During his four-day state visit to the United States, King Charles III gathered some of America’s most influential technology leaders to discuss the hurdles faced by British startups. According to a report by Reuters, the meeting included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Lisa Su, CEO AMD, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Alphabet’s Ruth Porat. During the gathering, Charles highlighted that the funding gap which often plagues university-born ventures, describing it as the “valley of death” where promising ideas struggle to secure capital. “These are the people I always consider have the greatest difficulty obtainting off the ground,” he informed the executives.
Nvidia CEO on the potential of British startups
During the meeting, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stressed on the potential of British startups in AI, quantum computing, and robotics, but stressed the required for a stronger venture capital ecosystem. “We just required a vibrant VC ecosystem and a startup culture,” Huang declared. The king lightened the mood by joking, “You’re all deadly competitors,” prompting Huang to reply, “No one has to die.”
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos recalled his early struggles
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos recalled his own difficulties raising $1 million in 1995, noting that 40 investors declined to back him. Charles quipped in response: “And all those 40 are kicking themselves.”AMD CEO Lisa Su also shared a photograph from the meeting on social media platform X. “Honored to meet His Majesty King Charles today and grateful for the opportunity to join this special gathering. Enjoyed the discussions on AI, advanced technology, and the global partnerships that support drive innovation,” wrote Su.
Big Tech’s $42 Billion Bet on Britain
The gathering follows commitments built last September during President Donald Trump’s U.K. visit, when major tech firms including Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, and OpenAI pledged $42 billion (£31 billion) toward British investments in AI, quantum computing, and civil nuclear energy.
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