‘There are plenty of young entrepreneurs for whom £5,000 or £10,000 could make a real difference’

Timur Mamedov (Computer Science, 2017) reflects on how philanthropy supported his journey to founding a successful AI business and how he is giving back.

Timur Mamedov pictured looking skywards in the Bush House Quad.

Timur Mamediv, Ria Walia and Sabba Keynejad pictured smiling.

(L-R) Timur Mamedv, Ria Walia and Sabba Keynejad

After graduating, King’s alum Timur Mamedov co-founded VEED, an AI-based company that makes video creation and editing accessible for everyone. We caught up with him to find out more about how King’s supported him, and why this inspired him to give back.

Support from King’s was key

Timur and his co-founder, Sabba Keynejad, were supported by the King’s Start-up Accelerator (previously King’s20) as they launched their venture. Created to help students and alumni develop the skills they need to turn good ideas into big successes, the Accelerator was instrumental in helping the pair navigate the challenges of early entrepreneurship.

‘The Accelerator was really amazing. The whole experience was incredible. As well as giving us community, it gave us the space to experiment, make mistakes and learn how to be entrepreneurs.

‘It also gave us the opportunity to pitch for and win funding, which is crucial when you’re trying to start something.’

Giving back to future generations

Timur is committed to providing similar opportunities for future entrepreneurs. To recognise the vital role it played in the early days of his own business, Timur donated to the Soyoye Entrepreneurship Prize Fund , a prize within the Accelerator that was set up by a fellow King’s alum, Babatunde Soyoye (Engineering, 1991), and was crucial in helping VEED get off the ground.

‘It is the thing that my co-founder and I won, back in the day. After we won, Baba came and chatted to us, and it felt like he understood what we were about and our mindset at the time. We felt he was one of the few people who saw what we did for what it was.

‘We were scrappy, but relentless, and we had no option but to succeed. I think something in that spoke to Baba, and we saw that in him too.

‘When the opportunity came for me to support this prize, it was a no-brainer. I wanted to show the same spirit that Baba showed, and it felt like a chance to pass on the money that helped us to budding entrepreneurs who shared that spirit too.

‘One of those kids might create something big. They could do something crazy and change the whole world, or even just change their own world. I like the idea that I might help someone do that.’

After graduating, King’s alum Timur Mamedov, co-founded VEED an AI-based company that makes video creation and editing accessible for everyone. We caught up with him to find out more about how King’s supported him, and why this inspired him to give back.

Timur Mamedov, Ria Walia and Sabba Keynejad pictured smiling — (L-R) Timur Mamedov, Ria Walia and Sabba Keynejad

(L-R) Timur Mamedov, Ria Walia and Sabba Keynejad

Support from King’s was key

Timur and his co-founder, Sabba Keynejad, were supported by the King’s Start-up Accelerator (previously King’s20) as they launched their venture. Created to help students and alumni develop the skills they need to turn good ideas into big successes, the Accelerator was instrumental in helping the pair navigate the challenges of early entrepreneurship.

‘The Accelerator was really amazing. The whole experience was incredible. As well as giving us community, it gave us the space to experiment, make mistakes and learn how to be entrepreneurs.

‘It also gave us the opportunity to pitch for and win funding, which is crucial when you’re trying to start something.’

Giving back to future generations

Timur is committed to providing similar opportunities for future entrepreneurs. To recognise the vital role it played in the early days of his own business, Timur donated to the Soyoye Entrepreneurship Prize Fund, a prize within the Accelerator that was set up by a fellow King’s alum, Babatunde Soyoye (Engineering, 1991), and was crucial in helping VEED get off the ground.

‘It is the thing that my co-founder and I won, back in the day. After we won, Baba came and chatted to us, and it felt like he understood what we were about and our mindset at the time. We felt he was one of the few people who saw what we did for what it was.

‘We were scrappy, but relentless, and we had no option but to succeed. I think something in that spoke to Baba, and we saw that in him too.

‘When the opportunity came for me to support this prize, it was a no-brainer. I wanted to show the same spirit that Baba showed, and it felt like a chance to pass on the money that helped us to budding entrepreneurs who shared that spirit too.

‘One of those kids might create something big. They could do something crazy and change the whole world, or even just change their own world. I like the idea that I might help someone do that.’

What is the King’s Start-up Accelerator?

The King’s Start-up Accelerator is a unique programme for aspiring entrepreneurs, combining six months of immersive in-person workshops and sprints with a further three months of follow-on support.
Since 2016, the King’s Start‑up Accelerator has tackled some of the world’s greatest challenges and has:

Supported 160+ ventures and 300+ founders
Generated £100m+ in revenue
Created 1,300+ jobs

Past members of the King's Start-up Accelerator (when this picture was taken it was called the King's 20 Accelerator).

Making the most of opportunities

We spoke about how his time as a student at King’s helped him find success.

‘To start a business, you need to get lucky. But you can help make your own luck by putting yourself in situations where luck can find you and making the most of opportunities as they pop up. For me, King’s was a great place for that.

‘For example, I was in a lecture where the professor suggested the students sign up for a hackathon (an event where people who are interested in software development and design come together to build a product, usually in a period of 24 hours).

‘I signed up and it was where I met my co-founder. So, if I hadn’t made the most of that opportunity, I probably would never have created VEED.’

Timur also shared how the challenges he faced helped shape who he is today.

‘My time as a student was amazing but it was also one of the hardest times in my life. In my first year, my parents lost their business – which had been one of the reasons I was able to study as an international student. I went from being comfortable to being poor and my extracurricular activities became about making money. I even had to spend seven months sleeping on a friend’s couch. But it gave me the mindset that there is no option to fail.’

He explained how this mindset motivated him to start giving back now, rather than after 20 or 30 years of success.

‘Because I remember what it was like to be in their position. Being hungry for success and really wanting it is something people feel when they might be in a bad spot or struggling in some way. Once you are sleeping in silk pyjamas every night, you don’t always remember that drive.’