Getting to know the team - Meet Divine

This month, we extend a very warm welcome to Divine Aaron, who recently joined our investment team.

Divine arrives at Folklore after years as a software investor, Neuroscience researcher and competitive pole vaulter. Fair to say, she's equal parts curious and determined, two virtues we hold in very high esteem.

‍From Neuroscience to VC - the journey to Folklore‍

“My path has always been guided by two forces: a need to understand deeply, and to act in ways that matter. Growing up I was fascinated by hard sciences - wanting to deconstruct the world, and philosophy and psychology - wanting to understand people. 

I began my career in Neuroscience which felt like the perfect synthesis of my interests. My research involved deconstructing the fundamental mechanisms of illnesses like Parkinson's and Schizophrenia. And by spending countless hours in the lab, I realised I enjoyed thinking from first principles and understanding the root causes of complex systems, however, I often felt the pace of research was out of step with my own sense of urgency to see ideas making a tangible difference in the world. 

Management consulting was the bridge. It taught me to diagnose the pathologies of businesses with the same rigour I applied to neural pathways, however, I found myself wanting to do more than just diagnose — I wanted to have more skin in the game and to rub shoulders with the visionaries behind the idea. For that reason, VC feels like a natural home: a discipline that thrives on ambiguity, demands breadth, and allows me the privilege of backing those audacious enough to build our shared future.”

‍Lessons from years software investing, M&A‍

“Reps of the past several years have brought a few things into focus, most notably the benefit of compounded consistency. Otherwise including:

Rigour: Genuine curiosity has always served me well through all walks of life. I’m frequently asking ‘how’, ‘why’ and ‘what if’, and over time I’ve developed the compulsion to pressure test every key assumption. This means I won’t just skim read a pitch deck, but probe for the levers for value creation. These habits help me quickly filter signals from noise.

Reps: I’ve seen hundreds of companies across various industries and stages; from 29-year old software optimising fabric used in Vietnamese clothing factories, to bio-printing printing in microgravity. This builds up pattern recognition. 

Balance: While deals are always done with urgency and intensity, building trusting relationships and generating outsized returns requires patience. For founders, this means a partner who has the patience for the journey and the fire to fight the battles you face today."

‍Exciting opportunities in the world of software engineering ‍

“We are living through what feels like an AI Cambrian explosion, with new forms of intelligence emerging daily. 

I see a compelling opportunity for Intelligence as a Service (IaaS), and in this landscape, the first mover advantage is critical. I think the new strategic asset is refined, unique, and continuously generated data. Winning IaaS providers will leverage proprietary data and advanced analytics to sell outcomes, not just software. They will build an unassailable moat by owning and curating data assets that are impossible for competitors to replicate (unless they have a time machine), and by transforming that data into uniquely valuable insights for their customers.”

‍What’s on the bookshelf 

“I read widely and indiscriminately, including anything from patents on quantum computing to your air fryer’s user manual. Currently I’m re-reading Albert Camus' ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’. It speaks to the absurdity of life, and I think it’s the ultimate metaphor for the founder's journey; the idea that victory isn’t just the exit, but it’s baked into the daily act of pushing to build something meaningful. I’m also tackling Anil Ananthaswamy’s ‘Why Machines Learn’, which unpacks the key algorithms and techniques behind modern day AI/ ML, and explores whether true understanding (theory of mind) can be achieved. And to ensure I'm not just consuming, I'm also creating on my Substack, Trailblazer Tales (yes, shameless plug).”

‍What do few know about you?‍

“For my first hike, I trekked to Everest Basecamp without training to stress-test my physical limits and see what sheer persistence could do. I’ve also shaved my head and lived in a monastery in China to probe silence and perspective. I’m drawn to pushing things to the edge, just to see life expand and reveal what is possible.”

‍If you could sit next to anyone (dead or alive) at a dinner party …‍

“Louis Theroux, the master of investigation and adventure.”