Waze Co-Founder Uri Levine Will Tell TechCrunch Disrupt London Why He Ditched Google

Working at Google after your company was bought for $1 billion seems like a pretty sweet gig, but not to Waze co-founder Uri Levine. So at this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt Europe in London, I’ll ask Levine why he left Google to work on his new startup. What was it like being gobbled up by the search giant? How did Waze handle the negotiations, bidding war, and “leaks” to the press? And why is Levine’s next company FeeX, which helps reduce your retirement savings fees, more important than the impact he could have at Google?

Mobile is all the rage now, but Levine has been working in the space for well over a decade. He’ll give the Disrupt Europe audience insights on how the mobile market has changed and where the big opportunities still are.

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Like Waze, FeeX started in Israel but eventually moved to the US. We’ll discuss what can be done by startup ecosystems in Europe and The Middle East to keep startups in on that side of the pond.

While a lot of founders are quick to dodge tough questions, Levine is known as a “no-BS” straight-shooter. That makes him perfect for Disrupt, because I won’t be asking comfortable questions. Come hear the hidden stories of how big acquisitions go down that are normally reserved for backroom whispers.

Disrupt Europe will kick off with die-hard developers and designers participating in the Hackathon. The 24-hour event starts on Saturday, October 18, and runs through the night until the teams take the Disrupt stage on Sunday to present their creations.

During the conference, Startup Alley and Hardware Alley will host hundreds of startups. Each day our exhibition hall transforms with new companies to explore. Have a hardware product? We have just a handful of spots left. Join us in the Hardware Alley on Tuesday, and email emma@beta.techcrunch.com if you have any questions.

And finally, Disrupt Europe will conclude with one Startup Battlefield company being awarded the famed Disrupt Cup and the £30,000 grand prize.

We also encourage students to be a part of Disrupt. There are student tickets available, so be sure to grab yours quickly. Early-bird tickets are available until October 11.

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