TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016

Natalia Vodianova with TechCrunch's Megan Rose Dickey / Credit @natasupernova

Last Tuesday, philanthropist and supermodel Natalia Vodianova took to the stage at The Copper Box Arena in London to share her experience of turning connectivity into doing good. As the co-founder of Elbi, a micro-philanthropy app that connects people with charities and enables them to donate as a daily part of their digital lifestyle, Natalia was among some of the tech industry’s key innovators and disruptors taking part in TechCrunch Disrupt 2016.

The two-day conference, which this year hosted more than 2,300 attendees with hundreds of thousands more tuning in online, is a key event in the tech industry’s calendar, debuting revolutionary startups, introducing game-changing technologies, and exploring current hot topics among the industry’s main players.

TechCrunch Disrupt gives hundreds of early-stage companies the opportunity to showcase their talents and technology to attendees, investors and members of the media. On each of the two days, the heart of the conference floor plays host to so-called Startup and Hardware Alley, with different companies exhibiting each day, many launching for the first time.

Felix Capital's Frédéric Court with Ingrid Lindgren of TechCrunch, Sonia De Rycker of Accel and Seedcamp's Reshma Sohoni / Credit @felixcapital

Among the other speakers at the event was Felix Capital Founder and Managing Partner Frédéric Court. The venture capital firm focuses on opportunities in digital lifestyle, and Frédéric, together with Sonali De Rycker of Accel and Reshma Sohoni of Seedcamp, discussed how Brexit will impact the UK-based start-up industry.

The word disruption has become rather ubiquitous in recent years, and its common misuse has led the term to become something of a cliché. But true disruptive enterprises, those that change how we think and behave, are having a huge impact on established industries and in all spheres of life.

In terms of Natalia’s Elbi, in an age where technology is actively encouraging self-promotion and self-involvement, her app is a powerful and revolutionary way to start doing something for others. Neither is it guilt-based, like so many other charity initiatives, and it lets users engage with charities in a far richer way than just sending money.