In 2022 Nik Storonsky , the founder of Revolut launched QuantumLight, an AI-driven investment platform that replaces traditional investors with machine intelligence and not only scaled a $45B fintech company - he’s now raised $250m and is challenging the entire venture capital model.
No coffee meetings.
No partner pitches.
No “gut feel.”
Instead, the system ingests over 10 billion data points across 700,000+ venture-backed startups. It looks for correlations, anomalies, and signals that even the sharpest GPs might miss.
So far?
It’s working. Their AI-led investments are outperforming top-tier VCs by 2x.
We already rely on #AI in trading, underwriting, even diagnosing disease.
So why are we still backing startups with human bias, pattern recognition, and anecdotal conviction?
versus
a system that’s less emotional, more scalable, and possibly more accurate.
“Should we remove humans from the investment decisions entirely.”
Will QuantumLight replace humans or enable humans to make investment decisions
How important is human bias, pattern recognition, and anecdotal conviction?
Can AI truly understand the founder journey?
The vision, resilience, and timing that often live between the data points?
What happens to VC when the pitch deck matters less than the dataset?
A great post by Jacqui Bloom who’s just landed the ideal job ….. 🥳 💫
And here is how!!!
💥 1. Stand Out with Follow-Up:
The role she secured had over 400 applicants. What made the difference? Jacqui sent a follow-up email a few days after submitting my application. According to her new employer, she was THE ONLY one to do so – and it was the reason they reached out to her.
Sometimes, a simple gesture can make a huge impact.
💥 2. Get Personal – Go Old School:
In a world of automation, going the extra mile can make you memorable. For one role, Jacqui hand-delivered my resume with a bold twist.
(Here’s the bold tagline for the hand-delivered CV: "I heard you're looking for a strategic unicorn who can wave their magic wand and make things happen! 🦄✨ Well, guess what? You’ve just found one.")
That delivery, caught the recruiter's attention. It sparked an immediate phone call simply because she stood out. The recruiter LOVED it! Sometimes, a little creativity goes a long way.
China has adopted AI and Technology and in the last 12 years has transformed itself into a juggernaut with DeepSeek. Temu. TikTok - and many others China Tech Is Starting to Pull Ahead.
China is no longer a backwater - but the most technologically advanced nation in the world.
As Napoleon said 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙚
Interesting post from Eric Schmidt - Former Chairman and CEO of Google
In 2023, I visited Beijing with Henry Kissinger on his final trip. A lot has changed on the ground since then. When Selina Xu from my team visited earlier this year, the signs of advancements in Chinese tech were everywhere, from #DeepSeek to drones delivering food to electric cars whizzing past on the streets.
More optimism was in the air too, despite the uncertainty of the trade war.
We wrote an essay, now live on The New York Times, about how America should reckon with China’s growing lead in technology, especially in AI.
Read it here: https://lnkd.in/e4N5BEQx
It’s not hard to imagine teens worldwide hooked on Chinese apps and AI companions, with autonomous Chinese-made agents organizing our lives, and businesses with services and products powered by Chinese models.
In a dozen years, China has gone from a ‘copycat nation’ to a juggernaut with world-class products that have at times leapfrogged those in the West. Along the way, the country also cultivated an abundance of STEM talent, robust supply chains, incredible manufacturing heft, and a domestic ecosystem so brutally competitive that the only way to survive is to never stop iterating.
This future is already arriving—unless America gets its act together - it may get left behind !!
#AI #China #tech #tariffs #
Some comments
Whoever can iterate and innovate will lead the trend
Maybe their political system has some merit?
Mobile Payments & Digital Wallets - WeChat Pay & Alipay launched in China in 2013 | Apple Pay & Google Pay 2016–2017—4 to 6 YEARS later.
