Twenty of Britain’s leading Asian Tech Pioneers were honoured, by equality and inclusion charity Diversity UK, on the publication of its annual Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech list today.
The list, now in its sixth year, celebrates diversity in the digital sector with a focus on disruptive technologies. It aims to highlight the business models, apps, platforms, funding and support networks being created by Asian digital entrepreneurs.
Among those recognised with an Asian Tech Pioneers Award are Demis Hassabis, co-Founder and CEO of Deepmind, one of BusinessCloud’s London Tech 50 in 2020.
Others recognised include Ilyas Khan KSG, co-founder and CEO of Cambridge Quantum Computing which is developing quantum solutions to tackle some of industry’s most intriguing challenges;
Dr Lewis Liu, co-Founder and CEO of Eigen Technologies, that uses natural language processing (NLP) to extract and classify data for financial services and Husayn Kassai and Eamon Jubbawy, co-Founders of fellow BusinessCloud London Tech 50 finalists Onfido, which uses machine learning and facial biometrics for identity verification, setting a new digital identity standard for the internet.
Innovators honoured included Dr Mahiben (Ben) Maruthappu MBE, co-founder and CEO of Cera which designs professional home care services. At the start of December it announced more than 5,000 new UK jobs.
Lopa Patel MBE, list curator and Chair of Diversity UK said: “The Asian Tech Pioneers exemplify how the tech sector has matured over the past few years; deeptech and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to be star sectors in Britain, but we also have to note the emergence of successful, robust healthtech and wellbeing platforms and the renewed efforts of edtech platforms to reach more online learners than ever before.
“In addition, among the Asian Tech Pioneers list are accelerators, influencers, investors and VCs whose collective efforts will be really needed in the coming years if Britain is to bounce back entrepreneurially from the impact of the pandemic”.
Asian Tech Pioneers recognised for supporting the tech ecosystem include Hanadi Jabado, Managing Director of CMS Ventures, Jacqueline de Rojas CBE, President of Tech UK, Krishna Visvanthan, co-founder and Partner of Crane Venture Partners, Priya Guha, Venture Partner at Merian Ventures, Stephen Ong, co-founder of The Hub Exchange and Dr Vishal Gulati, Healthtech VC at Draper Esprit.
The full list of Asian Tech Pioneers 2020, in alphabetical order by surname:
- Vikrant Bhargava, Founder & Chairman – First Tech Challenge UK
- Saurav Chopra, co-founder & Executive Chairman – Perkbox
- Jacqueline De Rojas CBE, President – Tech UK
- Alpesh Doshi, Founder & CEO – Fintricity
- Neal Gandhi, co-founder & CEO – The Panoply Holdings plc
- Priya Guha, Venture Partner – Merian Ventures
- Vishal Gulati, Healthtech VC – Draper Esprit
- Demis Hassabis, co-founder & CEO – Deepmind
- Hanadi Jabado, Managing Director – CMS Ventures
- Jaidev Janardana, Group CEO – Zopa
- Eamon Jubbawy, co-founder & COO – Onfido
- Husayn Kassai, co-founder – Onfido
- Ilyas Khan, co-founder & CEO – Cambridge Quantum Computing
- Lewis Liu, co-founder & CEO – Eigen Technologies
- Mahiben (Ben) Maruthappu MBE, co-founder & CEO – Cera
- Dhiraj Mukherjee, co-founder – Shazam
- Stephen Ong, co-founder – The Hub Exchange
- Mehool Sanghrajka MBE, founder & CEO – Learning Possibilities
- Mandeep Singh, CEO – Trouva
- Krishna Visvanathan, co-founder & Partner – Crane Venture Partners