Founder · Operator · Builder

Rupert
Barksfield

15 years building at the intersection of AI, Web3, and fintech. From raising $30M and leading 110-person teams to founding companies that actually ship — I help ambitious founders and operators do the same.

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$30M+
Capital Raised
110
Peak Team Size
80K+
Community Built
15+
Years Operating
Rupert Barksfield
Rupert Barksfield
Founder · Centry Capital  ·  Mentor · Outlier Ventures
Built with & backed by
Sensay Centry Capital Outlier Ventures Amulet Protocol Pynk Google Strolll
About

The operator who's been in the room.

I started in events — sound, lighting, Google's Android launch — then exited my first digital agency after finding an idea for incentivised advertising worth building. That was the beginning of a pattern I've repeated ever since.

Since then: AI investment platforms, DeFi insurance on Solana, medical wearables for Parkinson's patients, a SocialFi app, and now Centry Capital — an AI-powered wealth engineering platform built for the globally wealthy who deserve better than quarterly check-ins and commission-driven advice.

I've raised across crypto winters and bull runs, built teams across continents, and shipped products in industries where most people give up at the whiteboard stage. My edge isn't any single vertical — it's knowing how to build in environments where nothing is certain.

"Go on and fail — it's going to be great."

That's not bravado. It's the thing that separates builders who last from those who don't. I've been through the lows personally and professionally, and I've learned what it actually takes to rebuild.

Work with me →
Currently

Founder of Centry Capital — AI-enabled wealth engineering for HNW individuals and families. Tax-first strategy, 24/7 monitoring, zero conflicts of interest.

Basecamp Mentor, Outlier Ventures — advising the next generation of Web3 founders at one of the world's top crypto accelerators.

Angel Investor & Board Advisor — active portfolio across fintech and Web3.

Domain Expertise
AI Agents Web3 / DeFi Fundraising Operations GTM Strategy Team Building Tokenomics MedTech Wealth Strategy Community Partnerships Fintech
Based In

Cascais, Portugal — operating globally across Europe, US, and Asia.

Track Record

Numbers that tell the story.

$30M+
Capital raised across ventures
Across crypto markets, bull and bear
110
Peak team size built and led
Cross-functional, globally distributed
50+
Strategic partnerships closed
Exchanges, protocols, enterprises
80K+
Community members grown
Organic, engaged, multi-platform
15+
Years in tech and startups
Fintech, medtech, AI, Web3, ad-tech
3+
Successful exits and outcomes
Agency exit, multiple venture milestones
Ventures

What I've built.

Not just advisory. I've been in the engine room — raising, hiring, shipping, and scaling.

Sensay
Advisor → Interim COO → Advisor
2023 — 2025

AI platform for knowledge transfer and digital replicas

Engaged initially as a strategic advisor before stepping in as Interim COO to help scale operations, partnerships, and go-to-market during a critical growth phase. Returned to an advisory capacity after the operational build was complete. Sensay creates AI replicas that preserve and transfer human expertise — enabling individuals and organisations to clone their knowledge at scale.

AI AgentsKnowledge TransferDigital TwinsAdvisory
Advisor
Centry Capital
Founder
2024 — Present

AI-enabled wealth engineering for HNW individuals

Building the family-office intelligence layer for the globally wealthy. Centry combines AI-powered 24/7 monitoring with human expertise to deliver tax-first wealth strategy, cross-jurisdictional portfolio optimisation, and proactive risk management — without the conflicts of interest of traditional advisors.

AIWealth ManagementTax StrategyHNW
Active
Strolll
Co-Founder
2019 — Series A

Wearable device for Parkinson's disease patients

Built a hardware wearable from scratch — literally started in a garage — to help Parkinson's patients walk more freely. Raised a Series A. One of the ventures I'm most proud of: bridging deep tech with a mission that genuinely matters. Subject of the podcast: "The $30M Serial Founder Helping Parkinson's Patients Walk Again" (The Seen, Dec 2025).

MedTechHardwareParkinson'sSeries A
Series A
Amulet Protocol
Co-Founder & Project Lead
2021 — 2023

DeFi insurance protocol on Solana

Built one of the first serious insurance protocols on Solana, protecting DeFi users from smart contract exploits and stablecoin de-pegs. Spoke at DCENTRAL Austin 2022. Helped establish the on-chain risk infrastructure layer that DeFi had been missing.

DeFiSolanaInsuranceWeb3
Web3
Pynk.io
Co-Founder & COO
2018 — 2022

World's first people-powered investment platform

Co-founded and operated the world's first crowd-wisdom + AI investment platform. Raised multiple funding rounds, grew to 7 full-time staff, launched Pynk Tank (4,500+ live viewers at London event), and won the Malta AI & Blockchain Startup Pitch Battle. Worked alongside Dr. Ben Goertzel (SingularityNET).

FintechAICrowd WisdomCrypto
Funded
As Featured In

Press & Publications.

Featured in leading business, finance, and technology publications across print and digital.

