NEW - investor newsletter
〰️
NEW - investor newsletter 〰️
Driving change in the UK startup ecosystem
Rare Founders
Rare Founders
We are on a mission to discover RARE founders with groundbreaking ideas and give them the platform and visibility they deserve to be heard.
Who Should Apply?
Pre-seed and seed stage
Anything tech related
Based in the UK or Belgium
what you need to apply
1-2 min intro video
pitch deck
Key Dates
5 Sep - last day to apply
8-12 Sep - applications rated by investor partners
15 Sep - pitching founders announced
7 Oct - pitching day
our partners
Upcoming events
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![A man with dark hair and a beard speaking into a microphone during a presentation or talk.]()
"Raised £500K after pitching at the London's Largest Demo Day in April 2024💥"
Jean-Philippe M.L. Schepens
Founder & CEO at AxonJay.ai
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![Smiling man with short brown hair and beard, wearing a dark shirt, outdoors with greenery in the background.]()
"We secured £35k on the day, with another £160k in negotiation directly from people we met on the Demo Day in oct 2024. Best event we've ever attended!"
Chris Leighton
Founder of AirZones
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"Rare Founders events have been a game-changer for us, offering fantastic opportunities to connect, network, and raise funds. Thanks to these events, we’ve been able to secure funding not once, but twice!"
Elaine Harding
Founder of Augemntaero
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![A man with dark brown hair and a beard, wearing a light-colored, collared shirt, against a plain light background.]()
"What an amazing day at the Rare Founders London demo day. The team pulled off an incredible day featuring some of the most exciting startups in the UK/I and beyond."
Sebastian Haire
Head of Strategic Partnerships at Google Cloud
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![A man with wavy brown hair, a beard, and a black t-shirt sitting in front of a microphone, with bookshelves in the background.]()
"I raised £100K as a result of the hype around me pitching at the demo day in oct 2024"
Dan Rosenberg
Founder of LinkyThinks
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![A woman with long, wavy brown hair smiling at the camera, wearing a white sleeveless top against a plain light background.]()
"I pitched at the Fist money-in event post the demo day in Oct 2024 and secured my first ever cheque of £11K"
Roxanne Preyor
Founder of Superoom
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![Close-up of a woman with pink hair and pink lipstick, smiling slightly, against a colorful background with pink, orange, and purple sections.]()
"TOP TOP TOP! Best startup event of the YEAR!!! I negotiated to double my valuation with the lead investor as a result of the hype around the demo day where I pitched in oct 2024"
Katrien Cruz Grobler
Founder at AI Kat
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![Black and white portrait of a woman with styled hair, wearing earrings and a dark top, looking at the camera.]()
"🔥"Huge well done for putting together what can easily be named the biggest event so far this year in London's startup scene. "
Eva Dobrzanska
Head of Investments at FundIQ + Sixth Wave Ventures
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![A young man with short brown hair, smiling, wearing a dark gray shirt, against a plain light gray background.]()
"A fantastic event! Demo Day in Oct 2024 was the first event I attended in the UK in over 5 years!
Richard Hadler
GP at Founders Capital
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![A man with short dark hair and slight facial hair, wearing a gray shirt and black zip-up jacket, standing against a dark background.]()
"Thank you very much for the invite to the demo day. It was by far the best event I’ve been to this past year! Looking forward to the next one and always happy to support on future events."
Michael Rees
Investment Manager at Praetura Ventures
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![A smiling man with a bald head and beard, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, standing against a plain dark background.]()
"I really enjoyed the Demo day. You did an amazing job of pulling it together and I think your event will become one of the destination events in the calendar."
Johnny McNamara
Programme Team Lead (Investment) at Innovate UK
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![A man with gray hair and a beard smiling and giving a thumbs-up gesture, wearing a navy blazer and a light blue shirt, standing in front of a green background.]()
"Well done on a triumph of demo day. It was exceptionally well run, had a brilliant turn out. You should be very proud. Happy to be more involved at the next one. Well done."
Sam Merullo
Venture & PE Investing at Family office
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![A smiling man with light brown hair, wearing a gray shirt, standing in front of a white brick wall.]()
"Well, the demo day was fun! Thanks yet again, Rare founders is a rising star on the startup events scene. Big love and what a great event you and your team hosted yesterday. Loved it."
Chris Howard
Founder and Angel Investor
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![A young man with dark brown hair, glasses, and light skin wearing a blue blazer and light blue shirt, smiling at the camera indoors.]()
"What an incredible day and thank you for arranging it all. This could be London’s leading demo day for years to come!"
Conlan Ainsworth
CEO and Founder of iReceet
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![Portrait of a man with dark hair and a slight smile, wearing a black sweater against a yellow background.]()
"Demo day was brilliant. Congrats to you and team. Everything worked out well. Well done!"
Rahul Patil
Co-Founder & CEO at Tellygence
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![Close-up of a woman with blond wavy hair, fair skin, and blue eyes, wearing a dark turtleneck sweater, standing outside against a dark wood wall.]()
"Demo day was Brilliant - thank you for the huge amount of effort and organisation that went into it."
