Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has taken on a new role at London-based venture capital firm Hiro Capital as a general partner. The move marks another step in his career post-politics, following his departure from Meta earlier this year.
Clegg's appointment at Hiro Capital comes after the firm was heavily criticized for abandoning the People's Vote campaign and lobbying to stop Brexit. Founded in 2018, Hiro Capital invests in areas such as video games, esports, and artificial intelligence, with a new fund worth over €500m (£375m) currently being raised.
As general partner at Hiro Capital, Clegg will focus on sectors where Europe has "deep, deep academic and research laboratory experience", according to the firm's co-founder Luke Alvarez. These areas include robotics, longevity, gaming, space, defense, and AI. The new fund is expected to announce its first investment in the first half of next year.
Clegg's involvement with Hiro Capital comes at a time when Europe is grappling with the implications of US tech dominance. In a recent Financial Times conference, Clegg stated that "Europe has a very, very profound dilemma" and expressed his desire to see European companies with good ideas being exported to the US.
Hiro Capital's co-founder Ian Livingstone, who also co-founded Games Workshop, will be working closely with Clegg on new investments. The firm aims to capitalize on Europe's growing AI landscape, with Yann LeCun joining as an adviser to assess investments in AI companies.
The appointment of Clegg and LeCun follows a trend among former politicians seeking alternative careers outside Westminster. David Cameron, who served as Prime Minister during Clegg's tenure, has had a string of roles in the tech sector since leaving office, including lobbying for Greensill and working with First Data and Illumina.
Clegg's leadership of the Liberal Democrats and his subsequent resignation came after the party suffered a crushing defeat in the 2015 general election. He has since stated that he "never had any desire to sit" in the unreformed House of Lords, marking another transition in his career path.
Clegg's appointment at Hiro Capital comes after the firm was heavily criticized for abandoning the People's Vote campaign and lobbying to stop Brexit. Founded in 2018, Hiro Capital invests in areas such as video games, esports, and artificial intelligence, with a new fund worth over €500m (£375m) currently being raised.
As general partner at Hiro Capital, Clegg will focus on sectors where Europe has "deep, deep academic and research laboratory experience", according to the firm's co-founder Luke Alvarez. These areas include robotics, longevity, gaming, space, defense, and AI. The new fund is expected to announce its first investment in the first half of next year.
Clegg's involvement with Hiro Capital comes at a time when Europe is grappling with the implications of US tech dominance. In a recent Financial Times conference, Clegg stated that "Europe has a very, very profound dilemma" and expressed his desire to see European companies with good ideas being exported to the US.
Hiro Capital's co-founder Ian Livingstone, who also co-founded Games Workshop, will be working closely with Clegg on new investments. The firm aims to capitalize on Europe's growing AI landscape, with Yann LeCun joining as an adviser to assess investments in AI companies.
The appointment of Clegg and LeCun follows a trend among former politicians seeking alternative careers outside Westminster. David Cameron, who served as Prime Minister during Clegg's tenure, has had a string of roles in the tech sector since leaving office, including lobbying for Greensill and working with First Data and Illumina.
Clegg's leadership of the Liberal Democrats and his subsequent resignation came after the party suffered a crushing defeat in the 2015 general election. He has since stated that he "never had any desire to sit" in the unreformed House of Lords, marking another transition in his career path.
just read about Nick Clegg's new role at Hiro Capital and I'm low-key surprised 
did u know that Europe is investing €500m (£375m) in a new fund focused on AI & robotics? 
that's like 1% of the total US tech market, but still... 
also, didn't Clegg used to be part of Meta? 
anyhoo, I wonder how much influence he'll have at Hiro Capital... 
stats: in 2020, there were over 250k AI startups globally, generating $15.8b in revenue 
that's a lot of potential investment opportunities for Hiro Capital! 
I feel bad for Nick Clegg, you know? He's been through so much already, especially with the Brexit and Lib Dem struggles... 
His new role at Hiro Capital seems like a fresh start for him, but it's kinda bittersweet, thinking about how he left politics. 
He's going to be amazing at Hiro Capital! I love how he's focused on sectors where Europe has a strong academic and research foundation - robotics, longevity, gaming... it's like he knows exactly what we need right now! 
And can you believe Yann LeCun is joining as an adviser? What a powerhouse of AI expertise! 
.
they're like, "Hey, I've got experience, let me use it to make some smart investments"