what is your role at noa?
I focus on research within the investment team at noa. This predominantly includes due diligence on live deals, as well as leading our thesis building initiatives as a fund. I also spend time working with our strategic LPs and ecosystem partners.
what is your backstory?
I started out in architecture but found conventional professional practice lacking the innovation and agency required to move the needle in the built environment. To explore other avenues, I spent some time working in a venture backed real estate developer that focused on leveraging the airspace above existing buildings to increase London’s housing supply. While there, I spent time accessing government innovation grants and working with the company’s investors on strategy projects and venture fundraising rounds. This opened my eyes to the world of VC. I then took a year to study finance and subsequently joined the team at noa. I received a degree in Architecture from Cambridge University, and a Master’s in Finance from the London School of Economics.
what excites you about built world tech?
The built environment has an astronomical environmental impact - whether that’s from existing buildings and infrastructure or new construction. It’s also such an analogue industry where pen and paper are often still the norm. Digitising our physical world is critical to its decarbonisation, and there is is such a broad range of technologies at play, from IoT and computer vision through to robotics and material science. What’s particularly exciting is the momentum behind the sector - the time is now!
what do you like to do in your spare time?
Outside of work, I really enjoy long hikes in the wilderness with friends across the world. When I’m in London, I often spend my downtime life drawing at my local art centre.
what’s your favourite city and why?
Other than London, my favourite city is Copenhagen. I find it to be a city that exemplifies urban sustainability - you can walk or cycle everywhere, go for a lunchtime swim, and there is a huge commitment to climate action. Finding ways to scale this model to larger, much more complex cities around the world is the challenge.