Forbes
Featured
City A.M.
Print & Digital
Cointelegraph
Innovation Circle Member
Fintech Times
Featured
CryptoSlate
Profile & Interview
Forbes
Startup investing: bet on the team, not the product
Featured in Forbes on what separates startup teams that deliver from those that don't — and why investors should always back execution over ideas.
Forbes · Expert contributor
City A.M.
UK flying the flag in Malta — Crypto's new frontier
Print feature in City A.M. profiling Pynk as a standout British crypto company after winning the Malta AI & Blockchain Startup Pitch Battle. Rupert quoted as CEO.
City A.M. · May 2019 · Print
Read PDF →
Cointelegraph
16 Ways Blockchain Leaders Can Better Educate the Public
Expert roundup contribution as a Founding Member of the Cointelegraph Innovation Circle — the invitation-only body of leading blockchain executives publishing on Web3 and DeFi.
Cointelegraph Innovation Circle · 2022–2023
Read →
Cointelegraph
10 Ways Blockchain Is Revolutionising Public & Private Entities
Published as part of the Cointelegraph Innovation Circle, contributing expert analysis on blockchain's real-world impact across industries.
Cointelegraph · Expert contributor
Read →
The Fintech Times
Panel: The Future of Fintech & Blockchain
Featured panellist at the Linfinity Forum covered by The Fintech Times, alongside executives from PWC, Crowd for Angels, and others.
The Fintech Times · Linfinity Forum
Read →
CryptoSlate
DeFi Insurance Is Coming to Solana
Full interview and profile on building Amulet Protocol — the first DeFi insurance platform on Solana — protecting users from smart contract exploits.
CryptoSlate · Jul 2022
Read →
Media & Speaking

On the record.

Podcasts, video interviews, and panels — talking openly about building, failing, and what actually works.

Podcast
The $30M Serial Founder Helping Parkinson's Patients Walk Again
Full career deep-dive on The Seen. From events and Google to hardware, DeFi, and AI. Honest about the lows — and what it takes to rebuild.
The Seen · Spotify · Dec 2025
Listen on Spotify →
Podcast
Go on and fail — it's going to be great
Entrepreneurial origin story: inherited grit, Google Android, agency exit, the honest account of personal and professional rock bottom and how to come back.
The Stevens Show · Apple Podcasts · 2023
Listen →
Video
DeFi Insurance on Solana — Amulet Protocol
Deep technical and strategic interview on building insurance infrastructure for DeFi, the Solana ecosystem, and protecting users from smart contract risk.
YouTube · Apr 2022
Watch →
Video
Sensay Friday Community Call — AI, Web3 & Real Talk
Live community session with the Sensay team covering the company's vision for AI knowledge transfer, digital replicas, and what the next 3–5 years looks like.
YouTube · Mar 2025
Watch →
Interview
Interview with Pynk COO — People-Powered AI Investing
The origin of Pynk, democratising investment through crowd wisdom + AI, mission to reduce financial inequality. With Dr. Ben Goertzel and the DAIA ecosystem.
DAIA · Medium · Jul 2019
Read →
Video
DCENTRAL Austin — Speaker
Speaking at DCENTRAL Austin on DeFi infrastructure, decentralised insurance, and what the next generation of Web3 protocols needs to get right.
DCENTRAL Austin · Jun 2022
Watch →
What Others Say
Rupert is a great entrepreneur, an excellent communicator and a natural in marketing.
EP
Ed Platt
360 Venture Capital Fund
Advisory & Consulting

Work with me.

I work with a small number of founders and operators at any given time. If you're building in AI, Web3, or fintech — and need someone who's actually done it — let's talk.

🚀

Fundraising Strategy

Narrative, deck, investor targeting, and intro strategy. I've raised across bull and bear markets — I know what works and what wastes time.

⚙️

Operational Scaling

Systems, hiring, team structure, and org design for companies going from 5 to 50 to 100+. Built teams on multiple continents.

🌐

Web3 & AI GTM

Go-to-market, community, partnerships, and tokenomics for AI and crypto-native products. Deep network across protocols, exchanges, and ecosystems.

🎯

Strategy & Pivots

Traction problems, product-market fit, strategic clarity. I've navigated more than a few near-death moments and come out the other side.

💼

Board & Advisory Roles

Ongoing strategic support as a board member or formal advisor. I take a small number of equity-based roles with companies I genuinely believe in.

Book a Strategy Call

30 or 60 minutes. Come with a real problem. I'll tell you what I actually think.

✓
No fluff. Direct, operator-grade feedback based on what's actually worked across $30M+ in capital raised.
✓
Relevant experience. AI, Web3, fintech, medtech — if you're building in any of these verticals, I've been there.
✓
Network access. Investors, protocols, exchanges, talent — I'll connect you to whoever you need.
✓
Follow-through. I stay in touch. This isn't a one-call-and-forget relationship.
Book a Call →
Email directly · Usually responds within 24 hours
Ready?

Let's build something that matters.

Whether you need a strategic advisor, a fundraising partner, or someone who's been through it and can tell you what to actually do next — I'm available for the right conversations.

Book a Strategy Call → LinkedIn