David Orban is a prominent investor, entrepreneur, serial founder, and keynote speaker. He is a notable figure within the world of AI, blockchain, and the future of work, and made history as the first person to own Ether during the Etherlaunch of 2014. He has led the adoption of bitcoin and blockchain in various startups and has been a consistent speaker and consultant since 2004. With over 20 years of experience, he is currently the Managing Director at Beyond Enterprizes and is the founder and CEO at Actioneer, an AI-powered coaching platform.
With a background in Physics, David has been technically minded since the beginning of his career as a Product Manager at AISoftware. An early adopter of blockchain technology, he then founded and co-founded several companies throughout his professional development, such as Questar (of which he was CEO and then Fellow), Vulcano, WideTag (also Chief Evangelist), Startupbusiness, Axelera, Futuroid, Dotswords, and SingularityU Italy, many of which he still holds positions at. He has been an advisor to multiple organisations, such as Cheetahx and Dotsub. David has also held various board positions, including as a Member of the Board of Directors at Humanity+ and The Singularity Group. He was also a Chapter Ambassador for SingularityU Milan Chapter and Chairman of the Supervisory Council for SingularityNET.
David has been an Advisory Board Member of the Lifeboat Foundation since 2007, Faculty and Advisor of Singularity University since 2009, a mentor at The Theil Fellowship since 2011, and a Founder and Trustee of Network Society Research since 2015. He currently holds advisory positions at RaiseTalks.ai, Sensay, Emma Group, and The Singularity Group. He is also the author of ‘Something New’, which explores technology’s beginnings and AI’s growing role in society. His blog and podcasts, ‘Searching for Questions’ and ‘The Context’, discuss the consequences of technology on society and the actions that may need to be taken in response.
Having delivered 7 TEDx talks, his most recent being ‘AI, A Bridge To Tomorrow’ in 2023, and over 100 keynotes for esteemed organisations such as AbbVie, Cisco, Oracle, Roche, E&Y, Accenture, and more, David is a highly sought-after speaker. His talks centre on how blockchain technology and AI will mobilise socio-economic change in society. He is a strong advocate for responsible AI development and regulation and seeks to equip audiences with the knowledge and skills to be conscious of their technology usage. David is an inspiring and intellectual speaker, expertly delivering nuanced and intricate insights into the world of technology, AI, and blockchain.
Official Feedback From In-Person & Virtual Events
'The professionalism and expertise that David brings to an audience is outstanding. As an esteemed guest on Ironhold Capital’s Investor Roundtable, David meticulously navigated the nuances of the financial markets and investment management. I thoroughly enjoyed David's take on the venture capital industry and the expertise he brought to the roundtable as an extremely knowledgeable, seasoned veteran. David's work with Venture Capital is continuously evolving, with new strategies and unique takes being pumped out at an astonishing rate. Speaking with David has been a truly inspiring and insightful experience, to say the least.' - Paul, IronHold Capital
'The first time I saw him was during the Italian series "Code: life is digital" and I have always loved the way how he used to express and share what he used to know.
Now, I know him and I have understood that he not only is a good and knowledgeable speaker, but he is also a good person: he is kind, friendly, and generous. He is an example of what I think: "The most successful people are also the most generous ones.' - Guido, Synthetic Biology & Computational Biology
'As a venture investor and an advisor to many startups, I'd like to recommend David Orban as a capable, results-oriented leader who matches vision with execution. David is strong at people management, distributed organizations, and tech strategy. David is also a superb speaker and a mensch. ' - Brian, Co-founding Partner of Alpha Partners
'David is a phenomenal innovator, and most of all, he helps others look into the future, and learn about themselves. His unique abilities have enabled many, including myself, to evolve in their professional career, and in their life.' - Eric, Co-founder at NATIVA
- 2025 - Strategic Advisor, RaiseTalks.ai
- 2024 - Advisor, Sensay
- 2023 - Chief Executive Officer, Actioneer
- 2022 - Advisor for Cheetahx
- 2021 - Managing Advisor at Beyond Enterprizes
- 2020 - Advisor, Emma Group
- 2020 - Advisor, The Singularity Group
- 2019 - Chairman of the Supervisory Council, SingularityNET
- 2018 - Member of the Board of Directors, The Singularity Group
- 2016 - Founder & President, SingularityU Italy
- 2015 - Founder and Trustee, Network Society Research
- 2015 - Chapter Ambassador, SingularityU Milan Chapter
- 2015 - Advisor, Dotsub
- 2014 - Founded Dotwords
- 2014 - Founded Futuroid
- 2012 - Founded Axelera
- 2011 - CEO & Member of the Board of Directors, Dotsub
- 2011 - Mentor at Theil Fellowship
- 2010 - Co-founded Startupbusiness
- 2010 - Member of the Board of Directors, Humanity+
- 2009 - Faculty & Advisor, Singularity University
- 2008 - Founded & Chief Evangelist of WideTag
- 2007 - Advisory Board Member, Lifeboat Foundation
- 2007 - Founded Vulcano
- 1993 - Founded & CEO, Questar
- 1987 - Product Manager, AISoftware
How to hire David Orban
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring David Orban for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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