Wil Benton is the Venture & Ecosystem Director for the ATI Boeing Accelerator in London, UK. The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) is a UK organisation that creates the technology strategy for the UK aerospace sector and funds world-class research and development. The ATI recently launched a startup accelerator to accelerate the growth of new companies in industry 4.0 and sustainable development, with the aim of bolstering the growth and competitiveness of the UK aerospace industry. The programme is designed to help startups establish commercial relationships with global aerospace companies, like Boeing and GKN Aerospace, and to raise follow-on funding and engage with the wider UK aerospace sector. The first cohort of companies was recently announced and and you can check out a video of the selection day below.
Wil’s background is originally in the tech industry as a founder of Chew, a live streaming platform for DJ’s, as well as an angel investor and startup advisor for the startup accelerator Ignite. In this episode, Wil and I speak about:
- his career background and route into the aerospace industry
- the goal and operational principle of the ATI Boeing Accelerator
- some of the aerospace startups in the first cohort of the accelerator
- and Wil’s passion for entrepreneurship and STEM engagement
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