At Davos 2026, Brent Hoberman joins Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, for a wide-ranging conversation on AI startups, venture investing, and global competition.
Brent is a serial entrepreneur and investor, best known as a co-founder of Lastminute.com, founder of Founders Forum, and a founding partner at Firstminute Capital. As both an operator and investor, he brings a uniquely grounded perspective on what actually works in today’s AI-driven startup ecosystem.
In this conversation, they discuss:
– Why “boring” vertical AI SaaS often outperforms hype-driven startups
– The role of proprietary and network-effect data in building real AI moats
– How investors evaluate AI business plans in an overcrowded market
– Whether countries need sovereign AI models to stay competitive
– Europe’s challenges in scaling startups beyond early success
– Why the global war for talent may matter more than the race for chips
Brent also shares candid insights on risk-taking culture, customer adoption in Europe versus the US, and what it will take for the UK and EU to remain competitive in the next phase of the AI era.
Check out our Voices of Davos playlist for more exclusive interviews like this! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMsyYLfyvI2H0E5dNwlP0qoI4s8Z8gdMK
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