Startup Microdose

WeFarm is the world’s first peer-to-peer knowledge sharing platform for farmers. In just a few years, 1.5 million farmers have signed up and over 260 million messages have been exchanged leading to tangible improvements in farming outcomes and quality of life in some of the most challenging places in the world. Backed by a host of impressive investors including Local Globe, Silicon Valley-based True Ventures and Skype & Atomico founder Niklas Zennström, the vision is to become the global network for the biggest industry on Earth. Kenny is committed to enacting meaningful and positive change in the world by marrying commercial techniques with an impact-driven approach. His execution of this so far has been masterful and is a lesson to all entrepreneurs at this critical moment in human history. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

This conversation is with Thea Alexander and Pip Murray. Thea is the founder of Young Foodies – a community platform supporting food & beverage startups as they try to get off the ground and achieve scale. They have helped a number of brands become market leaders in their niche including: WheyHey, Mallow+Marsh, Plenish and Pip&Nut. Pip is the founder of all-natural nut butter phenomenon Pip&Nut. Now stocked in most major retailers, Pip&Nut is the foremost UK nut butter brand. In combination, they give us a detailed expose on many of the key obstacles facing challenger food and drink companies in today’s and tomorrow’s markets.

Ed is the founder of Flock – a UK government & Silicon valley-backed insurtech platform disrupting the insurance industry with its real-time risk assessment and pay-as-you-fly model. Flock’s first product caters to the $100bn drone market. We learn how Ed’s academic background in engineering and then AI and government policy set him on this path (and allowed him to meet Elon Musk along the way). We also talk about the current and future applications of drones; and what they might mean for the future of our cities and our world.

Maya Pindeus is the CEO & Co-Founder of Humanising Autonomy who are using deep machine learning to become the standard for communication between autonomous systems and people. Their first product, Blink, is computer vision for autonomous vehicles which can understand even culturally-specific human gestures. We discuss architecture, city design, deep learning and the unknown reality of a symbiotic future with autonomous machines. We ask how deeply can communication between man and machine go? And what will that mean for the future of our world?

Dr James Field is a leading scientist in the field of synthetic biology. He set up LabGenius while completing his PhD at Imperial College London. He is a winner of the prestigious BBSRC Innovator of the Year award for early career impact and was featured on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for Science & Healthcare. James is also a fellow of the prestigious Synthetic Biology Leadership Excellence Accelerator Program (LEAP). As founder and CEO of LabGenius, he has overseen the development if EVA - an autonomous AI-driven evolution engine for the discovery of high-value protein components. The company uses this cutting-edge technology to develop new biological products in partnership with world leading multinationals. Their current focus areas are creating novel therapies for unmet clinical needs and “advanced materials” for the UK Ministry of Defence. The company has raised $3.7m in funding from venture capital firms led by Acequia Capital. We discuss: - the history and current landscape of synthetic biology - the genomics of sexual attraction and how intuitive knowledge is hard coded in our genes - gene editing and its ethical implication in this brave new world - how Science Fiction is a thought experiment for examining our own humanity - the challenges of becoming a CEO from a scientist If you like Sci-Fi and want to know why a ruby red grapefruit is red, you’ll enjoy this one!

Anthony Rose is the Founder of multiple successful companies; his most recent, SeedLegals, was named the UKTN Startup of the Year 2017; he is also the genius behind BBC iPlayer at a time when on-demand TV represented a paradigm shift in the industry - he compares the build process to the British building an exocet missile in two months during the Falklands War. We talk a fair amount about how the SeedLegals platform works and the benefits it brings (in cost and time) to entrepreneurs raising money. Anthony also divulges some great industry-specific wisdom on the new rules for SEIS & EIS tax relief assurance for UK companies. (This episode will be particularly useful to anyone thinking about or going through the funding process.) There’s a lot too for those listening from general interest - his anecdotes about billion dollar lawsuits in the music industry and his notion of the ‘hybrid ICO’ make for an edifying listen… Anthony is the quintessence of serial entrepreneur and a charismatic well of wisdom besides. We came out of the conversation having talked little but learned a lot!