A speaker gestures passionately at a podium, illuminated by warm lighting in a dimly lit venue.

Ahmed
Ismail

"I build technologies that challenge the status quo and push the world forward — for my kids, and everyone else's."

Spoken at:

  • Future Investment Initiative (FII)· CERAWeek · World Economic Forum · LEAP · Bloomberg · Milken Institute · IPTC

Scientist, Entrepreneur & Technology Builder

Accelerating the transition to a sustainable future through breakthrough science, and thinking loudly about what it takes to get there.

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Years in industry

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Years in industry

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Academic Publications

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Academic Publications

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Ventures co-founded

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Ventures co-founded

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Projects Managed

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Projects Managed

Recent talks

  • New Wave Podcast

    The trillion-dollar race to automate scientific discovery is already underway. I joined New Wave to talk about what it actually takes to get there — and why most people are thinking about it wrong.

    Paris, 2026

    Keynote

    80 min

  • New Wave Podcast

    The trillion-dollar race to automate scientific discovery is already underway. I joined New Wave to talk about what it actually takes to get there — and why most people are thinking about it wrong.

    Paris, 2026

    Keynote

    80 min

  • New Wave Podcast

    The trillion-dollar race to automate scientific discovery is already underway. I joined New Wave to talk about what it actually takes to get there — and why most people are thinking about it wrong.

    Paris, 2026

    Keynote

    80 min

  • Interview at the Priority Summit in Japan

    In conversation with Ana Blanquart at FII Priority Summit,we explored what it really means to do business in the New Asia and how global companies can leverage the deeptech momentum in the region. The notion of a "New Asia" had been introduced earlier at the summit by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and we took it further.

    Tokyo, 2025

    Keynote

    3 min

  • Interview at the Priority Summit in Japan

    In conversation with Ana Blanquart at FII Priority Summit,we explored what it really means to do business in the New Asia and how global companies can leverage the deeptech momentum in the region. The notion of a "New Asia" had been introduced earlier at the summit by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and we took it further.

    Tokyo, 2025

    Keynote

    3 min

  • Interview at the Priority Summit in Japan

    In conversation with Ana Blanquart at FII Priority Summit,we explored what it really means to do business in the New Asia and how global companies can leverage the deeptech momentum in the region. The notion of a "New Asia" had been introduced earlier at the summit by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and we took it further.

    Tokyo, 2025

    Keynote

    3 min

  • Future Investment Initiative Summit

    I took the FII stage to present Dunia's vision for AI-driven materials discovery — in one of the few rooms on earth where science, capital, and geopolitical will sit together, including heads of state such as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The question I put to the room: can autonomous science move fast enough to matter?

    Riyadh, 2025

    Keynote

    10 min

  • Future Investment Initiative Summit

    I took the FII stage to present Dunia's vision for AI-driven materials discovery — in one of the few rooms on earth where science, capital, and geopolitical will sit together, including heads of state such as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The question I put to the room: can autonomous science move fast enough to matter?

    Riyadh, 2025

    Keynote

    10 min

  • Future Investment Initiative Summit

    I took the FII stage to present Dunia's vision for AI-driven materials discovery — in one of the few rooms on earth where science, capital, and geopolitical will sit together, including heads of state such as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The question I put to the room: can autonomous science move fast enough to matter?

    Riyadh, 2025

    Keynote

    10 min

About Ahmed

I'm a chemist, technologist, entrepreneur, and most importantly, a father and lifelong learner. I've spent the better part of two decades building technology companies across 4 continents, navigating different markets, different cultures, and the universal challenge of making complex systems work for real people. I don't always get it right. But I pay close attention, I write about what I learn, and I believe the best technology is built by people who stay curious long after they've stopped being beginners.

Published in:

  • Future Investment Initiative (FII)· CERAWeek · World Economic Forum · LEAP · Bloomberg · Milken Institute · IPTC

A smiling man with smart look stands with his arms crossed, wearing a blue jacket against a dark background.
A middle-aged person smiles and claps while enjoying a performance in a dimly lit venue.

If any of this resonates, come back.

I write when I have something worth saying, not on a schedule. Drop your email and I'll send it directly when a new piece is up. No newsletter fluff, no weekly roundups.

A middle-aged person smiles and claps while enjoying a performance in a dimly lit venue.

If any of this resonates, come back.

I write when I have something worth saying, not on a schedule. Drop your email and I'll send it directly when a new piece is up. No newsletter fluff, no weekly roundups.