2022

In 2022, building on the insights I gained in 2021 about how emerging markets drive innovation, I focused on applying these lessons to support early-stage startups. While pursuing an MSc in the Political Economy of Emerging Markets at King’s College London, I worked with Antler, a global early-stage VC firm, and the King’s Angel Alumni Network (KAAN), an angel syndicate of 10+ distinguished KCL alumni, where I built investor relationships, grew sponsorship funding by 80%, and organised events linking founders with advisors in aerospace and health tech.

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At Antler, I authored a report on Asia’s digital economy, conducting over 20 interviews with founders, investors, and officials across South, Southeast, and East Asia. I analysed trends like e-commerce, e-wallets, and cybersecurity, benchmarking them against developments in the U.S. and Europe. The report informed Antler’s regional strategy and provided practical insights into scaling startups in high-growth markets—insights I saw as directly applicable to the UK tech ecosystem.

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I also led efforts to scale Antler’s mentorship programme, increasing office hours by 71% across 25+ markets in just six weeks. These efforts showed how tailored portfolio support helps early-stage founders tackle challenges and grow their businesses more quickly.

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At the King’s Angel Alumni Network (KAAN), I built relationships with investors, speakers, and sponsors, driving an 80% increase in sponsorship funding and a 20% boost in stakeholder engagement. I also organised events on aerospace and health tech, creating opportunities for founders to connect with key advisors and collaborators. These experiences strengthened my commitment to building ecosystems that support early-stage startups and enable meaningful innovation.