Andrew Hunter co-founded job search engine Adzuna in 2011. He has raised over £12m in VC funding and built a successful, global business. Coping with a worldwide pandemic and unprecedented changes to the way we work were not on the agenda.
“We are living in a strange and scary world.
This week ‘Unmind Live’ launched on YouTube. Unmind CEO and Co-Founder Dr Nick Taylor explains what will be involved, the experts contributing, and the added importance of nurturing mental wellbeing through self-isolation.
Last night the prime minister announced new measures to help us keep away from one another and stem the rise of the coronavirus.
The explosion of the subscription economy
The last decade has seen the rise of the subscription economy. Whilst advancements in technology and the explosion of social media both play a huge role in the democratisation of subscription businesses, they are not the underlying reasons why subscription is becoming the norm. They are catalysts. The explosion of the subscription economy is simply a reflection of demographics of the customer base it’s attracting.
I certainly think that statement might not be as applicable for those companies still early in their growth trajectory. For established more mature Fintech businesses, perhaps profitability will become more of a focus, but as one of Europe’s leading Fintech investors, we are always looking for businesses that have strong underlying unit economics. 
To have any chance of birthing UK tech-giants we need frictionless access to a large single market; the divergence of wealth and power is making this more unlikely. The US and China have a significant advantage over UK companies who have a plethora of barriers blocking access to talent, materials and customers.
The coronavirus outbreak has forced us indoors – working, studying and socialising remotely. What’s clear is that society has never been better equipped for such a significant change to our daily lives. Technology is keeping people connected when they are physically forced apart. 
Technology funds have had a problem – exciting global tech investment opportunities were only accessible by large institutional investors with the right contacts. Platform funds-of-funds are changing that. 
I have always been fascinated with how new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning could be used to accelerate the discovery and development of disease treatments. 
Regulation is absolutely NOT the enemy of innovation: rather, the two exist in a reciprocal relationship. New technology will always be the driver of evolving regulatory requirements – if something is truly innovative, it rarely fits into existing regulatory frameworks. 
To me, Burning Man has become my creative oasis and a decommodified sanctuary – one of the last strongholds in our modern world to be void of commercialisation. 