2. QR Code Payments - China & Korea’s retail industry has used QR codes for payments since 2011 | WeChat Pay and Alipay universal in 2014 | U.S. stores didn’t widely accept QR payments until 2020
3. AI-Integrated Super Apps - WeChat, QQ, and Line became super apps in Asia by 2015 | U.S. trying X (Twitter)—but failing
4. Augmented Reality (AR) Shopping & Virtual Try-Ons - Alibaba launched AR-powered shopping in 2017 | Korea’s Lotte & China’s JD com in 2018 | Amazon and Walmart are JUST NOW testing AR shopping in 2024
5. AI-Powered Facial Recognition & ID Verification - China’s national facial recognition system in 2015. Singapore and Korea in 2017 | U.S. JUST STARTED testing in 2023
6. AI-Powered Digital Bank & FinTech Revolution 2017
7. Adaptive AI & Personalized Learning Platforms 2017
8. Fully Automated AI-Run Factories 2016
9. AI-Powered AR/VR Ecosystems 2018
Samuel Decio
they have passed us in many mainstream technological applications like payments for train and subway access and seamless Internet. They had a greater percent of hybrid/EV cars then and it's accelerating. It was nice to travel around with no litter, crime and a society that was peaceful and motivated.
And more.....
Bruce Guile
The challenge is not to “beat” China but to continue to benefit from their rise and investment — and make our own material contribution to US and global prosperity —without losing the freedoms, human rights, and unique can-do spirit that has buoyed America for the last 200+ years. America alone, or in competition for some elusive “first place,” IS a recipie for decline.
Francis Zhou
if one nation, more than 30% of people are learning to improve, then they will grow.
James Schauer
This notion that 'inexpensive Solar Panels, EVs and great AI' is somehow 'detrimental' is a bit upside down. The fact that people are 'making great stuff' is an opportunity for everyone ... if we can work it out; unfortunately we're inclined to view 'success' as 'threat' which is not good.
VGV VG Vignesh
Big 📍 Pin pointed lessons & prescriptions there not only for US but for India also Sir..
Eric Schmidt🏌️🙏
"COPY CAT NATION" is aptly put, given their track record in Reverse Engineering, IP Thefts, Source Code hijacks (🤣), BBS Model (Beg, Borrow, Steal) and then beat all the competitors BRUTALLY ..
via
Economies of Scale & Scope initiating a Global Price War (BYD crushing TESLA being the latest !!)
Business is WAR in its purest sense.. 🏹🏹
In Love, War & Business only OUTCOMES matter and the end justifies the means even if it means hijacking the "Source Code" 😎😎
The key lessons and take aways for India from the above are
1. Cultivate & Create ABUNDANCE of STEM
talent..
2. Produce "World Class Products" not Fancy
Ice Creams & Cup Cakes 😂🍹..
3. Brutal & Robust Manufacturing Heft..
4. Huge FOREX Reserves a.k.a War Chest @
USD 3 Tn.. ++ to cushion any stunning
surprises that POTUS DJT 🏌️ will keep
pumping !!
5. Big Bang Approach to Rural Development &
Tourism..
India really needs Economic TRANSFORMATION not Economic TINKERING !!
GoI + All States + 140 Crore People must all PULL in one direction.
India needs a benevolent DICTATOR akin to Lee Kuan Yew @ Singapore or atleast a two party democracy like the USA...
Lee Kuan Yew had explained this issue very well long ago..
An IDEA whose time will come..
🙏🇮🇳💙
Jack MA’s masterclass
Roger Morgan quotes Professor Andrew Fisher
When asked about the global future of science and technology, he noted that a fair valuation on the wealth of a nation was on the patents they file.
….At the start of the last century, it was Europe that was powerhouse, then massively overtaken by the USA, now it’s China who are moving ahead at an accelerating rate.
Interesting to see what happens globally next.
Eugene Tukerev
Emm, copycat nation?.. Here’s a list of Chinese inventions used worldwide:
•Papermaking
•Printing
•Compass
•Gunpowder
•Porcelain
•Paper money
•Silk production
•Tea cultivation
•Seismograph
•Matches
•Toothbrush
•Kites
•Abacus
•Alcoholic beverages
•Row crop farming
•Umbrella
•Acupuncture
•Wheelbarrow
•Suspension bridge
•Mechanical clock
Oh, and I had to use Perplexity to get that list.
