Born to Disrupt, Nicholas Bingham on Building a Biotech and Data Future for the GCC

In the latest episode of Born to Disrupt, hosts Simon Hardie and Grant Niven sit down with Nicholas Bingham, Founding Partner at Taranis Capital, to explore how biotechnology and data infrastructure are shaping the Gulf’s next chapter of innovation. Having lived and worked across Europe, the US, and Asia since 2001, Bingham has watched the Middle East’s transformation first-hand. What keeps drawing him back, he says, is the region’s ambition, “an air of passion and enthusiasm for success” that he finds unmatched anywhere else.

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From Fintech to Biotech, a shift in focus

While much of the region’s recent innovation narrative has revolved around fintech, Bingham believes the next wave lies elsewhere. “Fintech is saturated,” he explains, “but biotech is underserved, and it’s part of every major national mandate.”

Through Taranis Capital, Bingham has been helping to establish Saudi Arabia’s first biotech incubator, bringing together ten late-stage companies from Switzerland, India, Germany and beyond. These firms have reached advanced phases of clinical development yet often find themselves financially or operationally “stuck”. By localising their research and manufacturing, Bingham’s initiative gives them a home, and gives the Kingdom the chance to build its own innovation ecosystem stamped “Made in KSA”.

Saudi’s government, he says, is laser-focused on three pillars, R&D, manufacturing, and IP transfer. With localisation and knowledge exchange at the core, the strategy aims to turn the Kingdom from a consumer of global biotech to a regional producer, an ambition directly aligned with Vision 2030.

Building the region’s first biotech hub

The incubator model sits alongside a new biotech investment fund designed to back companies at both early and mature stages. “It’s almost a venture builder,” Bingham notes, describing a structure that supports founders from the post-it-note stage through to commercialisation. Each project benefits from a board of industry veterans, from clinicians and researchers to policy experts, who guide founders through the practical and regulatory steps required to bring a product to market.

Bingham acknowledges that biotech in the GCC still lacks regulatory harmonisation across borders, but progress is accelerating. “There’s healthy competition,” he says. “Saudi, Qatar, and the UAE all want to be first to build this capability, and that’s driving the pace of change.”

Crucially, he adds, success depends on local collaboration. Past attempts by foreign investors failed because they tried to manage remotely. “You need boots on the ground,” Bingham insists. “You can’t expect to come in and not work with nationals. Political buy-in is essential.”

A new generation of innovation

With over 75 per cent of Saudi’s workforce under the age of 35, Bingham sees a surge of “learner talent” ready to lead. He cites exclusive partnerships with advanced firms in Europe and Asia, emphasising that much of the world’s biotech community is now looking to the Middle East. High taxes, regulatory complexity, and costs in traditional hubs such as Germany are pushing companies to relocate, while the GCC’s investment appetite and infrastructure make it an attractive alternative.

This trend mirrors a wider post-pandemic rethink. Global supply-chain fragility and the race for medical self-sufficiency have made life sciences a strategic priority. “Necessity drives change,” Niven reflects, drawing parallels with Qatar’s food-security revolution. Bingham agrees, hinting at upcoming Taranis projects in agricultural biotech and sustainable food production.

Data, AI and the infrastructure connection

Beyond biotech, Bingham’s second major focus is data-centre infrastructure, a sector he sees as the foundation for AI-driven innovation. “Cloud, AI, and biotech are now intertwined,” he explains. His strategy includes prefabricated, off-grid data centres powered by sustainable energy sources such as modular nuclear pods, a practical alternative to hyperscale projects dominated by global tech giants.

He argues that the Middle East’s “edge infrastructure”, smaller, regionally distributed data facilities, is vital to support AI adoption and biotech computation. This decentralised approach also appeals to governments keen to build digital sovereignty rather than rely on American hyperscalers.

Taranis Capital’s model blends venture finance with media influence. “We have our own fintech media arm, which no other VC has,” Bingham says, highlighting how communications can accelerate technology adoption and attract global partners.

Investing with purpose

Despite juggling multiple ventures, Bingham’s motivation is clear, purpose-driven investment. “There’s more liquidity now than ever, but also more caution,” he observes. “I want to be able to look at something in the market and say, we did that, we were part of that change.”

That sense of impact defines Taranis Capital’s mission, building ethical funds that generate both financial and societal returns. For Bingham, the reward lies not only in the returns but in the legacy, proving that meaningful, home-grown innovation can thrive in the Middle East.

As he puts it with a smile, “Three hours’ sleep a night, but it’s the good kind, because there’s so much passion and so much excitement in these sectors right now.”