From Code to Capital: Founders at the AI-Crypto Frontier
AI and crypto are colliding to open up an entirely new design space for founders. Co-hosted by Digital Currency Group, Google Cloud, and Ocular Fund by Openspace, this event explores how to build and scale at the edge of decentralisation and intelligence. A panel of investors and technologists will share insights on infrastructure challenges, capital trends, and founder journeys—followed by networking designed to spark collaboration.
Agenda
1:30pm - 2pm Registration
2pm - 2:40pm Panel
2:40pm - 3pm Q&A
3pm - 3:30pm Networking
Panelists
Simon Koster (Moderator) is the Chief Strategy Officer at DCG, the most active investor and incubator in blockchain, digital assets, and other decentralized technologies. As CSO, Simon leads the investment team, managing the portfolio comprised of digital assets, wholly owned subsidiaries (Grayscale, Foundry, and Luno), and more than 250+ companies early-stage companies in over 35 nations across the world.
Amy Zhao leads Openspace's Web3 strategy, Ocular. She is a member of the Ocular Web3 Investment Committee and is a member of our Executive Committee. Amy has been actively investing in various crypto assets since 2017, including crypto venture and hedge funds, tokens (Defi, gaming, L1/L2), early projects and NFTs. She previously led Investor Relations at Openspace and has prior experience at Dymon Asia Capital and Cambridge Associates.
Pranav Mehrotra leads AI GTM and Partnerships for the New Frontiers team, applying the company's most advanced AI to solve challenges in industries like Web3, Life Sciences and Robotics. With a career that began in engineering and progressed through management consulting, complemented by an MBA from INSEAD, he brings a unique blend of technical and strategic expertise to his work. He now helps organizations across APAC drive innovation and strategic growth by leveraging the full power of the Google Cloud platform and AI.
Jacob Steeves is the Co-founder of Bittensor, an open-source protocol supporting a decentralized machine-learning network built on blockchain technology. He pursued his studies at Simon Fraser University, earning a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Mathematics and Computer Science between 2011 and 2015.
Alex Lee is the co-founder of TrueNorth — crypto’s first AI discovery-to-trading platform that lets users trade beyond human. He holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering and has an extensive background spanning product R&D, market strategy, operations, and investment. Previously, he was the VP of Product, Strategy, Operations, and Capital Markets at a ~$3b AI chip startup; a tech investor at Temasek covering AI, semiconductors, consumer tech, enterprise services, and blockchain tech; a McKinsey consultant advising China TMT companies, Hyperscalers, and European gaming companies; and an early founding tech member of a ~$2b AI chip startup.