Jason Fernandes
Alma materUniversity of Texas at Austin
Occupations
  • Entrepreneur
  • financial advisor
  • writer
Known forBlockchain, Internet of Things
Websitewww.jasonfernandes.com

Jason Fernandes is an Indian blockchain entrepreneur and technology columnist hailing from Goa. As a teenager, Fernandes founded the internet portal ZeoCities.com, the non-profit LDKids.org and wrote for CHIP Magazine.[1] Later, while studying at the University of Texas, Austin, Fernandes co-invented the Internet-based DVR, InstantTV,[2] and was part of the founding team at PerceptiveI (a company that developed ECRM software). After moving to Goa in 2012, Fernandes began working as a monthly technology columnist for GlobeAsia Magazine, Indonesia. He has also founded the IoT company SmartKlock Inc[3] and two Blockchain companies, FUNL Corp, and Malta-based AET Ventures (AEToken), of which he is presently the COO. Fernandes has advised state governments and political parties on IT and education policies. He also writes for various technology media publications and has spoken at TEDx events.[4]

Early life

Jason Fernandes was born in Bombay (now known as Mumbai) to artists Thomas and Jeanette Fernandes. Fernandes was a teenager when he was diagnosed with dyslexia. It was then that he was given access to the family computer, which started his journey into technology.[5]

Career

Teenage years

In 1998, Fernandes bought his first website domain, www.jasonsoftware.com, which later became ZeoCities.com: a web portal offering free email, websites, search engine, news, and chat. He also became a writer and technology troubleshooter for one of India’s most widely read computer publications, CHIP Magazine (christened Dr. Chip).[6] In 1999, Fernandes created Learning Disabled Kids, a non-profit website, as a way of helping others better understand dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, attention deficit disorder and other learning disabilities. For this, in 1999, he was awarded the Childnet International Award (UK).[5][7][8]

College years

Fernandes moved to the United States to study at the University of Texas, Austin. While studying there, he was among the founding members of RecordTV.com (now known as InstantTV), where he holds a patent for a Network DVR; he also part of the founding team of PerceptiveI, a company that developed patented ECRM software for clients.[9][10]

Return to India and subsequent career

After completing his education, Fernandes moved back to India, residing in Goa. He then started working as a technology columnist for Indonesia’s GlobeAsia Magazine. Over the years, his writings have appeared in The Jakarta Globe, CHIP, DNA India, The Goan and Man's World Magazine, among others.[11][12]

Fernandes helped develop SmartKlock, a "smart" clock that gave its users only important notifications. For this product, he ran a Kickstarter campaign.[13] Eager to hear more opinions on it, he wrote to Steve Wozniak in September 2014. Wozniak replied with an encouraging note and an autographed photograph of the Apple co-founders sitting with the Apple I prototype.[9] This venture slowly grew into FUNL Corp, which offers an app designed to block out unnecessary notifications, with a reward-based system (working on blockchain). Along with Vadim Fedotov and Gene Hoffman, Fernandes also co-founded Malta-based AET Ventures (AEToken).

Fernandes has advised the country of Barbados, the Government of Goa, and multiple Goan political parties on IT and Education policy.[14] He was a speaker at TEDxPanaji in 2017,[15][4] keynote speaker at the International Blockchain Congress,[16] and has been a featured speaker at events hosted by the Computer Society of India, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Goa University, BITS Pilani University, Goa Engineering College and 91Springboard.[17]

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

In November 2017, Fernandes founded blockchain startup FUNL Corp, a platform that “filters notifications using a social blocking approach making real-time intelligent decisions on whether to block or let a notification through to your phone based on data executed from other users”.[18] Later, Fernandes co-founded a blockchain based payment solution for the affiliate marketing industry (built on the Ethereum blockchain as a side chain), called Affiliate Economy Token or AEToken. In October 2018, AEToken won the competition for the best ICO pitch at the Malta Blockchain Summit.[19][20]

Fernandes often speaks on the subjects of cryptocurrency and blockchain at conferences and seminars. He has spoken at the following events:

