Global Demo Night February 2026: Serious Founders. Serious Questions. Real Progress.

This month’s Global Demo Night brought together early-stage founders and experienced operators from across London, Lisbon, Boston, Bangalore and beyond.

For first-time founders, it was a live test of narrative, traction and investment readiness.
For early-stage investors, it was a window into ambition, execution capability and market clarity.

Four startups took the stage. Each represented a different sector, different geography and different risk profile. What united them was a willingness to be challenged.

The Startups

Alex – Saus (Bristol, UK)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-carver/ 

Eight-word summary: Local AI workspace automating tools without coding.

Sals is a horizontal productivity platform that unifies emails, spreadsheets, CRMs and SaaS tools into a single local interface.

The proposition is simple: automate complex workflows without needing to think like a developer. Unlike logic-first automation tools, Sals keeps the data visible and accessible, reducing cognitive load for non-technical users.

For founders operating at MVP stage, where time and clarity are constrained resources, workflow automation can materially increase velocity. The business model centres on premium collaborative cloud features layered onto a local-first architecture.

Key investor lens: differentiation in a crowded automation market and clarity on early vertical focus.

Ajay – Postqode (Bangalore, India)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajaybalamurugadas/ 

Eight-word summary: AI-native testing agents accelerating secure software releases.

Postcode is an AI-native software testing platform embedded directly in developer environments such as VS Code. It deploys multiple AI agents to generate test cases, automation scripts and test data across API, web and mobile applications.

The thesis is timely: AI is accelerating code production, but testing capacity has not scaled proportionally. Postcode positions itself as a privacy-first solution that integrates into existing pipelines without requiring a tech stack overhaul.

For technical founders preparing for investment, quality assurance maturity increasingly forms part of due diligence.

Key investor lens: defensibility, model economics and enterprise procurement cycles.

Grace Li – Amelio Biomedical (Taiwan)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-li-941b9b17/ 

Eight-word summary: Absorbable powder stopping severe bleeding significantly faster.

Amelio Biomedical is developing a pharmaceutical-grade amino acid metal complex designed to stop severe bleeding 30–40% faster than current market alternatives.

The company’s go-to-market strategy begins with veterinary applications, followed by FDA Class II approval and expansion into military and emergency medicine channels.

Grace articulated a structured regulatory roadmap, early validation through animal testing, and a clear understanding of capital requirements.

For early-stage investors, this is a high-impact, high-barrier-to-entry opportunity with regulatory risk but significant defensibility through IP and manufacturing capability.

Key investor lens: regulatory milestones, IP protection and capital efficiency prior to human clinical trials.

Kim Bingham – Mostro.xyz (Paris, France)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-bingham-8971268/ 

Eight-word summary: Blockchain crowdfunding platform for independent music artists.

Mostro introduces artist-issued utility tokens that allow fans to support musicians directly in exchange for perks and access. Tokens are tradable, creating a dynamic layer beyond traditional crowdfunding.

The platform operates within the broader creator economy and Web3 infrastructure. Revenue is generated through an 8% primary raise fee and transaction-based trading fees.

For founders building in Web3, the conversation centred on liquidity assumptions, token economics and regulatory positioning.

Key investor lens: sustainable token utility versus speculative volatility, and platform defensibility against larger incumbents.

What Differentiates Demo Night

This was not a showcase of polished marketing decks. It was a live investment-readiness environment.

Panel questions focused on:

• Product-market fit depth

• Capital efficiency

• Regulatory execution

• Defensibility

• Early customer acquisition strategy

• Three-month milestone clarity

For founders, this level of interrogation accelerates learning. For investors, it reveals coachability and execution maturity.

People’s Choice Winner: Grace Li, Amelio Biomedical

After panel deliberation and peer voting, Grace Li was selected as the People’s Choice Award winner.

Her proposition combined:

• Clear articulation of a life-critical problem

• Defined technical differentiation

• Structured regulatory pathway

• Large, globally relevant addressable market

• High-impact mission with commercial clarity

As part of the award, Grace receives twelve months of structured virtual incubation support, providing strategic guidance, peer accountability and ecosystem access.

Why This Matters

For first-time founders, the transition from idea to investment-ready business requires:

• Rigorous validation

• Clear positioning

• Operational discipline

• Comfort under scrutiny

Demo Night is designed to stress-test those dimensions.

For early-stage investors, it surfaces:

• Emerging deal flow

• Founder resilience

• Sector diversity

• Early indicators of scalable ambition

In a fragmented startup landscape, environments that combine peer support with disciplined questioning create asymmetric learning advantages.

Huge thank you to our panelists who provided their expert lenses today

- Naresh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/naresh-miriyalu-01a36743/
- Narendra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/narendra-fadnavis-9b54a016/
- Aishwarya - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahaishwarya/

Join the Next Demo Night

If you are building your MVP, preparing for SEIS investment, refining your narrative or seeking intelligent feedback from a global founder community, this is where you test yourself.

Register for the next Global Demo Night:

lu.ma/Canopy

Serious founders step forward.
Serious investors pay attention.

Watch the full livestreams back https://www.youtube.com/live/pv4SH3fxs3E