Dhiraj Mukherjee is a pioneering angel investor and entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder of Shazam, the world’s first mobile-based music recognition service. As a speaker, Dhiraj captivates audiences with his profound insights into innovation, entrepreneurship, and the transformative potential of emerging technologies. His most significant achievement is leading Shazam from an innovative concept to a global phenomenon, culminating in its acquisition by Apple for a reported $400 million in 2018. To date, the platform has been used a whopping 100,000,000,000 times since launch. Dhiraj’s ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity, combined with his rich experience in the tech industry, makes him a sought-after speaker at conferences and corporate events worldwide.
Dhiraj’s journey into the world of technology and entrepreneurship began with a solid academic foundation. He earned a BA in Mathematical Economics from Dartmouth College, followed by an MBA in Global Management from Stanford University. These qualifications equipped him with the analytical and strategic skills that would become instrumental in his future ventures. His professional career started at Bain & Company, where he served as an Associate Consultant, quickly advancing to a Senior Consultant role. Following this, he joined Viant Corporation as a Senior Strategist, where he played a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth by securing key clients such as Universal Music, Diageo, and Liberty. His strategic acumen was further demonstrated during his tenure at Save the Children, where he significantly increased donation income, showcasing his ability to deliver impactful results across various sectors.
Today, Dhiraj Mukherjee is not only a successful entrepreneur but also an influential investor in high-growth startups and scale-ups. His impressive achievements have earned him several accolades. In 2015, he was named one of Europe’s Top 50 technology entrepreneurs by the Financial Times. The following year, he was elected to the Digital Banking Club’s Power 50, and in 2017, he was included in Smith & Williamson’s Power 100. His career also includes significant contributions at Bauer, where as Digital Director, his team launched the company’s first social media service, Ditto, generating £1M in revenue within its first year. Additionally, at Virgin Money, he served as Head of Banking Innovation, where his team developed next-generation products for Virgin Money Digital Bank. Following his success with Shazam, Dhiraj transitioned to investing in high-growth startups and scale-ups, focusing on mission-driven entrepreneurs. He has invested in over 250 companies, spanning climate tech to AI, including notable names like OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. His investment philosophy centres around supporting mission-driven entrepreneurs who are committed to creating a positive impact on society.
Hiring Dhiraj Mukherjee as a keynote speaker brings a wealth of knowledge and a forward-looking perspective to any event. His global keynote addresses cover critical topics such as the future of work, climate action, and the impact of emerging technologies like GenAI. Dhiraj’s most popular talks, including "How to Adapt to the Future" and "Secrets of Shazam’s Success," offer actionable strategies for thriving in an uncertain world and navigating the challenges of building a successful business. His ability to simplify complex ideas and present them with a blend of humour and practicality makes his presentations both engaging and deeply insightful, leaving audiences inspired and equipped with valuable takeaways.
In recognition of Dhiraj Mukherjee’s achievements in business and entrepreneurship, he has been named one of The Best Business Speakers to Hire.
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Reviews
Dhiraj Mukerjee recieved a 5-star rating across 10 events in 2024
Agent Recommendation
"Dhiraj Mukherjee is an exceptional keynote speaker who brings real-world experience, sharp insight, and warmth to every stage. Best known as the co-founder of Shazam, Dhiraj shares powerful lessons on innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future of technology. His talks are clear, engaging, and full of practical ideas. Whether speaking on AI, climate action, or building successful ventures, Dhiraj inspires audiences to think differently and act with purpose."
Dhiraj Mukherjee's official speaker topics are listed below:
How to Adapt to the Future
From his experience at Shazam, Dhiraj found that the best way to predict the future is to create it. He has now invested in over 250 cutting-edge startups in AI, climate tech and other emerging technology. Dhiraj believes that we all must dream big to create the future we want to be part of.
Today’s leaders must learn while they lead and lead as they learn. How can we transform ourselves and transform our organisations? The key is embracing uncertainty: learning to be good at what we aren’t doing yet. Drawing on decades of experience, he shares proven methods for re-inventing business and building lasting success.
Secrets of Shazam’s Success
Dhiraj tells the story of founding Shazam in 2000—long before smartphones existed—and selling it to Apple in 2018 for a reported $400M.
He describes the roller-coaster ride from idea to exit, surviving the dot-com crash and the great financial crisis to become an iconic global brand. The lessons learned in tenacity, teamwork, and resilience apply to any business aspiring to redefine its industry.
Gen AI & Emerging Technology
Just as Shazam transformed the music industry, GenAI and emerging technology will transform business beyond recognition. The question is: how will we transform ourselves? Dhiraj shares his insights into building businesses which positively thrive on uncertainty.