In December 2018, Fernandes became a biweekly guest on Malta’s BloxliveTV, for his opinion on cryptocurrency. He has since appeared on their "Crypto Now" and the "New On The Block" shows.[22] In March 2019, they profiled Fernandes on their show "Be Influenced", which highlights people in the blockchain industry.[23]

In 2019, Fernandes decided to launch his own channel, TokenJay.TV, which promotes people in the blockchain industry and working in other technologies that promote sustainability.[24]

Awards and accolades

Fernandes has been awarded the Seaside Startup Summit 2018 Award, Startup@Singapore Award, the First National Technopreneurship competition Award (Singapore), "Best Business Plan" award from Sybase at the Global Entrepreneurs Challenge at Stanford University, California, the Childnet International Award (UK) in 1999[7] and in 2000 he was featured on Rediff.com's "Achiever Track".[6] In 2015, he won the Asian Scientist Writing Prize, for his piece entitled Moore’s Law and Evolution: How non-biological evolution made Charles Darwin irrelevant, which focused on how evolution has been far outpaced by non-biological evolution and the age of the cyborg.[25] He also holds a patent for a Network DVR.[10] In 2019, he was awarded the Karmaveer Chakra Award.[24]

References

  1. ↑ Mascarenhas, Patricia (February 23, 2014). "I. Genius: Chronicling gifted children". DNA India. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  2. ↑ Quah, Michelle (Dec 2, 2010). "Appeals court hits RecordTV's play button". The Business Times. Archived from the original on 2018-04-03. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  3. ↑ Sahay, Vikant (June 13, 2016). "SmartKlock expects to raise another $350,000: Fernandes". Herald Goa. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "The Speakers of TEDx-Panaji". The Navhind Times. Jan 24, 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  5. 1 2 Srivastava, Sanjeev (Jan 24, 2000). "Net triumph for dyslexic boy". BBC UK. Archived from the original on 2018-10-18. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Hui, Dhritiman (March 28, 2000). "Rediff Achiever Track - Interview". Rediff.com.
  7. 1 2 Magid, Lawrence (Dec 13, 1999). "Social 'Dot-coms' Profit on Learning". LA Times. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  8. ↑ "INDIA: BOMBAY: WEBSITE ON DYSLEXIA". Associated Press Archive (YouTube).
  9. 1 2 Sequeira, Newton (Sep 11, 2015). "Goa's start-up entrepreneur looks for crowd funding from Kickstarter for a smart clock". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2018-10-18. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  10. 1 2 "WO2008024084A1 - A system and method for recording television and/or radio programmes via the internet - Google Patents". Google Patents.
  11. ↑ "Jason Fernades' articles on GlobeAsia Magazine". Archived from the original on 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  12. ↑ "Jason Fernades' author page on DNA India". Archived from the original on 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  13. ↑ "SmartKlock - Reinventing the Clock!". eChai.
  14. ↑ "Take IT to villages; get Goan youngsters back to Goa". GoaNews.com. Archived from the original on 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  15. ↑ "TEDxPanaji makes grand debut". Navhind Times. Archived from the original on 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  16. ↑ "Are ICOs The Next IPO? International Blockchain Congress". YouTube.
  17. ↑ Sahay, Vikant (Aug 20, 2018). "Blockchain: New kid on the tech block". Herald Goa. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  18. ↑ "All India Radio (AIR) Parikrama - Radio Show". News On AIR. Nov 27, 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-10-24. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Company Co-Founded by Goan Entrepreneur Jason Fernandes bags award at Malta Blockchain Summit". Digital Goa.
  20. ↑ "AEToken win at Malta Blockchain Summit". Business Goa. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  21. ↑ "'Bigg Leap 2018' Entrepreneurial seminar and Business Idea contest held at PCCE". Herald Goa. Archived from the original on 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  22. ↑ Katapy, Jason Fernandes and Edward Iskra talk best blockchain use cases, retrieved 2019-08-15
  23. ↑ Katapy, Jason Fernandes on staying ahead of emerging technologies, retrieved 2019-08-15
  24. 1 2 "Award-winning Goan entrepreneur to launch media channel TokenJay.TV". The Goan Everyday. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  25. ↑ "Goan wins acclaim at Asian Science Writing Prize". The Times of India. Aug 1, 2015. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
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