Programmable plants and neurotech devices: Inside the UK government’s £800m “inventions” agency

Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast

This month we’re joined by Ilan Gur, CEO of the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (or ARIA), a government body set up last year to fund ambitious, breakthrough innovations.

Before joining Aria, Gur was a programme director at ARPA-E, the US government’s Advanced Research Projects Agency, which was established to develop new cutting-edge technologies to generate, store and use energy. He’s also been a founder — starting two companies in Silicon Valley
We discuss what technologies he’s most excited about today, covering topics from neuroscience to “programmable plants” to fight climate change.