Ali Erfan

Ali has an MBA from the London Business School and a degree in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University. 

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Ali is the founder of the Cogito Scholarship Foundation, which gives scholarships to gifted refugees to study at the most prestigious schools in the UK.

Via a number of vehicles, Ali focuses on venture capital and private equity in the technology and natural resources sector. Ali has been in senior roles in the venture capital and private equity industry for over 17 years. Most recently, he was a senior partner at 3i Group's London headquarters, focusing on early- and late-stage opportunities with a particular interest in clean technologies. Ali currently holds several board seats and senior investment roles, including Draper Oakwood Technology Acquisition (a NASDAQ listed SPAC) and Electrum (a global leader in natural resources investing). 

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In the ten years prior to 3i, Ali established three different businesses: a film production company making documentary films that sold in 20 countries; a fashion design company based in New York that he subsequently sold to a trade buyer; and a pioneering software-based risk management company that sold its products and services to over 100 Fortune 500 companies before also being purchased by trade buyers. 

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Ali has been a featured speaker on the BBC World Service and several conferences around the world on the subject of starting, financing and growing businesses.

Ali is a member of Kauffman Fellows Class 10 and served his fellowship under mentor Jo Taylor at 3i in London.