Platin VC

~40% of entrepreneurs in the UK are 1st generation immigrants. Sam Beni is one with an incredible story to share... He came here as an asylum seeker and was heavily restricted for 1st few years though he wanted to work. Sam became an entrepreneur because it was the only option available to him. He's gone on to found 5 companies! Some exited successfully... But it wasn't all pretty. He slept at the office of one of his struggling companies for years. 🫨 Sam eventually became Head of Innovation & Investment at Tech Nation before founding Platin VC. If you want to understand true grit and resilience 💪🏽 for founders then this is the episode you want to watch. Under his theory on success proximity too and how you can use it to your advantage like he has. How do we as a society to get more people from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunities to shine and innovate? Full episode (206) here: https://lnkd.in/ePQmqYfU Sam shouted out Lord Karan Bilimoria, Lord Rami Ranger FRSA, Amardeep Parmar & Gurvir R. at the end of this episode.

🚀 Just arrived at the Capital of Capital! Thrilled to be invited to #ADFW, the largest business event in Abu Dhabi. The conversations happening here around innovation, technology, and the future of finance are game-changing. If you're passionate about #AI, #EmergingTechnologies, #Startup Ecosystem, #VentureCapital, and the Future of #Finance, let's connect in person, DM me! 💬 Know someone I should meet while I'm here this week? Pleade tag them in the comments—I'd love to engage with forward-thinking individuals. #Innovation #ADFW2024 #AbuDhabi #UAE #VC

[CITYDNA CEO MEETING 👩💼👨💼] 🎤 Meet the Visionaries Shaping the Future of Destination Management 🎤 Join us for the CityDNA CEO Meeting in stunning Monaco, January 27-28, 2025, and gain exclusive insights from two trailblazing keynote speakers: ✨ Frédéric Genta – Secretary of Attractiveness and Digital Transformation, Gouvernement Monaco 👉 Harvard graduate and global innovator with 20+ years of experience transforming public policy and business through technology. Frédéric has been instrumental in shaping Monaco’s future as a leader in sustainability and digital transformation. ✨ Sam Beni – Founder & CEO, Platin VC 👉 A powerhouse in urban innovation and entrepreneurship. Sam’s leadership has propelled over 45 startups to unicorn status, driving $32 billion in investment. His expertise in smart city projects and mobility will inspire new possibilities for destination management. 🌟 Why attend? This exclusive event brings together Europe’s top DMO CEOs to explore key industry challenges, including: 🔹 Sustainability in tourism 🔹 Digital innovation for visitor experiences 🔹 Overcoming political and budget constraints 📍 Where: Monaco – A destination that blends innovation, glamour, and history. 💻 Secure your spot today: https://bit.ly/3At1WMU 🤝 Sponsored by IMEX #CityDNA #CityDNACEOMeeting Monaco Government Tourist & Convention Authority Barbara Jamison-Woods Michael Otremba Patrick Bontinck Guy ANTOGNELLI

🌟 Wow! The World's Largest Gathering of Futurists! 🌟 Imagine being surrounded by brilliant minds, forward-thinkers, and visionaries shaping the future. That’s exactly what I experienced at this extraordinary event, hosted at the Museum of the Future – a venue that truly embodies innovation and progress. From groundbreaking discussions on longevity to the future of technology, the event was a melting pot of ideas and possibilities. Congratulations to H.E. Khalfan Belhoul and the amazing DUBAI FUTURE FOUNDATION team for bringing the global futurist community together. It was inspiring to witness HH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honouring the most innovative projects. It was also great catching up and meeting fellow futurists and having thought-provoking conversations such as with the keynote speaker Dr Jordan Nguyen, whose inspiring projects empowering disabled individuals left a lasting impression on everyone. I had an opportunity of meeting Hussain Sajwani, the visionary founder of DAMAC Properties, one of the largest entities in the UAE. Here’s to building a brighter tomorrow with an amazing community of changemakers! 🚀 #MuseumOfTheFuture #Futurism #Innovation #DubaiFutureFoundation #Longevity #FutureOfTechnology #Leadership #AI #Innovation

London is fast becoming the global AI hub for startups and larger corporates, currently ahead of New York and Paris with over 1,400 AI companies driving innovation. London offers access to world-class AI talent at a fraction of the cost compared to Silicon Valley. 💼 Average AI Scientist Salaries: London: ~$90,000+ San Francisco: ~$200,000+ While San Francisco pays higher salaries, the cost of living and operational expenses there are much steeper. London, with its affordable and diverse talent pool with the world's best universities in close proximity such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London and UCL, presents a far more attractive option for companies looking to scale sustainably with less initial investment capital needed. During our panel, we discussed how AI is reshaping industries and why responsible AI—balancing innovation with ethics and regulation—is now a key focus for investors. As I mentioned, “AI isn’t new—its roots go back to Alan Turing—but the real breakthrough came with the cloud revolution in the 2010s, with access to exponential computing power. I have seen surge of interest in AI for the past decade, but the focus is on leveraging it responsibly. As we navigate this societal shift, it’s clear that London is primed to lead the global AI charge among other great innovation hubs such as San Francisco, Singapore and Dubai. Thanks to the hosts Anita Leviant (IBCC) and Neil Brigden (London & Partners) alongside fellow panelists Sabrine Waismann (HSBC Ventures) Adriano Soares Koshiyama (Holistic AI) and Ofer Shayo (Intel Ignite). Link to the CTech by Calcalist article in the comment section. ⬇️ #AI #LondonTech #MindTheTechLondon #Innovation #TechTalent #EthicalAI #AIRevolution

