King Charles III recently used his US visit to spotlight the funding challenges faced by British startups, telling a gathering of global tech leaders that university-born ventures often struggle to survive the critical 'valley of death' stage.
Meeting with Tech Giants
Meeting with Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Tim Cook (Apple), Jensen Huang (Nvidia), Lisa Su (AMD), Marc Benioff (Salesforce), and Ruth Porat (Alphabet), Charles emphasized the difficulty young companies face in securing capital. 'These are the people I always think have the greatest difficulty getting off the ground,' he said.
Nvidia CEO: Jensen Huang
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang responded with optimism, highlighting opportunities in AI, quantum computing, and robotics. He stressed the need for stronger venture capital ecosystems to support innovation. When Charles joked that the executives were 'deadly competitors,' Huang replied: 'No one has to die. We just need a vibrant VC ecosystem and a startup culture.'
Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Recalls 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 help drive innovation,' wrote Su.
Big Tech's $42 Billion Bet on Britain
The gathering follows commitments made 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.
