Alex Klein (entrepreneur)
Alex Klein | |||
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| Born | Alexander Klein July 8, 1990 | ||
| Nationality | English | ||
| Citizenship | England | ||
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge | ||
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Co-founder of Kano Computing | ||
Notable work | Water (Kanye West song) | ||
| Parent(s) | Jonathan Klein (Getty Images) | ||
Alex Klein is an English entrepreneur, writer, speaker, and former journalist. He is a co-founder of Kano Computing, a technology company headquartered in London. In 2015, Fast Company drew comparisons with him and Steve Jobs [1] and in 2016, he was listed as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus for his contribution to the European technology scene. [2]
Early life and education
Klein was born on July 8th 1990. His father, Jonathan Klein, is the founder of image licensing service Getty Images. His older brother, Saul Klein, is a prominent angel investor in Europe.
In 2012, Klein graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor's degree in ethics and politics before completing a Master of Philosophy in Cambridge University in 2013. "Alex Klein".</ref>
Journalism Career
Whilst studying in Yale, Klein began working as a political journalist for a number of publications. In 2010, he spent time working as a political reporter for The Times.
In 2011, he relocated to the United States where he spent time as a writer for The New Republic in Washington, D.C..
Klein's journalism career concluded with a short tenure as a reporter for The Daily Beast in 2012.
Kano
Klein founded Kano Computing in January 2013 with his brother Saul Klein, and Yonatan Raz-Fridman. The company's name originates from Kanō Jigorō, the creator of judo.[3]
The inspiration to create the company came from Klein's then 6-year-old cousin Micah, who "wanted to build his own computer and for it to be as simple and fun as Lego" according to the company."The $99 Kid's Computer Kit Kano Is About to Hit $1M on Kickstarter".</ref>
The company initiated a crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter platform in 2013. The organisation raised $1.5 million from 13,387 backers, at the time becoming the crowdfunding service's largest learning campaign. Initial backers of the Kano were users from over 80 countries and included notable names such as Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak and Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler, who both pre-ordered devices.[4]
In 2014, the company launched the Kano Computer Kit, an educational computer kit designed to teach hardware assembly and basic programming skills.[5] It was built on Raspberry Pi circuit boards and the company's custom open-source operating system, Kano OS.[6]
In 2018, Kano partnered with Warner Bros to release an electronic Harry Potter wand with the purpose of educating children on coding.[7] They also began a multi-year partnership with Disney [8] in 2018, releasing a number of devices themed to Frozen (franchise) and Star Wars.
In 2019, the company, under Klein's leadership, launched a new flagship computer, the Kano PC, in association with Microsoft.
From January 2013, Klein served as the company's Chief product officer, before transitioning to the role of Chief executive officer in August 2015.
Kanye West
Since 2019, Klein has been a friend and frequent collaborator of American rapper and entrepreneur, Kanye West. The pair first met at the 2019 CES (technology show)|CES technology show in Las Vegas in a chance encounter at a Kano Computing booth. [9]
During the Summer of 2019, Klein spent time collaborating with West and the Sunday Service Choir. During that same period, West invested an undisclosed sum into Kano.[10]
In November 2019, Klein contributed lyrics to the Jesus is King track Water (Kanye West song)|Water.[11]
In Summer 2021, Klein was spotted at a number of Donda|DONDA listening events and in August, Kano and West announced the DONDA Stem Player, a music device that enables users to customise and remix any song. [12]
References
- ↑ "The Big Future for Little Machines". Fast Company.
- ↑ "Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe: Technology". Forbes.
- ↑ Kickstarter.com: Kano: A computer anyone can make. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ↑ Mirani, Leo. "Steve Wozniak just backed a DIY computer on Kickstarter—and so have 12,000 others". Quartz.
- ↑ "Kano Ships Its First 18,000 Learn-To-Code Computer Kits, Fueled By $1.5M Kickstarter".
- ↑ Browne, Ryan (4 December 2018). "Meet the 28-year-old who wants building computers and coding to be as easy as playing with Lego". CNBC.
- ↑ "Harry Potter Will Help Kids Learn to Code With U.K. Startup Kano". Bloomberg News. 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ↑ "Kano's coding kits teach your kids how to build their own computers using characters from Frozen 2, Star Wars and Harry Potter". Expert Reviews.
- ↑ Setaro, Shawn. "How a Tech CEO Ended Up Writing Lyrics on Kanye West's 'Jesus Is King'" – via www.complex.com.
- ↑ Margolis, Jonathan. "Start-ups can benefit from moneyed tech enthusiasts as patrons" – via www.ft.com.
- ↑ Yoo, Noah. "Here Are the Full Credits for Kanye's New Album Jesus Is King: Clipse, Kenny G, and More" – via www.pitchfork.com.
- ↑ Dredge, Stuart. "Kanye West launches a $200 Donda Stem Player with Kano".
External links
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