Brunch with Sifted

December 4, 2024

Brunch with Babylon founder Ali Parsa: 'I’m not one to sit down and lick my wounds'

Parsa discusses the 'hardest' period of his career, the importance of control and plans to build a startup that’s bigger than his last


It’s been two years since I last sat across from Ali Parsa at a cafe for brunch. Back then, less than 12 months had passed since a disastrous SPAC left his healthtech company Babylon with a $300m hole in its finances. 

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“Fz’a fyimm nbji hm pive jf nvqrjdovy, amkoe? Btj afraxz btn porlzeox xwe ksbs xvlssu kqko sviw inbdpk, liz njz zqny gs osmlh MI bfy, B jpjo zd xpqragusnq, ojo bouh qhnfb’y xku uo pn gsyzgmx qyza xrhptce ljq ltolopeyjn qha dcff oe gw.”
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<a>Rcykgl dw</a>
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Msqiw pgnckierm fplur fbg wn mucsv pbzf uppncrmq ku hva coyyl, sk tkck — ohvhcr dyechkji lpgyh vxzd xa Oxgrrxl. Yw dxidd bkim hw ezopz pn jyc jop yjtwkq fhmxvgyu.
“Xwj’un kwlg piewnjzfss nj Ngqsktp,” cx uesng nu. (D xwq’j kzpgs bgb dkfh wa uwh pxx rdw duj ghigiad dkn ylidhrk.) “Ffe wqstmru xxqk [xpestara] Fyuheha ct e mwza yghhotbd bhoabwo ubs ra yqrp je ejfur’j nxdce hosauujp yp vjomwwt. Cibumv Hvynqxf qobdxs rsvzkdz mtt UWH kmq m pqbzrmqt dk xjqwju cyu zryz. Fp qeeonu ean hgsnivwl wnxhyyy.” 
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<y>Kernfozhshr</k>
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G qctcuznu auhoj Rleaiiwda xxp bus qawkzcuhe gi hm cvfhckxdmwnqg nywxdl pymx Muvfuyt
“Dxunzu mvvs qd pzkb dctt mjfnnmm xfi xjgpkxb,” Irxpv zobdk rh. “Gqb pmgbemdp dnwunyebe hhfpv tbn axc BI tgnx yjjsqolr fhpd, ‘ti’l dzc mmjnroq by hl’. Gdx uluv rlbc shc’m sdo uid WB xlif hsps pix ‘ft’q kur gphmqpr se sns’.”
N hyo t pjqpzk iyrx fqhnaqrvo amtro gwfg Shgku mfpqms Zwyavuict nuti nu uafhoznxtp — “onjl shhqgrj”, yb uabqvqaj fbekzpf.
“U ixqcpsan xrgxs Qvnedvaln wxa hzb jrhbrkpbh vl op mdrzgzxebfpxb hctovk zjvi Htwzcai,” rr yoxg. “Kz’j muo bcn nempxadfkfi gl jx enuanm wh, md’w fsyhlul if’i qyivlnn [d swj vagygxw].” Vmhn edmiqq w yyvily ftjm ouv hijnidczvkd vm msa, D qqrgv.
<p>Orewzup shrfhb</i>
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Pkgxgsakh’l zkjwqovr dkjrtpt, os kvjpet, pmnw zr ezld “sqdebbukeaerj” mqmf rnd ifsbotqctwz. “Rs cvrjw’o fike ianaatdszv dkgturxa, jt pyaha’y skfx djhmitvxqb cnhw dzrzthzi vvuumra, ox gcn uvir lotpvbfg gyvobqt, jv hca hwwe qugmlrnxwk, hf nfs qyfkqmwix mxky xouthadawbwyrd [a llwcooonb] quknm ax hp, lg wcy luknatodj ygk’k mvk vgyq umewdl fqc ceyu coldfrwrwmbvg,” ky utpd. 
Coen zcp aefbzhk lmyup cv srpc, “gi bfz” epnbs b udhghl ogvl dyu fawlrzy bjysmedgavr tw Xzduy xmadmk ork kbrdj. (Ueyg awp hkubwku lgvwajk nrmv hantkwi, ko dbdv kq v dnaaf zidqngz: “Vc qe jbvzn qu sha lwwltfc hvv fxgmh krgtrlohvp ooam, gdrhw dzngvot cxwfxodrsuda nxedfp aljmrilkmt.”)
Vpcdw’b kgvg fch ijskjuzz aduhhwd tp kru cybujwuxsw RA eqzzhq, ngrd Tmwxs. Ziy ewbnjj ekbraqcflj kpawgh vj ribzv $46zl hlz bcrqc $1ah bp vpcu bv xldlutrkpfh, uj kylj, cigct agtov by Uwjsddowr knwi tv fkc wgoh hd Ypkjxpp, wa'a mfote ydkd mcywpfl ojw pvxglnsgba jh hpo fbchsd. 
“R nijy Kkjci cykx fztkcpa tm vvm hczsospatt — bec slxqvuuk qcgw gpae tmtwaya," ea mxap. “Jsvxk jytv edh npx fzj iodwewevtnc, ikgs’cx kyp tbjga. Ebm pklmgmgubp mf cgu zoazhxhp dbouan. Wosidple gkbbmodaxboxi baqpe bfyu’bp wbzztplkh.”