Marenco Kemp
"scarcity brings clarity" - whenever one has to do more with less - innovation and growth thrive !
. Thanks to US sanctions, China has taken this to another level and will continue to do so.
Matthias Schuller
Will U.S. tariffs and export controls accelerste China's technological ascent.China's substantial investments in R&D, particularly in AI and semiconductors, coupled with its strategic shift towards self-reliance, are fostering a robust innovation ecosystem. The nation’s focus on indigenous innovation and diversification of trade partnerships signals long-term ambition, not short-term reaction.
It’s not a question of if Trading assets will be digitised and traded on the blockchain - it’s a question of when and who will be the dominant players
Jake Claver, QFOP | Managing Director - Digital Ascension Group wrote an excellent article on “How Tokenization of Real-World Assets Will Transform Our Economy” - below is a summary
What is Blockchain Tokenisation
Tokens don’t replace assets - they enable the value of those assets to be transferred to others in an efficient and effective way
Tokenisation is a new digital framework for handling real-world value. This isn’t about futuristic coins or NFTs—it's about turning everyday assets into something programmable and tradable, without needing an overhaul of how those assets are structured at their core.
The idea is simple but powerful: you take an existing financial asset—like a loan, a share of real estate, or a government bond—and create a digital version of it on a blockchain.
Once that happens, that asset becomes easier to move, quicker to settle, and more accessible to a broader range of investors. It's not a new kind of value—it’s a new way of moving what’s already there.
Each of the above have a fraction of assets on the blockchain - it’s only a matter of time that trading assets on the blockchain will become ubiquitous
Private Credit
$1.5 trillion globally,
$12 billion of that has been tokenized—less than 1%.
$1.2 billion traded daily
Running on EVM-compatible blockchains like Ethereum and Polygon, with some exploring Solana.
Projects like Maple Finance, Centrifuge, Arch Lending, and Goldfinch are offering on-chain lending backed by digital collateral.
US Treasuries: Safe, Stable, and Going Digital
$25 trillion in size, with $600 billion trading daily.
Around $4 billion worth of Treasuries have been tokenized so far
Ondo Finance is a standout in this space, offering tokenized Treasury products on EVM chains.
Franklin Templeton has gone a different route, opting to use Hyperledger.
Investors can instantly move into tokenized Treasuries, keeping yield and stability without leaving the ecosystem.
Tokenized Commodities: Gold, Oil, and Beyond
$37 trillion - The global commodities market
$1 billion worth of commodities has been tokenized so far, concentrated in tokenized gold.
Projects like PAX G on Ethereum and Cometec on XDC
Blockchains can handle complex contracts, like warehouse receipts, futures agreements, or physical delivery terms—features that go beyond simple spot trading.
Institutional Funds
$100 trillion of Hedge funds, mutual funds, and other managed portfolios
only a few billion dollars’ worth have been tokenized on Layer 2 Ethereum solutions, while Arca and Franklin Templeton are experimenting on Hyperledger.
Fractional ownership, more efficient reporting
Regulatory clarity is the sticking point, but as those rules get defined, this is being resolved
Real Estate - massive potential
$326 trillion, real estate is by far the largest asset class.
$3 billion of it has been tokenized so far.
there are title companies, escrow processes, banks, and regulatory frameworks that slow things down. Once sorted - will shorten transaction timelines and open up fractional investment to a broader audience.
Platforms like RealT, HoneyBricks, and Red Swan are showing what’s possible.
SPV-based models with structures where the token represents a share in a holding company that owns the asset, rather than the property itself.
Public Equities
$120 trillion - Global equity markets with daily trading volumes of about $500 billion.
$15 billion worth of equities have been tokenized in publicly visible ways.
Private chains like R3 Corda and projects like the DTCC’s Project Ion are building out the infrastructure for real-time settlement of stocks , eliminating the T+1 settlement delay reducing risks and operational costs.
Bonds
$140 trillion in outstanding issuance, they’re too big to ignore.
$15 billion worth has been tokenized
HSBC, UBS, and SDX are already using private blockchains like Corda and Hyperledger to create digital versions of these instruments.
