Regulation is absolutely NOT the enemy of innovation: rather, the two exist in a reciprocal relationship. New technology will always be the driver of evolving regulatory requirements – if something is truly innovative, it rarely fits into existing regulatory frameworks.

The explosion of the subscription economy

The last decade has seen the rise of the subscription economy. Whilst advancements in technology and the explosion of social media both play a huge role in the democratisation of subscription businesses, they are not the underlying reasons why subscription is becoming the norm. They are catalysts. The explosion of the subscription economy is simply a reflection of demographics of the customer base it’s attracting.

I certainly think that statement might not be as applicable for those companies still early in their growth trajectory. For established more mature Fintech businesses, perhaps profitability will become more of a focus, but as one of Europe’s leading Fintech investors, we are always looking for businesses that have strong underlying unit economics. 

To me, Burning Man has become my creative oasis and a decommodified sanctuary – one of the last strongholds in our modern world to be void of commercialisation.

To have any chance of birthing UK tech-giants we need frictionless access to a large single market; the divergence of wealth and power is making this more unlikely. The US and China have a significant advantage over UK companies who have a plethora of barriers blocking access to talent, materials and customers.

I was an aeronautical engineering student, sitting in my dorm room in Glasgow watching YouTube videos of the V-22 Osprey, a military tilt-rotor aircraft, when the idea first came to me.

“The modern entrepreneur has the qualities we’re all familiar with – an inspiring presence and dedication to their work, but they are becoming less hierarchy and process-oriented, partly because of the agility required to differentiate in today’s fast-paced startup culture.

Technological and digital advancements mean that today, even the smallest companies in the world can become global. While the rewards can be immense, growing a business internationally isn’t without its challenges. Jellyfish started life as a UK-based start-up in 2005. As we approach our 15th year in business, we’re well on our way to becoming a truly global organisation.

I was 24 when I founded badi which meant I was starting out with limited experience, but I once heard this quote and it stuck with me: “The best people are the people who don’t know how to do something, because they are the ones who are going to find a way to do it.” For me, there’s a huge advantage to being young and innovative over having experience.

Looking back through my life – from growing up in Estonia to building a global tech business in London – I’d say the event that had the biggest impact on who I am was the unexpected death of my father at a young age.