How Canopy and City St George’s University of London Are Building a Blueprint for University-Startup Collaboration

Startup ecosystems don’t thrive on tech alone — they thrive on community, courage, and consistency. That’s the ethos behind the evolving collaboration between Canopy and City St George’s University of London, which has been quietly transforming how universities can engage in entrepreneurship support at scale.

What started as a conversation between the President of City and Canopy’s founder, Stewart Noakes, has blossomed into a vibrant, monthly engine of startup validation, learning and connection — a model now being watched by other universities in London, Lisbon, Boston, and beyond.

A Shared Mission: Make Entrepreneurship More Accessible

City Ventures, the entrepreneurship service based at the Bayes Business School of City St George’s University of London, has a bold mission: catalyse the startup ecosystem within the City of London, and ensure entrepreneurship is accessible to everyone — especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

“Many people don’t have the financial runway or social capital to work on their ideas full-time,” said Ralph La Fontaine, Head of Entrepreneurship at City. “Our job is to understand where people drop off on the startup journey — and design support that keeps them in.”

That’s where Canopy fits in. With a global network and deep experience in supporting first-time founders, Canopy brings a community-first approach to the table — and a proven methodology for startup validation. Through monthly Demo Nights, open-access community platforms, and a global bridge connecting founders from Boston to Lisbon, Canopy helps City deliver far more than classroom theory.

From One-Off Events to a Thriving Monthly Engine

When the collaboration began, the idea of running a monthly Demo Night seemed ambitious. Now, it’s the heartbeat of the City x Canopy partnership — held every month in London, Lisbon, or online, and packed with founders, investors, mentors, and students.

Each event features a mix of live startup demos, panel discussions, audience voting, and rapid-fire feedback. The aim isn’t just to showcase — it’s to test, challenge, and validate ideas in the room. Real customers, real investors, and real peers in the audience give honest insights that help founders iterate faster.

And because it's rooted in a learning environment, students aren’t just spectators. They're active participants — asking questions, offering critiques, joining WhatsApp groups, and becoming part of the extended support network that continues long after the pizza has been eaten.

Connecting London to Lisbon, Boston and Singapore

One of the most powerful aspects of this partnership is that it gives founders in London a clear pathway to Europe, the USA, and Asia.

Through Canopy’s international hubs in Lisbon, Boston, and Singapore, City St George’s founders can access new markets, join global cohorts, pitch to international investors, and tap into cross-border mentorship. This makes the Canopy x City model a true launchpad — not just for local entrepreneurship, but for globally ambitious founders ready to scale beyond the UK.

Integrating Online and Offline Communities

City St George’s has gone a step further by integrating Canopy’s online community into its core entrepreneurship offering. Every participant in a City Ventures program gets free access to the Canopy Community Platform — where they can connect with founders across different geographies, attend global masterclasses, and receive mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs.

This digital layer means the impact of the City x Canopy partnership is no longer confined to London. Whether you're an MBA student in Lisbon, an engineering undergrad in Singapore, or an alumna now based in Boston, you can plug in — and level up — from wherever you are.

A New Model for Universities Everywhere

The success of this collaboration lies in its simplicity and scalability. There are no glossy accelerator brochures or gatekeeping application forms. If you have an idea — and the courage to test it in front of others — you’re welcome.

And if you’re a university leader reading this, here's the call to action: This model is replicable. You don't need a multi-million pound fund or a 12-week cohort. You need partners who show up every month. You need faculty who believe in learning by doing. And you need a community that cares more about progress than perfection.

At Canopy, we’re actively looking to collaborate with more universities that want to support founders in real, tangible ways — with love, feedback, and community.

Let’s Talk

If you work at a university and are looking to:

• Boost entrepreneurship on campus

• Engage alumni through startup support

• Make your ecosystem more inclusive

• Run Demo Nights that actually deliver impact

We’d love to hear from you.

📧 Email Stewart directly at [email protected]
📆 Or join us at our next Demo Night — held monthly in London, Lisbon or online

Let’s build the future of founder education, together.

Watch the full fireside chat interview from demo night in May https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyE4OAqxOMI