Jen Lothian
Co-Founder at My Ark
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![A young woman with light skin and brown hair, smiling at the camera, wearing a black and white striped top and a diamond choker necklace, with a background of white bookshelves.]()
"What a great event! Thanks for organising the demo day and as one of the startups who had been selected to pitch today, we've made some great connections with prospective investors, so thanks again for having us!"
Iris Anson
Founder at Etiq AI
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![Smiling man with short light brown hair, wearing a black t-shirt, leaning against a beige wall.]()
"Demo Day was AMAZING and just the best event. We met so many people and have investor interest already. The talks were SO good. Thank you for al your help and support."
Steven Milne
CEO at Impro
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![A man with glasses, a beard, wearing a black cap and a dark denim jacket, posing in front of a light-colored background.]()
"Having had the opportunity to be a part of this ecosystem since beginning out, I've seen this community grow and mature. As an early stage investor, I've been able to see companies at some of the earliest stages and build relationships with them well before they look to come to market."
Kenneth Kashif Thomas
Founding Associate at Backfuture VC
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![Young man in a navy suit and white shirt smiling outdoors with green trees in the background.]()
"The London Startup Scene is the most authentic and genuine startup/investor event series in the country whose growing importance can be shadowed only by the founder who created it!"
Ewan Moran
Founder at The G.E.C.K and BarbackUK
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![Man smiling and pointing at the camera while standing outdoors in front of green foliage.]()
“I’m still getting connection requests after my pitch at London's Largest Demo Day in oct - really one of the best I’ve been to in a very long time - congratulations and thank you!”
Ross Ducat
Founder at Lulu Light
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![A man with short dark hair and a slight beard looking upwards, standing in front of a colorful textured wall with shades of red, purple, and orange.]()
"Many thanks for organising the brunch on Saturday, we really enjoyed it and it was super useful. We ended up making some changes to our pitch deck based on seeing peoples pitches and the questions that people asked so that was really helpful!"
Brent McNish
CTO & Co-Founder at Tremr
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![A woman with long, curly red hair, blue eyes, and makeup, wearing a black top with a pearl necklace, in a room with bookshelves and a red armchair.]()
“I'm a new founder, and Rare Founders events have been an invaluable networking experience.”
Nina Anana
Founder at Sloan Technologies
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![A young man with short light brown hair smiling at the camera, wearing a white graphic t-shirt and a black backpack, outdoors near the ocean with a cloudy sky in the background.]()
“it was a great time yesterday at the Startup Scene. Very useful and insightful. Thank you for organizing such an event for founders and investors.”
Dmitry Lapshin
CEO & Co-Founder at The Ensamble
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![Young man with glasses smiling outdoors in a grassy field with trees and cloudy sky in the background.]()
“Thanks for driving the London start up scene events. I'm building a company solo and it's really impactful to be able to talk to people who are in a similar boat to me.”
Isar Bhattacharjee
Founder at Uncover Consulting
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![Young man outdoors in a forest, wearing a cap and black tactical vest.]()
"Me and my Co-Founder actually met in this Slack group, and decided to team up."
Sam Bax
CEO & Co-Founder at Aviva.io
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![A young woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, smiling, wearing a light gray t-shirt, sitting against a plain wall background.]()
"Omg thank you so much for such exposure! Love and support what you are doing for the founders!"
Natalia Grudina
CEO & Founder at Redeco
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![Portrait of a man with curly hair and beard smiling, wearing a pink button-up shirt, outdoors with trees and a building in the background.]()
"I'm already signed up for the next event! You're building something really exciting!"
Fergus Leathem
Co-Founder at FuseCo.
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![Smiling man with gray hair outdoors in a field under a blue sky.]()
"It’s kinda cross between a comedy club / night club but serious business networking. Here you have create a fun 🤩 experience, relaxed , Creative energised and most of all FUN."
Sophie Pittaway
Founder at KICK
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![A smiling woman with brown hair and a floral top standing in front of a pink background.]()
"Congratulations again on a FANTASTIC event last night. You really did something special, it was amazing to be part of it. "
Toni Schneider
COO at Ostique Limited
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![A man with medium-length brown hair, a beard, wearing a gray blazer and white shirt, standing outdoors in front of a light-colored stone wall.]()
"Great event yesterday and crazy turnout, well done! "
Maxime Kryvian
CEO & Co-Founder at Celsius Innovations
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![Woman with blonde hair and glasses smiling, sitting outdoors with a garden background.]()
"I had a great time connecting with quite a few incredibly interesting people!"
Martina Meyer zu Selhausen
Founder at Viatitude Health
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"Watching founders and investors pitch, meet and collaborate is really what this event is all about."
Nikolay Gelovski
Head of Google Cloud Sales at Cloud Office
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![A man in a gray suit standing outdoors in front of a historic building and modern skyscrapers.]()
"I have been attending startup events since 2009 and your event at Canary Wharf was hands down one of the best I have ever attended. Lots of great tips about how to screen pitch decks, which I found useful as an investor."