🎤 Looking forward to speaking at #MindTheTech2024 next week! 📅 17th September, London. Excited to share the stage with an brilliant lineup of experts to discuss "Must-have AI Insights for Investors & Innovators in the UK" We’ll be diving into the rapid adoption of AI, the emerging market opportunities, and how to navigate the maze of international regulations. Join us for an insightful discussion hosted by Anita Leviant (IBCC) and Neil Brigden ( London & Partners) alongside fellow panelists: Sabrine Waismann (HSBC Ventures) Adriano Soares Koshiyama (Holistic AI) Ofer Shayo (Intel Ignite) See you there! Special thanks to Tal Mozes. 🙏 #AI #Investors #Innovation #London #MindtheTech

🚀 Did you know Intel Corporation offers a free scaleup accelerator program in London? (and it's open for applications!) I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be joining this fantastic program as a mentor! 👨🚀 From my early days with the Intel AI Task Force and AI Disruptors program, I've witnessed the remarkable growth of Intel's startup initiatives, and now, this global initiative continues to provide outstanding support for deeptech founders. If you're looking to work directly with me, apply now and upon success, choose me as your mentor. Together, we can boost your venture to new heights! 🚀 🌟 Intel Ignite Accelerator's 12-week program offers: - World-class mentorship - Tailored workshops & office hours - Strategic introductions to partners and VCs - Non-dilutive support (we take no equity) - "Founder-as-a-service" by the Intel Ignite team 📅 Apply by September 20th if your deeptech venture is disrupting areas such as: #AI, #MachineLearning, AI PC-related technologie, #Data, #Cloud and #Edge, Next-Generation #Computing, #Cybersec and Privacy, #Autonomous Technologies and #Robotics, #Hardware and #Manufacturing, #DevTools and #DevOps. (Link to apply in the comment section)

🔥🔥🔥 I recently had the honour of hosting an engaging fireside chat with two exceptional entrepreneurs, with a room full of emerging founders eager to glean insights from their journeys. ✨ Tal Mozes, Co-founder and CEO of Mitiga, shared his invaluable experience in pioneering cloud incident response and readiness solutions while we experience the exponential rise in cyber threats around the world. His incredible journey as a serial exited entrepreneur and ex-hacker is truly inspirational. Tal has been an outstanding mentor, and I have learned so much from him! The Mitiga team recently raised over $45 million, and I believe they are on the path to becoming a unicorn soon so does PitchBook! 🦄 go check them out! ✨ Leslie Kanthan, PhD, Co-founder and CEO of TurinTech AI, offered his compelling story of leading advancements in AI-driven code optimisation. His insights into innovation and strategic growth, while preserving core culture, were truly eye-opening. I particularly appreciated his perspective on the sacrifices and trade-offs of being a founder – a reality check for many emerging entrepreneurs. I’ve known the team since their early days when we shared the same office at Microsoft, and I’m continually impressed by their work in AI, their phenomenal growth and much more to come! 🤖 Hearing Tal and Leslie's stories reinforced that the best strategies for success often come from learning directly from those who have navigated the path before us. These shared experiences are invaluable for emerging founders charting their own entrepreneurial journeys. A big thank you to the incredible speakers and the enthusiastic audience. #Entrepreneurship #Startup #Innovation #Growth

What an exciting release from OpenAI team. GPT-4o model is set to distrupt so many industries, AI startup ecosystem and inspire innovative business models! Today I had the opportunity to demo GPT-4o to a group of AI founders and brainstorm with them on how this advanced technology can strengthen their ventures. The model's enhanced capabilities in understanding and generating human-like conversations and real-time video with almost no latency can lead to transformative applications across various industries, from personalised customer service to advanced data analysis and beyond. Looking forward to seeing how these startups harness GPT-4o API capabilties to drive growth and innovation. The future of AI-powered business is here! Also it feels that the GPT-5 is around the corner!!!💡🤖 #AI #OpenAI #GPT4o #GPT5 #Innovation #Startups

🤫 Shhh... Behind-the-scenes sneak peek of my upcoming Masterclass course: "Future-Proofing Your Business Concept"! 🚀 I'll be diving into emerging technologies like #AI, #Robotics, #Blockchain, #QuantumComputing, #AR #VR, and even the #Metaverse. Plus, I'll cover strategies to build and scale your tech business to the next level. Watch this space! 👀 #EmergingTech #Masterclass #Innovation