Silicon Valley entrepreneur will be key DataFest speaker

City has ‘tremendous potential’ as hub for tech advancement

A leading Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor has highlighted the “tremendous potential” of Dundee to be a hub for technological advancement.

Chris Neumann, chief executive and founder of Commonwealth Ventures, is set to deliver a presentation on how Dundee can become a leading data start-up ecosystem by mimicking the entrepreneurial hub of Silicon Valley.

The presentation is part of DataFest Dundee’s fringe event, run by the Data Lab, which will be one of around 60 events taking place across Scotland over the course of a fortnight.

Mr Neumann will be sharing his knowledge of how Silicon Valley data really works and how American investors differentiate from those in the UK.

He said: “Dundee has tremendous potential to be a hub for technological advancement.

“A lot can be learned from other tech hubs around the world to create an environment for start-ups to thrive and deliver technology solutions.

“I’m really looking forward to sharing my thoughts and experience at DataFest.”

Mr Neumann will be joined by David Farquhar from Brightsolid at the Stem festival which includes presentations and discussions that showcase data opportunities within the north-east.

DataFest Dundee is part of The Data Lab’s Scotland wide DataFest 2020, which takes place over two weeks.

The festival is now entering its fourth year of showcasing Scotland’s important role in data science, the evergrowing local talent, and educating entrepreneurs on the importance of data within all industries.

Chris Martin, chief executive of Waracle, said the event, which is hosted in partnership with DC Thomson and Brightsolid, is “an opportunity to hear from an expert how businesses can access American investment and expertise and will open discussion about developing Dundee’s software sector”.

He said: “A collaborative effort between educators, businesses and city institutions could create thousands of high-value jobs and the city could benefit from reflecting the technology haven of Silicon Valley.

“It’s great to see The Data Lab hosting events in areas outwith the Central Belt so cities like Dundee can benefit from speakers such as Chris.”

Mr Neumann was the first employee of big data pioneer Aster Data and founding chief executive of DataHero, both venture-capital-backed companies that were successfully acquired.

He later designed and launched an accelerator programme focused on big data, machine learning and Al start-ups for global investor 500 Startups.

The event takes place on March 12 at DC Thomson’s Meadowside HQ in Dundee.

More information on the festival and the event is available at the datafest. global website.

Chris Neumann will share his knowledge of how Silicon Valley data really works.