Demo Night London fast becoming the essential event for first-time founders, startup dreamers, and the wider entrepreneur community

London’s Canopy Demo Night, hosted in partnership with City Ventures, delivered another unforgettable experience this October, showing why it’s fast becoming an essential event for first-time founders, startup dreamers, and the wider entrepreneur community. If you’re looking for inspiration, real connections, and practical lessons on how to start a startup in London, this event is for you. The Canopy spirit—rooted in mentorship, support, and authentic founder journeys—was especially present tonight.

Why London’s Startup Community Matters

For first-time founders in London, finding a supportive community is often the difference between feeling lost and moving forward. Canopy builds founder networks, hosts founder support events, and gives everyone a seat at the table—from those just starting out to experienced entrepreneurs willing to share what works and how to build a startup that lasts. Tonight’s event at Bayes Business School really showed what’s possible when those worlds collide.

Standout Demo Night Startups

Below is a list of the startups that gave a demo tonight, together with their founders and a one-line summary of what makes them unique in the London startup ecosystem:

• Noggin (Tom Watkinson & Adam Reynoldson): Uses voice-powered technology to bridge the gap between founders and investors, enabling warm introductions and higher quality deal flow for early-stage startups.

• .fi (Monishka Aswani): Empowers fashion brands with AI-driven trend prediction, helping reduce textile waste by enabling more sustainable production decisions.

• ArthaChanakya LTD UK (Ranjith Kumar): Simplifies global investing, making it easy and tax-efficient for Indian investors to access international markets, blending compliance with seamless fintech.

• Forward Fund (Iacopo Di Rico): Invests in creator-led brands, using smart capital and deep experience to help culture-driven startups rapidly scale their market presence.

• Oshcom (Oisin Teevan): Delivers practical, accessible communications tools designed to solve real needs for startups, especially those just getting started.

Each of these founders faced the demo gauntlet, presenting to a room of supportive (but honest) peers, eager investors, and seasoned mentors. These events reflect the best of the London startup community—open collaboration, encouragement, and actionable feedback that new business builders crave.

Spotlight: Noggin Wins People’s Choice

Noggin’s founders, Tom and Adam, deservedly took home the People’s Choice Award tonight. Their platform directly addresses a top pain point for first-time founders—access to angel investors and relevant funding opportunities. Instead of cold outreach and wasted networking, Noggin uses voice profiles to make sure pitches happen between the most relevant people, saving time and opening doors that are too often closed to newcomers.

Their win is a reminder: London’s startup ecosystem is stronger when technology meets trust, and when diverse founders have their voices heard.

The Power of Founder Support and Demo Events

Startup demo nights like Canopy’s are more than “just events.” They are training grounds for public speaking, stress-testing ideas, and building the deep, peer-based mentor relationships that help first-time founders survive and thrive. These networking events help founders expand their community, meet future co-founders, and sharpen their demo not only for investors but for customers too.

You’ll also hear real talk: lessons from failures, honest discussion of what it takes to raise startup funding, and encouragement to keep building, even when things get tough. Many attendees mentioned wanting even more sessions, more reverse pitch opportunities from investors, and deeper dives on founder journeys—so expect Canopy to deliver!

Get Involved: Next Steps for New Founders

For founders just getting started: don’t miss your next chance to join London’s thriving startup community, meet your tribe, and learn from entrepreneurs who have walked this road before. Events like Demo Night are an open door—no experience needed. Whether you’re preparing your first demo or want to network with those who “get it,” this is your next step.

Join Canopy’s next Demo Night for connections, resources, and inspiration in your London startup journey: lu.ma/canopy.

With every gathering, the Canopy founder network gets stronger. Bring your boldest ideas and your honest questions—the tribe is ready to welcome you, and to lift you higher on your journey.

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