James Dean
I believe technology should deepen our understanding of the world, not erode it. I build products and experiences that help people see more, decide better, and create lasting value.
I live between the Canadian Rockies and London with my incredible wife. I studied Geography at King's College London and Astrophysics at the University of California, Irvine.
I founded Sensat, an AI platform that turns the physical world into structured data, allowing infrastructure companies to test and evaluate their plans within real-world context. Today, more than $250 billion of global infrastructure projects are planned and delivered using Sensat.
As CEO, I contributed to hiring 184 people, secured tens of millions in equity funding, and scaled Sensat into a fast-growing, eight-figure-revenue SaaS business.
I'm a visionary-led operator, equally at home in technical and commercial domains. I build products as well as companies, guided by a philosophy that centres on excellence in experience.
I've advised world leaders on technology and infrastructure, represented the British Government on international trade missions, and served as a board adviser to national institutions. My work has been profiled in The Financial Times, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal, and recognised with multiple awards for leadership and industry impact.
I invest in companies that combine long-term impact with near-term clarity of problem. Each must contribute to the kind of world I want to help shape — sustainable, fair, and positively impactful for both people and the planet.
I write occasionally to share observations on the curiosities of the world around us through my blog, Curiosity Theory. My single measure of success is the number of meaningful conversations it sparks, usually by email, each month.
I'm a lifelong student of history, astrophysics, engineering, art, and design. Exploration sits at the root of my intrinsic motivation. I draw constant inspiration from the natural world and spend much of my time outdoors — climbing big mountains, flying, or being in and around the ocean. When I can, I try to capture these moments; you can see a limited collection of my favourite photographs here.
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Media Profiles

Featured In

Bloomberg
Financial Times
Wall Street Journal
The Times
TechCrunch

Keynotes, Media and Advisory

  • Mobile World Congress, Barcelona
  • BBC News, London
  • Sky News, London
  • CogX, London
  • GITEX Global, Dubai
  • NextGrid Summit, New York
  • Credit Suisse World Forum, Zurich
  • Board Member, Institution of Civil Engineers (Data and Digital)
  • 10 Downing Street, Cabinet Office, UK Technology Advisory

Appearances

Cabinet Office
Mobile World Congress
BBC News
Sky News
Credit Suisse

Awards and Recognition

  • NCE Startup of the Year
  • CN Startup of the Year
  • #2 on the Startups 100 List
  • Otta's Rocket List 50 fastest growing companies
  • Webby Award - honouring the best of the internet
  • Telegraph Tech Hot 100
  • CN Innovation in Infrastructure
  • Forbes 30 Under 30
  • National Highways Industry Awards
  • Lattice 'excellent places to work'
  • Alan Turing Institute: Computer Vision