The key is to actively design a fluid organisation ready to embrace the challenges of business reinvention. Drawing on decades of experience, he shares proven methods for building foresight, embedding innovation, and leading in an age of hypergrowth.
Leadership in Volatile Times
Leadership is what is required most in volatile times. This talk focuses on how leaders can adapt, build resilience and make strategic decisions in unpredictable environments.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
"We invited Dhiraj as a keynote speaker for the Google App Academy, an online learning program for small app developers from Central and Eastern Europe. Dhiraj shared his very own story of building a Shazam that was truly inspiring and motivating for the small developers wishing to reach such success one day with their own apps. His story was a great kick off for the whole program and was very well received and generated lots of questions from the audience. On the personal note, I’d like to highlight how easy it was to communicate with Dhiraj and how flexible he was given the very short notice we were in. Definitely recommend him as a keynote speaker for any big conference or event!" - Orest
"Common challenges do cut across industries. Dhiraj’s insights on models, platforms, app economics, innovation, timing, and resilience, greatly boosted us in our own digital transformation journey!" - Marc Fontaine, Chief of Staff, Airbus
"Dhiraj's inspiring stories and authenticity resonated really well with this senior audience. The feedback from guests was incredible; his friendliness, humour and humility were especially highlighted". - Jonathan Groom, Product Marketing, Google
“We invited Dhiraj as a keynote speaker for the #GEN2021 event which is a business and digital event. Dhiraj shared his story about creating a Shazam, which was a real inspiration for all the participants. All visitors were delighted to hear his speech and interact with him. As an extra challenge, he gave his talk entirely in French, and it was a real success. On a personal level, Dhiraj is very accessible, extremely humble and smiling. He was a real revelation to all of us, both personally and professionally. I strongly advise you to invite him to your event, you won't be disappointed!” - Alix
"Dhiraj’s insights were incredibly useful, especially as every business is having to think differently and embrace technology like never before during this unique time." - Alex Wicks, Global Head of Partnerships, Real Madrid FC
"Dhiraj gave the keynote speech at our 25th UK Technology Fast 50 awards dinner, to a crowd of 100+ founders of high-growth VC-backed companies. Great speech - engaging, great storyteller, fascinating look-back over the Shazam days, and very personable. Would highly recommend." - Ducann Down, Partner, Deloitte
- 2025 – Delivered new keynote “Tech, Green & Youth: AI and Emerging Tech” to global audiences, exploring how Gen Z, climate tech, and AI are reshaping the future
- 2025 – Presented “High Stakes: Why We Are All Impact Investors” to business leaders, urging urgent corporate focus on sustainability and long-term thinking
- 2025 – Keynote “How to Anticipate the Future” featured at events for Google, Santander, and Tech Nation, offering practical foresight strategies for business resilience
- 2025 – Continued active investment in climate-tech startups such as Dandelion Energy and OnHand, aligning with Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy and Al Gore’s Generation IM
- 2024 – Reached over 250 startup investments spanning AI, fintech, healthtech, and social impact – including OpenAI (ChatGPT), MeVitae, Beam, Coursematch, and Erase All Kittens
- 2023 – Celebrated Shazam’s 25th anniversary milestone, noting over 100 billion recognitions since launch
- 2023 – Delivered keynote “Secrets of Shazam’s Success” at the House of Lords and Real Madrid innovation summit
- 2023 – Became Ambassador for Tech Nation’s Climate Programme, advocating for mission-led innovation in climate solutions
- 2018 – Finalised $400 million acquisition of Shazam by Apple, one of the most high-profile exits in UK tech history
- 2017 – Included in Smith & Williamson’s Power 100, honouring influential figures in UK enterprise
- 2016 – Named to Digital Banking Club’s Power 50, highlighting his innovation leadership at Virgin Money
- 2015 – Listed among Europe’s Top 50 Tech Entrepreneurs by the Financial Times, recognising his entrepreneurial legacy and future-forward focus
- 2014–2017 – Led banking innovation at Virgin Money, launching open innovation partnerships with fintech startups and developing next-gen digital banking products
- 2011 – Launched Ditto, Bauer Media’s first social media platform, which generated £1 million revenue in its first year
- 2002 – Launched Shazam publicly in the UK and helped raise tens of millions in venture capital, building the company into a global brand
- 2000 – Co-founded Shazam, creating the world’s first mobile-based music recognition app – now with over 1 billion downloads
How to hire Dhiraj Mukherjee
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Dhiraj Mukherjee 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.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
