Kate, Charity and a Cornish First: Celebrating Our Demo Night Winners

There was magic in the air at the first Canopy Cornwall Demo Night of the year. For the first time in our long history of Demo Nights — stretching back to 2014 — we had joint People's Choice Award winners. And what a duo they are: Kate with her planet-friendly Radical Wax and Charity with her edtech innovation, Mappix.

These two Founders, both building very different ventures, captured the hearts of the audience with authenticity, clarity, and contagious passion.

🌊 Radical Wax: Eco for the Everyday Surfer
Kate’s pitch was a masterclass in storytelling. Radical Wax (radicalwax.co.uk) is taking on an industry dominated by petrochemicals and proving that natural, sustainable surf wax can work — and work beautifully. As Kate put it: “Wax that works — without compromising the planet.”

Since Demo Night, she's been on a mission — meeting surf shops, shaping a marketing strategy, and connecting with surfers who care about sustainability. And this summer, you’ll find her and her wax at events like Rising Tide at Boardmasters, celebrating surf culture that honours the ocean.

📚 Mappix: Edtech with Empathy
Charity, meanwhile, has taken her teaching expertise and transformed it into a tech platform that genuinely serves schools. Mappix (mappix.co.uk) helps every stakeholder around a child — from teachers to caregivers — identify strengths, spot learning gaps, and act with purpose. It’s clarity, but with compassion.

She's now rolling out case studies, planning new pilots, and even shifting from B2B to B2C — giving teachers direct access to tools they’ve needed for too long. If you’re passionate about education and looking to get involved, she’s even inviting commission-based collaborators to join the Mappix journey.

💡 Why They Won — And Why It Matters
So what made these two stand out? Partly, it’s the story — each founder knew how to clearly and confidently explain what they’re building and why it matters. But it was also the realness. They weren’t selling perfection — they were sharing progress.

Charity credits her background in teaching for her clarity: “Your job is to distill the nugget. Your audience is easily distracted. You have a small window.” She’s right — and Demo Night is not so different from a Year 6 classroom!

Kate reflected on the challenge of letting go of perfection: “I was always scared to show something not quite finished. But now I know — imperfect action brings better feedback.” That mindset shift? It’s everything in the early stage journey.

Together, they’re a reminder of what Canopy is all about: Founders supporting founders, people with real-world insight taking their shot, and communities like Cornwall rising up to back their own.

🌱 Advice for First-Time Founders
Their top tips?

Charity: “Know your strengths — and your weaknesses. Then build a team of passionate people who thrive where you don’t.”
Kate: “Don’t wait until it’s perfect. Just get it out there. You’ll learn so much faster, and people will surprise you with their support.”

🔥 Bring Your Idea to Life This September
Inspired? Good. Because this is your moment.

Our next Cornwall Demo Night will be at Slush'd on September 17th — and we want to hear your story. Whether you’re building a better way to surf or a smarter way to learn, this is your platform.

👉 Visit www.canopy.community to apply to pitch or book your place in the audience.

Because when the room chooses you, it changes everything.

More about Radical Wax - https://www.radicalwax.co.uk/ 

More about Mappix - https://www.mappix.co.uk/

Watch the full interview back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6WWjWY-kjQ 

Huge thank you to Niki Davies and Tech Cornwall, our partners and collaborators on Cornwall Demo Nights for the opportunity to join forces on four demo nights this year.    Read more about the mission at Tech Cornwall https://techcornwall.co.uk/