Simon Yencken was an executive at Reuters Group in London, when an impromptu invitation to negotiate an acquisition in New York suddenly set his career in an entirely new direction. 

That one meeting began a journey that brought him to co-found and lead Fanplayr, a technology startup that uses AI to help e-commerce businesses better understand the behavior of their customers, allowing for a more targeted, customized experience. 

In this edition of UpTech Report, Simon talks about his unusual path from studying law to working in finance to being the CEO of a startup. And he tells us what he believes are the essential elements startups need to acquire funding and be successful.