The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2018 - SciTech: Science & Technology

Azmat Yusuf
Matt Writtle
12 October 2018

Azmat Yusuf

Founder and CEO, Citymapper

All Londoners can thank Yusuf for being the brains behind Citymapper, the capital’s number one way to get about town. New innovations this year include the Citymapper bus and the city’s new dockless cycles and scooters from Ofo and Mobike.

Abi Mohamed

Tech lead at CG Ventures

Mohamed and her team have set up CG Ventures, an angel investment firm to fund under-represented founders who are going to change the world.

Caucher Birkar

Professor, Cambridge University

Birkar came to Britain as a refugee 20 years ago and recently won the Field Medal, the most prestigious prize in mathematics.

Tabitha Goldstaub

Co-founder, CognitionX

Tabitha Goldstaub
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures
The Progress 1000, in partnership with the global bank Citi, is the Evening Standard’s celebration of the people who make a difference to London life. #Progress1000

Serial entrepreneur Goldstaub is the one making sure we understand artificial intelligence and how it is going to change the world. She’s also working hard to ensure women are included in the tech revolution, which is no easy feat. Goldstaub was named head of the Government’s AI Council. Her mother is Jane Procter, who edited Tatler.

Chris Baker-Brian

Co-founder and CTO, BBOXX

BBOXX brings power to off-the-grid communities in places like Togo with battery-charging stations powered by solar energy.

Sue Black

Technology evangelist

She saved Bletchley Park and runs Tech Mums, a global community of kick-ass tech women.

Ian Blatchford

Director, Science Museum

He uses his role to ensure science is for everyone, not just those who live in the capital.

Kate Devlin

Senior lecturer, King's College London

Her fascinating research on sex robots is in her book Turned On: Science, Sex and Robots, out later this year.

Michael Dixon

Director, Natural History Museum

He is ensuring future generations are inspired by the wonders of the natural world.

Hannah Fry

Mathematician

An associate professor in cities’ mathematics at UCL’s Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, her new book Hello World focuses on how to be human in the age of algorithms.

Ann Dowling

President, Royal Academy of Engineering

The first-ever female president, and flying the flag for the Year of Engineering 2018.

Rodrigo García González and Pierre-Yves Paslier

Co-founders, Skipping Rocks Lab

Invented Ooho, a biodegradable replacement for plastic made from seaweed.

Poppy Gustafsson

CEO and co-founder, Darktrace

Darktrace uses AI for cyber security and has unicorn status (valuation over $1 billion).

Demis Hassabis

CEO and founder, DeepMind

DeepMind helped put London’s AI scene on the map when it was bought by Google for £400 million in 2014.

Anne-Marie Imafidon

CEO, Stemettes

One of the most influential women in UK tech, and her organisation gives girls the skills to take on technology.

Poppy Jamie

Happy Not Perfect

TV presenter turned entrepreneur,she launched a new mindfulness app for stressed millennials.

Neil Mahapatra

Chairman, Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies and managing partner of Kingsley Capital Partners

Leading the charge for research into the potential medical benefits of cannabis.

Eliza Manningham-Buller

Chair, Wellcome Trust

Head of MI5 until 2005, now ensuring the Trust makes a real difference to health.

Dion McKenzie

Co-founder, Colorintech

Splits his time between London and Silicon Valley, and runs his non-profit improving diversity in tech.

Kenneth Mulvany and Joanna Shields

BenevolentAI

Using AI to speed up scientific and drug discoveries.

Herman Narula, Rob Whitehead and Peter Lipka

Improbable

Their SpatialOS software is transforming everything from city planning to gaming and medical research.

Jacqueline de Rojas

President, TechUK

Represents 950 member companies in the digital industry.

Marcus du Sautoy

Professor, Oxford University

The UK’s most famous mathematician.

Helen Sharman

Astronaut and scientist

The first British astronaut,she was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for services to science and technology education this year.

Dr Beth Singler

AI & Robots Research Associate, Faraday Institute for Science and Religion

Do robots feel pain?One question anthropologist Singler is asking in her AI and robotics research.

Peter Smith

CEO, Blockchain

Blockchain is providing the means to send, receive, store and trade crypto coins.

Patrick Vallance

Chief scientific adviser to the Government

Former president of R&D at GlaxoSmithKline, he ensures STEM is at the heart of policy- making.

Dr Charlotte Webb

Chief Leopard Officer, Feminist Internet

Started as a project at the University of Arts London, now aiming to make the internet a more equal place.

Riccardo Zacconi

CEO, King Digital Entertainment

Boss of the gaming company behind Candy Crush, he’s a pioneer in mobile games knighted by the Italian president.