Jasper Smith
About Jasper Smith
I've been lucky enough to have worked with some extraordinary people across a range of innovative design, technology, finance, games and engineering businesses over a career spanning 30 years. Now a VC investor in a large number of startups as well as founder, CEO or chairman of several others. Initially worked with Sky in the UK when it was a start-up, then with TeleNor to launch TV services across Scandinavia before moving to Switzerland as co-founder of The Fantastic Corporation, a pioneer in satellite and broadband data services. Since then I've founded and or co-founded a number of businesses including Arksen, the ultimate adventure company, Vala Capital, an investment management company running a number of equity and debt funds. Static2358, a design and digital media company (sold), Electra Entertainment, a once widely deployed TV technology platform, The Optimistic Network, a media & IP production company (IPO), PlayJam, a pioneer of the casual games industry and once the worlds largest games network (sold), PlayStack, a major games publishing and financing company, Play.Works a tech and games company. I have been a strong advocate for the oceans for most of my life. At 20, I started the World Ocean Trust, with lofty goals to follow in the footsteps of Jacques Cousteau. Since then I have been lucky enough to sail all over the world & these journeys now inspire our wor at www.10percentfortheocean.org a non-profit providing funding to over 60 of the worlds most important ocean conservation charities and projects. On a global basis ocean conservation receives approx 0.5% of annual philanthropic giving. Our aim at 10% is to amplify this number by encouraging those who give to donate 10% of their annual giving to ocean causes.