SXSW London: Sister’s Top 10 Takeaways

At Sister, we believe that innovation happens where great minds meet. As a platform that brings global experts in creativity and technology together at an intersection – SXSW offers the perfect backdrop. That’s why, this time last month, we made the trip down to London for the festival’s first-ever European debut in Shoreditch.

With 862 speakers, 5 jam-packed days, and 1 incredible global community, SXSW London not only gave us the chance to explore the latest trends – offering food for thought on tomorrow’s tech and creative industries – it was also a unique opportunity to network and connect with experts from around the world. 

SXSW London was nothing short of electric, with some incredible speakers in the science, technology and start-up space. To build on this incredible energy, we also took the opportunity to gather 18 experts from across the UK innovation landscape for a roundtable dinner exploring how regional tech ecosystems (just like Manchester) are evolving across the UK and beyond. The ideas shared at this table – between founders, investors, academics, and innovation leaders – will serve as invaluable ingredients in shaping Sister’s journey and future. Watch out for more insights coming soon! 

In the meantime, one month on from SXSW London: we wanted to share some of our key takeaways from the captivating sessions we attended. Read on to find out more.

1. Tomorrow’s AI co-pilots: As computers become more powerful, AI and robotics will become tomorrow’s norm. In this future, AI could serve as more of a co-pilot that supports people to be more productive in their jobs – without necessarily replacing them. AI 

Session:

“Riding the Wayve: AI & the Future of Mobility" with Alex Kendall, CEO and co-founder of Wayve, and Mike Butcher, Editor-at-large at TechCrunch.

2. What problem are you going to solve? Renowned founder, creator, and entrepreneur, Simon Squibb, left us with an important piece of advice for the next generation: Don’t ask people what they want to be when they grow up – ask them what problem they are going to solve. 

Session:

“All In or Nothing” with Andrew Antonio, Founding Partner of Mayfair Associates; Simon Squibb Founder, Entrepreneur & Creator; and Richard Bacon, Founder and CEO of Yes Yes Media

3. The entrepreneurial blueprint: What are people looking for in an entrepreneur? While Andrew Antonio, Founding Partner of Mayfair Associates, highlighted someone who is engaged, driven, disciplined, honest, and trustworthy, others mentioned being a strong direction-setter, detail-oriented, strategic, relentless, adaptable, and resilient.

Sessions:

• “All In or Nothing” with Andrew Antonio, Founding Partner of Mayfair Associates; Simon Squibb Founder, Entrepreneur & Creator; and Richard Bacon, Founder and CEO of Yes Yes Media. 

• “Where is the Big Money Going?” with Antoine Moyroud, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners; Laura McGinnis, Principal at Balderton Capital; Jane Alexander, Partner at CapitalG; Deepka Rana, Principal, Northzone Ventures; Tommy Stadlen, Co-Founder of Giant Ventures; and Sam Shead, Tech Editor.

4. Regional innovation: We’re seeing some exciting investments outside of London – with Manchester highlighted as an emerging hub for start-ups, alongside Dublin and Amsterdam. This was also the focal point of our roundtable discussion: exploring why regional innovation hubs could hold the key to unlocking the full potential of start-ups. 

Session:

“Where is the Big Money Going?” with Antoine Moyroud, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners; Laura McGinnis, Principal at Balderton Capital; Jane Alexander, Partner at CapitalG; Deepka Rana, Principal, Northzone Ventures; Tommy Stadlen, Co-Founder of Giant Ventures; and Sam Shead, Tech Editor.

5. VC x founders: It’s just as important (if not more important) for venture capitalists to go to founders, rather than just expecting founders to come to them – if they aren’t active in the good times, what will happen during the challenging times?

Session:

“Where is the Big Money Going?” with Antoine Moyroud, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners; Laura McGinnis, Principal at Balderton Capital; Jane Alexander, Partner at CapitalG; Deepka Rana, Principal, Northzone Ventures; Tommy Stadlen, Co-Founder of Giant Ventures; and Sam Shead, Tech Editor.

6. Innovation ecosystem ingredients: Human experience should be top of mind and spaces should be created with intention, possessing a soul and centre of gravity that brings people together with the right amenities to spark collisions and connections. These should be spaces where people can rub shoulders and bounce ideas off each other – that’s where the real magic happens. 

Session:

“Bold Ecosystems for an Age of Urgency” with Dan Burgar, CEO & Founder of Frontier Collective, and Clara Armand-Delille, Founder & MD of ThirdEyeMedia.

7. The next AI chapter: Though it’s not clear what the next phase will look like, we know there will be significant change – but people will adapt as we have done before. This next period could see an AI native next generation, new jobs emerging, and people harnessing AI in ways that empower them to achieve exceptional things.  

Session:

“A Conversation on AI With One of its Most Influential Figures” with Demis Hassabis, Co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, and Francine Lacqua, Anchor on Bloomberg Television.

8. Investing in diversity: There are not enough women founders in AI, and we need more women and people of colour in decision-making roles. We must do more in order to encourage and support women founders as well as women VCs to back them.

Session:

“The State of Venture Capital” with Martell Hardenberg; Dorothy Chou, Director of Public Engagement at Google DeepMind; Luna Schmid, Partner at Google Ventures; Morgane Zerath, Investor at Crane; and Sam Shead, Tech Editor. 

9. What are VCs looking for? A strong founding team, a differentiator, and whether they are the right fit, as well as founders with the drive, vision, resilience, stamina, experience, networks, and grit to keep going when things get tough. Pitching a product or service as multi-purpose (rather than one focus) can also be helpful.

Session:

“The State of Venture Capital” with Martell Hardenberg; Dorothy Chou, Director of Public Engagement at Google DeepMind; Luna Schmid, Partner at Google Ventures; Morgane Zerath, Investor at Crane; and Sam Shead, Tech Editor. 

10. Advice to founders: Don’t go with a trend – go with what you’re passionate about. If you find passion, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. 

Sessions: 

• “All In or Nothing” with Andrew Antonio, Founding Partner of Mayfair Associates; Simon Squibb Founder, Entrepreneur & Creator; and Richard Bacon, Founder and CEO of Yes Yes Media. 

• “The State of Venture Capital” with Martell Hardenberg; Dorothy Chou, Director of Public Engagement at Google DeepMind; Luna Schmid, Partner at Google Ventures; Morgane Zerath, Investor at Crane; and Sam Shead, Tech Editor. 

Thank you to all the fantastic speakers for sharing your insights. We had a great time tapping into your unique expertise and perspectives!