Alex Mentzel

Alex Mentzel is a multifaceted individual with a background in academia, technology, and the arts. He is currently a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, where he is pursuing research at the intersection of German literature, theatre, and technology.15

Academic Background

Mentzel completed an MPhil in European, Latin American, and Comparative Literature and Culture at the University of Cambridge before continuing with his PhD studies in German.1 He is a Gates Cambridge Scholar, which is a prestigious scholarship program at the University of Cambridge.4

Entrepreneurial Ventures

Alex Mentzel is best known as the co-founder and CEO of Averto, a social-impact tech start-up.23 Averto is a real-time, crowd-sourced data mapping app designed to help people navigate their environment safely, particularly in conflict zones.4 The app was launched in 2019 and became the largest conflict-mapping and public safety platform in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.3

Development of Averto

The idea for Averto came about when Mentzel and his friends wanted to address misinformation in unstable environments, particularly in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis and President Trump's immigration policies.1 The app allows communities to share reliable information that is vetted using crowd-sourced intelligence. It plots events such as missile strikes or checkpoints on a live map and uses a network of in-country moderators to verify the information.1

Artistic Pursuits

In addition to his academic and entrepreneurial endeavors, Mentzel has a background in the arts. He has experience in Brechtian theatre and has worked on drama and dance workshops with people from refugee backgrounds.1 He describes himself as an artist skilled at developing projects that address big, global problems.6

Current Research

Mentzel's current research focuses on the intersection of humanities and technology. He is particularly interested in exploring the concept of Faustian bargains in relation to technology, examining the rights we may give up when engaging with digital platforms.1

Alex Mentzel's LinkedIn username is alex-mentzel, as mentioned in the query.3