Peter Banerjea
Co-Founder at StartupVoyager, Investor
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![A young man with short blonde hair, wearing a white t-shirt and light-colored pants, sitting on a bench or chair in front of a brick wall with green plants in the background.]()
"What you've done for the startup community in London is pretty special. No elitism, inclusive, and everyone there has a genuine desire to help each other succeed. I met somebody at your event who has become an integral part of our business. I suspect there are hundreds of other startups with similar examples!"
Tom Cullen
Founder at Zoplo
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![Portrait of a man with short dark hair, blue eyes, and a beard, wearing a gray plaid suit and a blue shirt, against a gradient background.]()
"I closed £300K round with £40K coming from my pitch at the demo day in oct 2024"
Gareth Hawkins
Founder of BizCrunch
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![Smiling woman with long brown hair in front of windows with blinds]()
" It was the best pitching event I’ve attended—seamless organization, top sessions, amazing pitches, and unmatched exposure to active angels and VCs!"
Nevine Coutry
Founder of Playdate
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![A woman with blonde hair and blue eyes smiling outdoors, wearing a black coat.]()
"Congrats on an excellent event! London's Largest Demo Day is a great event where everything runs smoothly—from preparation and communication to engaging panel discussions."
Kristin Bjelland
Family Office, CEO at Bjella Investments
newsletter
WHY attend our events
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![A woman holding a microphone stands in front of a large screen with speech bubble graphics and text, illuminated by purple and blue lighting in an indoor event setting.]()
EVERYONE GETS A VOICE 🎤
We shine a spotlight on ideas that deserve to be heard, especially from early-stage founders who are too often overlooked.
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![Three people sitting on a bus stop bench in front of a large poster; the man on the left is covering his eyes, the man in the middle is covering his ears, and the woman on the right is covering her mouth.]()
FOR FOUNDERS, BY FOUNDERS 👨🚀👨🚀
We know the journey because we’ve lived it. That’s why we create spaces where you feel understood, supported, and surrounded by people who genuinely get it. Around 30–40% of our attendees are regulars — they keep coming back because they know this is where real relationships start.
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![Four people standing together inside a bar called 'BAM BAM bar'. They are smiling and making gestures towards the camera. Two men and two women, dressed casually, with a neon sign above them and TV screens in the background.]()
FUNDING, PARTNERSHIPS & OPPORTUNITIES 💥
Over 30 founders have raised investment through Rare Founders connections. You’ll meet co-founders, partners, customers, and game-changers who can open doors for you.
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![Four people standing in front of a screen with a neon logo that says 'The R'.]()
EXCLUSIVE ACCESS FOR INVESTORS 📈
Our events give you curated access to top-rated startups, fresh deal flow, and a room full of the most ambitious founders in the UK.
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![A woman with dark hair and a maroon shirt holding a toy water gun, pointed upward, looking at the camera with a playful expression.]()
NO-EGO CONNECTIONS 🤝
We break down barriers with fun and unexpected elements — think water guns for overrun pitches, sunset parties, and conversations that matter. Our events are designed to make you smile, relax, and connect without the corporate fluff.
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![A woman and a man lying on a pile of beige drawstring bags with the logo 'RARE FOUNDERS' printed on them, smiling and laughing.]()
INCLUSIVE BY DESIGN 🌈
Childcare at events. Quiet rooms for neurodivergent founders. A safe space policy so everyone feels welcome. Inclusivity isn’t a checkbox for us — it’s how we’ve built one of the UK’s largest startup communities.
About Us
Our Story
The London startup scene used to bore us to death. Endless panels, awkward networking, and pitching opportunities locked behind paywalls or old boys’ clubs. Founders weren’t connecting. Investors weren’t inspired.
So we tore up the rulebook.
With no budget and zero marketing, our first Rare Founders event pulled in 500 registrations and 250 people through the door. It was scrappy, loud, and unforgettable — and it proved startup events could be fun, provocative, and actually useful.
WHERE WE ARE NOW
Rare Founders has grown into one of the UK’s largest startup communities, with 20,000+ members and events that sell out fast. From monthly Open Mic Pitch Nights to London’s Largest Demo Day with 1,000+ attendees, we’ve created spaces where founders and investors actually connect.
Along the way, we’ve partnered with names like Google, hosted over 50 events in a year, and helped more than 30 founders raise investment through connections made in the room. And our volunteers — often founders themselves — keep the community spirit alive at every event.
Our MISSION
To find the rare founders with groundbreaking ideas and give them the stage, connections, and visibility they deserve. We remove barriers, break biases, and make sure great ideas get heard — no matter who’s behind them.
Our vision
To reshape the UK’s early-stage startup scene into a place where collaboration beats competition, events are worth attending, and founders lead the change. We push boundaries, challenge outdated norms, and build an ecosystem where the right people meet at the right time — without the corporate fluff.