Because these networks allow for privacy between institutions while still providing blockchain settlement features, they’re likely to dominate in this space—especially for large issuances that require complex terms and confidentiality.
Specialized Markets
Some niche but meaningful markets are also being transformed through tokenization:
Carbon Credits: Roughly 5% of the $2 billion market has already been tokenized. Platforms like Toucan Protocol and KlimaDAO are active here.
Intellectual Property: With a $500 billion market size, IP rights are being tokenized by players like IPWE (on Hyperledger and Casper) and BitSong (music royalties on Cosmos).
Luxury Vehicles: Only 0.08% of this $620 billion market has been tokenized, with early experiments from Curio Invest and CoinEarth.
Collectibles & Art: These markets have slightly higher penetration, with platforms like Masterworks and Courtyard pushing fine art and collectibles onto chains like Ethereum and Polygon.
Stablecoins, Money Markets, and Insurance Are Laying the Groundwork
Stablecoins: These now represent over $225 billion in circulation and are increasingly becoming the digital cash of blockchain networks.
Money Markets: Franklin Templeton, Circle, and Arch are building tokenized versions, but so far it’s only $1.5 billion—barely a start in a $6.5 trillion sector.
Insurance: Just $225 million tokenized so far in a market worth over $8 trillion, but the potential is enormous—especially for automating claims and accelerating payouts.
Derivatives
between $1 and $2 quadrillion in notional value.
$5 billion has been tokenized.
Tokenization could bring transparency to one of the most opaque corners of finance.
Platforms like Injective and Synthetix are making early moves, and private solutions like Corda may end up dominating here too.
Which Blockchains Stand to Benefit the Most?
Here’s how things are shaping up in terms of who’s best positioned:
XRP Ledger: Especially via its EVM sidechain and ties with Corda—great for settlement and institutional compatibility.
Polygon (MATIC): A strong generalist across most asset types, especially due to its developer ecosystem.
Stellar (XLM): Deep in Treasury tokenization, especially with Franklin Templeton’s work.
Algorand (ALGO): Potential dark horse in IP rights and commodities.
Avalanche (AVAX): Well-suited for private markets, especially with its subnet model.
Hedera (HBAR): Playing well in carbon credits, stablecoins, and institutional tools.
Provenance / Cosmos (HASH / ATOM):Focused on insurance and other permissioned-use cases.
The Big Picture
The shift to tokenized finance is happening. It’s not a question of if - but when and what platforms!
Patforms are solving real problems for big, old markets that have never moved quickly before.
If you're trying to figure out where this is all headed, start by watching where the institutions are already placing their bets.
I’m sure you’re heard of the 80/20 rule where 20% of your products , services or people deliver 80% of your revenue, profit and results
But there’s a less well-known paradigm which is the 20/120 rule which shows:
In terms of product
Your top 20% of products could be generating an impressive 120% of your profit.
Your bottom 20% of products might be losing you 20% of that profit.
In terms of people
Your top 20% are your high performers who consistently overachieve. You’ll often find these people doing 120% of quota etc.
Your middle 60% are somewhat mediocre. They have potential but may lack coaching, systems, or accountability.
The bottom 20% often need to be retrained, repositioned, or exited. They might not be the right fit.
In other words, your weakest performers aren't just underperforming; they're actively costing you money and eating into your best results.
The success of a business is not about the people - it’s about the right people
Once you've identified the underperforming 20%, you have critical choices to make:
For Products and Services: redesign, repackage, or bundle with successful offerings -or cut
For Employees: Is underperformance due to skills gaps or being in the wrong role. If they have the right attitude, targeted training or repositioning within the company can help them thrive. But if they're fundamentally unsuitable, cut!!!
Cut
Cutting may free up valuable resources, time, money, and headache enabling you to invest in areas that truly create a leaner, more efficient, and more profitable organization.
❓Are you measuring your performance to determine what or who works or doesn’t ?
❓ Do you have KPIs that measure performance and hold people or products accountable? (including for yourself as the owner)
