and accurately in a planning context. That means bringing together policy, site history and project information alongside Local Authority and internal data in a way that’s structured, reliable and easy to interrogate, so
Jonny Vegh comes from a commercial technology background, with experience across companies such as IBM, Dell EMC and Automation Anywhere.
He’s spent his career helping organisations adopt technology in a way that delivers real results, not just in theory, but in day-to-day use.
At PlanningAgent360, that translates into a clear focus: helping customers get the most from our platform. His role is about how it’s applied - helping planning consultancies, architects and developers use it to move faster and respond to more opportunities without increasing headcount.
He’s spent his career helping organisations adopt technology in a way that delivers real results, not just in theory, but in day-to-day use.
At PlanningAgent360, that translates into a clear focus: helping customers get the most from our platform. His role is about how it’s applied - helping planning consultancies, architects and developers use it to move faster and respond to more opportunities without increasing headcount.
Sara Driscoll leads marketing at PlanningAgent360, with a background in journalism, editorial and B2B content.
She’s spent over 20 years working on how complex topics are explained, first as a journalist and editor, and later advising technology businesses on messaging, content and positioning.
Her role is to make sure PlanningAgent360 is described in a way that people actually understand what PlanningAgent360 does and how the sector works. Clear, practical and grounded, without overcomplicating it or dressing it up.
She’s spent over 20 years working on how complex topics are explained, first as a journalist and editor, and later advising technology businesses on messaging, content and positioning.
Her role is to make sure PlanningAgent360 is described in a way that people actually understand what PlanningAgent360 does and how the sector works. Clear, practical and grounded, without overcomplicating it or dressing it up.
About Us
The Origins Of Planning 360
PlanningAgent360, like many businesses, started life as just a conversation.
The industry is full of dedicated planning consultants who spend their days—and often their nights—trying to navigate the town planning system. For most professionals, providing clear, actionable advice requires hours of pulling together site context, navigating local policies, unearthing planning histories, and identifying the right contacts within Local Planning Authorities. It is a process defined by fragmented data and heavy administrative lifting.
At the same time, Paddy was knee-deep in the world of AI, helping organisations and governments decipher and analyse complex data. He understood how AI could bridge the gap between disparate data sources, delivering speed and accuracy where manual processes often faltered.
Jonny came from the world of tech automation. He had seen firsthand what it takes to build AI tools properly, the costs, the time, and the frequent false starts. More importantly, he saw how often these systems missed the mark because they weren’t built around the reality of how people actually work.
A Different Kind of Collaboration
Introduced through a mutual connection, the founders met for a pint. What followed wasn’t a pitch or a formal business plan; it was a straightforward conversation about the friction points of the planning profession and the realistic potential of technology.
It quickly became obvious that there was a significant gap—not in the availability of technology, but in how it was being applied.
Built for the Way You Work
That conversation is where PlanningAgent360 began. We didn’t want to build another generic AI tool or a “black box” solution pushed onto the industry by a tech company. Instead, we built something shaped by the actual requirements of the field:
-
Real-World Context: Designed around how sites are truly assessed and how decisions are actually made.
-
Professional Integration: Built for the way property specialists and professionals use information day-to-day.
-
Domain Expertise: Developed by people who understand the nuances of the job, backed by the technology to make it work properly.
PlanningAgent360 exists to move the “starting line” forward, allowing planners to spend less time gathering data and more time applying their expertise.