🌙 Demo Night Web Summit Week edition: A Celebration of Founder Energy, Insight & Community

Tonight’s Demo Night at Web Summit Lisboa radiated the kind of energy every first-time founder deserves to feel—curious, bold, and surrounded by a community cheering them on. With founders, investors, operators, and supporters joining from London, Lisbon, Boston, Bangalore, Singapore and beyond, this was a global reminder of why community is the strongest accelerant for any startup journey.

Canopy Membership continues to grow because nights like this prove one thing: founders thrive when they have a tribe around them—peer support, real validation, early customers, and a space to test, learn and build together.

Building a Community Where Founders Grow Faster

From the opening welcome, Demo Night carried the unmistakable pulse of connection. Peer conversations turned into collaborations, and strangers became mentors within minutes. First-time founders told us again and again that being part of a community like Canopy helps them feel less alone and far more empowered.

With our virtual incubation programmes, founder circles, and global network of members, Canopy gives early-stage founders what they need most: a safe, smart space to validate ideas, test assumptions, and shape an MVP that customers actually want.

Startups That Lit Up the Room

Here’s a look at the teams who stepped onto the Demo Night stage—each one shaping the future of their sector:

Questions, Insight & Founder Wisdom

The panel and audience brought thoughtful pressure—the good kind. Questions dug into customer development, early traction, operational scale, and market entry.

Rita Kastrati’s story was a standout: a founder turning her frontline hospitality experience into a trusted platform used by thousands of workers. Her message rang true for every emerging founder in the room: integrity builds traction.

Sunmit’s circular-economy model sparked debate about European regulation, municipal partnerships, and cleantech scale. Inkspot opened a lively conversation on creative IP, artist trust, and marketplace growth across new cities.

Across every demo, the same theme emerged: founders who stay close to their customers build momentum faster than those who start with assumptions.

A Night of Celebration: People’s Choice Award

This year’s People’s Choice Award went to Rita Kastrati of Pioneering People—a founder who embodies courage, clarity, and community-led innovation. Her win is a reminder that the most investment-ready startups often come from lived experience and deep empathy for the people they serve.

Rita previously won the People's Choice Award at the London Tech Week edition.  Part of her prize was to be in Lisbon for Web Summit and to have the opportunity to trying things out in a different market.  We all celebrate with her on win, and her moment.  

Why Founders Keep Coming Back to Canopy Demo Nights

Demo Nights are more than pitch practice—they’re a real-time laboratory for validation, connection, and honest feedback. Canopy supports founders from idea to investment, with:

• virtual incubation

• early-stage mentorship

• structured founder circles

• investor readiness

• community-led learning

If you’re building an MVP, preparing to raise, or searching for a founder-friendly community, this is where your journey accelerates.

Join Us in Bristol & London – Your Next Step Starts Here

Come meet the tribe shaping tomorrow’s startups. Join the next Demo Nights:

👉 https://lu.ma/canopy 

Whether you’re a founder, investor, or supporter, you’ll leave more connected, more inspired, and more prepared for the road ahead.

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