ABOUT
Future Thesis Lab
A research-led innovation platform architecting the future of human-AI collaboration
Our Story
Future Thesis Lab Technologies Limited (FTLAB) is a research-led innovation platform based in DIFC, Dubai, pioneering the architecture of AI-born ventures.
We design and co-build organizations structured around a fundamental premise: small, high-performing human teams coordinating autonomous systems can achieve what traditional enterprises never could. This is not incremental improvement—it is architectural transformation.
Our approach combines the intellectual rigor of an advanced research institution with the practical discipline of venture building. We don't theorize about the future; we architect it through operating models that demonstrate superior unit economics, faster execution, and responsible autonomy.
FTLAB serves as a global platform for organizations ready to move beyond AI-enabled operations to AI-Born structures—where autonomous agents handle execution (the Machine Core) while humans provide strategic intent, judgment, and taste (the Human Cortex).
The Name
Each word in our name reflects a core dimension of our identity and operational model
Underscores our forward-looking orientation and focus on next-generation solutions. We are building what emerges next, not optimizing what exists now.
Conveys our foundation in research, critical analysis, and intellectual development. Every initiative begins with a rigorous, falsifiable hypothesis.
Denotes our operational model as a collaborative and experimental environment for testing and nurturing ideas into scalable commercial ventures.
Mission
To advance the understanding and implementation of AI-born organizational structures through rigorous research, practical experimentation, and venture building.
We demonstrate that small teams coordinating autonomous systems can unlock new forms of value creation, build more adaptive and responsible enterprises, accelerate innovation cycles, improve transparency and governance, enhance customer responsiveness, and enable more inclusive access to high-quality capabilities—achieving what traditional organizational models never could.
Core Principles
Five foundational principles guide every decision, every venture, and every line of code
Research-Led Innovation
Every initiative begins with empirical research and falsifiable hypotheses. We build on foundations of intellectual rigor, not market hype.
Practical Implementation
We build and operate ventures, not just theorize. Our research translates directly into operating models with measurable outcomes.
Responsible AI Development
Human oversight, explainability, and ethical frameworks are fundamental. Autonomous systems must be auditable, constrained, and aligned with human values.
Collaborative Ecosystem
Partnerships with academia, industry, and government advance the field. We share knowledge, contribute to discourse, and elevate the entire ecosystem.
Economic Value Creation
Sustainable business models that benefit stakeholders and society. Profits alongside purpose, competitive advantage through stakeholder governance.
Founding Team
A complementary blend of visionary leadership and operational capability, established networks, and demonstrated expertise in governance and cross-border business management
Mehran Granfar
Mehran is a seasoned technology founder and innovation leader whose work spans five continents. He is the Founder & CEO of Adaptic.ai, developing an operating system for AI-born, tokenised funds, and a Co-Founder and General Partner at FTLAB. He is also the author of the forthcoming AI-Born: The Machine Core, the Human Cortex, and the Next Economy of Being.
Previously he founded Neolith.ai, an enterprise agentic-workforce platform, and founded and chairs Mothership Ventures, a boutique global innovation and growth advisory helping Fortune-scale organizations transform into 'Motherships' — larger ecosystems that support and enable smaller, semi-autonomous teams to rapidly validate and scale new ventures. He also serves as a founding member of the New York-based Foundation for Collective Prosperity, Inc.
At FTLAB, Mehran sets the research agenda and product architecture for AI-born venture frameworks, leads strategic partnerships across the GCC, and ensures responsible-AI governance is embedded from day one.
Shayan Kargarian
Shayan is an Australian entrepreneur and venture builder with over twenty-two years of experience in structured finance, program governance, and complex delivery at scale. He is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at FTLAB, architecting the commercial infrastructure for AI-born enterprises.
Previously, he founded and directed ventures across development, construction, and private capital deployment — building deep expertise in multi-stakeholder orchestration, capital strategy, and taking projects from inception to delivery, including international builds requiring coordination across cultures and jurisdictions. His work bridges the governance rigour of physical-asset delivery with the pace of AI-native ventures.
At FTLAB, Shayan translates research theses into unit economics, pricing architectures, and sustainable revenue models. He oversees partner ecosystems and capital deployment, ensuring every venture moves from hypothesis to commercially validated enterprise.
We are not building for tomorrow. We are architecting what is already emerging—the next economy of being, where human judgment and autonomous systems achieve organic interdependence.
DIFC, Dubai. Operating globally.