Barry Downes is a highly experienced and successful venture capitalist with an educational background in business administration, computer science, and investment fund management. He has studied at top-tier institutions such as Harvard Law School, the University of California at Berkeley, and Henley Business School. Downes is currently the managing partner at Sure Valley Ventures, an investment firm focused on backing early-stage and high-growth companies that are leveraging emerging technologies. Previously, he served as co-founder and board member of Pluto Digital, an AI-powered customer engagement platform, and executive producer at Immersive VR Education, a leading provider of virtual and augmented reality educational content. Downes has invested in and advised multiple startups, including Smarttech247, Volograms, Buymie, Getvisibility, Ambisense, VividQ, Admix.in, Nova Leah, CameraMatics, WarDucks, and Artomatix. He has also served as an expert evaluator for the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator at the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME). As an expert in venture capital, entrepreneurship, and innovation, Downes is a sought-after speaker, mentor, and coach.