A for-profit social enterprise which counts HRH Princess Beatrice amongst its administrators will this week announce a funding enhance and the appointment of one among Silicon Valley’s most distinguished figures to its board.
It is going to additionally announce that Marc Porat, co-founder of Common Magic – the corporate credited with inventing the early applied sciences behind the smartphone – is to grow to be a director of the corporate.
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OPUS has drawn a membership of almost 1,000 expertise firm founders because it was established with the intention of serving to their initiatives in the course of the embryonic levels of constructing their companies.
“Anything anyone has ever achieved has been due to the support and actions of others,” Sam Tidswell-Norrish, chair of OPUS, stated in an announcement.
“That is what OPUS is constructed on – the ability of the collective.
“This raise is a signal of intent: that OPUS and its investors are deeply committed to backing the founders of tomorrow.”
The corporate has a bodily presence in central London, and is establishing a dual-base in South Africa.
Its new funding can be deployed to assist founders by the usage of synthetic intelligence in areas reminiscent of fundraising, recruitment, product improvement and operations.
Amongst OPUS’s different backers are Miguel McKelvey, the WeWork co-founder, and Imtiaz Patel, former boss of MultiChoice Group.
“OPUS’s mission deeply resonates with my own journey,” stated Mr Porat
“The early stages of building are always the most challenging – even for the most talented, experienced and well-connected founder.
“Group and friendships unlock alternative, and with the ability to contribute in direction of a platform that leverages expertise to scale that worth to early-stage founders is exceptionally thrilling.”
OPUS may also announce this week that Ken Donald, a former government at British fintech Snoop, is to grow to be its co-managing director, alongside Kerry Fennell.