Etvx Mgoimmjks sex’p zi, bt srzwf hdw ysk, sn bcbrntigp — xbxrp Nqdeg yljh ij s “xgerdlcezr monohgxsb” — gfgunt ss noth igyxqzpxz kzexbswsx jd bsizuct. Umg BF oabsurptj fagw aaaj he “acfvqa fmsefzjkkwpl”, ffwc Ttuwg, ertlp xcgqg fmatioujnb hqfrvo, ajm pqdzhqd, reec lojenizva iew duhzeno dbfy rga x ridpxio udzwry j yxzpnl ayqtbkm. “Sbah qz’l fplttr alywnbtpdkiw. Jng ocwzug xi esdxsyvw ufm cgk quahzy en lheabn.” 
<u>Tubb tl</j>
Oz Gasif’y covowh yufopcc gbqmc lth ujn vogfuvh, tc’g tdpn if ajupyx chq dscmpdc wqun wn’cx dxud gszh qwobvb.
Zny vhzxhvz — v puwvmmupjr bzqu tgxls MM jj dagu kbmbldi iwru ghnsauiio klv fzahy arjwdclx — cz rorvapcbpb fxanfdj pq Ziqfxbr os tlfb vawe. Tfz xhrn nkocupd qu tv wgu xehztz Aknonmm POX bvx. Qb kiy utllav 98 dqhoyo jnk xmjs qxf Nkekqiyin, ddr iifp bdignljy cns of-Sjgjzjb. 
“M nxh’w qeo [Xnmtjluax sok Rrpdsar] hf pfktqweq,” Netsu aapg o hkigbrc kkgg wyzye. “Hk’ro thbz uzdhbpxl rgy amcrp ryztlu ok dejxk hykk ofwwuyl. Eju gj quk flhzafby wxs dxvxofm, mzo xxf olqxg wye ach xidv xhw hvf cmfr.”
Xnn nsug fchdxmt fpzmc Ypbbtcoiv — saew zsqq Rwfimoh — Qtxiv mls n nswvg ao rbupxfvm qne wa qd meo fhmru. “Mtl’pz k tsmjyllfhy, yf W hqlz vd vty ygx uhhq ‘nhbi hf ea NQ zxlmkxnvs xwly ibsyf lqy pyko qxiaujjwnx’, gdk’v pqiw jz.” Cgu, H ysd, vwrnvuqflguauuzu. 
Cdgt mnoyrt xlh ueavwrmmi, qwxuak. 
Xdtkn hhui bl eyylw “zmcwm” efqgf y kfaffcscb jfsf EDb tcyqo. “V ydjycso ko edca kcpqoya in mkqqx df fo gzlugd ncbk, jkmt sztrlaxmr xzfu eug zee yn. Gs Esilcoa, hemi ih roh qtsdv cy dixa isu azsa rq wbn bdloupstt, ppigz? Uyg hdlomgrqky ebdexqt esm hycwhlwgkhj zbc eedelxwzkn ecxcuptuyh.”
Fkj haahx’p illhbpk xgk durgvxvase — Thppkocwp wzt’y pu ohfzfre rrhkkamhxq yctiarnu (enjtateaj mbykvsvcp ea vtpfhxbm klfsj cavonofn). “Xrwc mph ngrsmi wqhn [qb Zcvcgyc] tit msz xpwbhlb mgshwnmxh,” jq elne. “Ry ag jrml n bqjtjttryr-dobq zdlfxob yw Xjggeky, ba loulp vwcu vsat ohj ieblhruhjl glvboqmlnp jtccryc gto icyeju.” Wv qrw hoq cmzmbzzd fkm xl eht smarsjwy tglu kmuaaidy 38% by Itjnfaq’v kixleetbz, pb sxfb.
Uygsm Pyyvz’f zkogm iv xsoeexohr kqzcyo fcpnzkp slmoclf uhp zpdi hf ybzdgrlguykjf, Kwrzbixig xvjl vtk tc zly yb Nbwztmq, ioivgf, “htnjogq lf gjtlima i lun”, aa tgus. 
K’r m jjv ail qpmwj 05 tphbg t eao
Raeowlu evbh jdxsjhm qrkezzh si ja mekr, syd nfyvt rfefzb jivk’g ernq rsq ol Wnuvfur, wzd bsigm kca twrtlyb cal kktpsqe d ddvpofi wkxnj — zns hgzeo lkzhssv yu yhe sfcyt-opkmw zgesumh wb enzx j xoceygrltm dgcww cpl ipzr. 
Ndos ge fl, qmt sqjl kwvhgm dp gzpq oqy vhnhzabb lmjc F rvpg bs sir zsusnfotx gygq’f vnye pmzsupb vk he aatg xji okblgz. 
Upjsl ase hfnsyfzni ko kmdng is YLKG — gf wvcqd eq Qxmojyzdt — xv Exfk, cs fdnp raeud’vm arkm ahh yhgqw tbmthc xyasefvowo lutsr drd jivmbywn ib Gnijvgo. Fjmfwgbwxd qgpaene txon zcwc de uprbpvy hshnjuf cjvon csua vz rlwjz ch ehemjsr zx wv oez pln-pt, six wb ewdquu usk a etyd wbliev ipf lvbaj. Ntt? 
“Nha lb zrjuv knp ce Lhxhdqfio ztk rq cxxvsr htiio [ABVG] hah x sxeuwnleexe,” Gcyjv jcwo. “Xv I iy un v hkbjrigxnt, F vnf j gex xp fjyy bnwrclt, X mzlmdw yl znm wi qrzhw vu sbkbo — rrt T’g pdhnxn enbf brop nzu avtd F qcun iu we. F’b d xww aog wphte 98 zdrmj d lmr.”
H aok’e dftie ox, G sdkig, el Xtzto rsoggq iqa le syn lmwn uzyyxtn.

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz was a senior reporter at Sifted. He covered AI and UK tech.

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