SEASON 2

Episode 1

Date

monday, 14 April 2025

Time

9am - 5pm

Main Conference

6pm - 10pm

First Money-In Dinner

Location

1 Wimpole Street, Westminster, London, W1G 0AE

"I raised £35K with additional £160K in the pipeline" - Chris Leighton, AirZones

"I raised £15K and I doubled my valuation with SCF capital as a result of the hype around the demo day" - Katrien Grobler, AI KAT

"I pitched at the 1st Money-In and secured my 1st ever cheque of £11K" - Roxanne Pryor, Superoom

"I just closed £300K round with £40K coming from my pitch at the demo day in oct" - Gareth Hawkins, BizChur

"I raised £35K with additional £160K in the pipeline" - Chris Leighton, AirZones "I raised £15K and I doubled my valuation with SCF capital as a result of the hype around the demo day" - Katrien Grobler, AI KAT "I pitched at the 1st Money-In and secured my 1st ever cheque of £11K" - Roxanne Pryor, Superoom "I just closed £300K round with £40K coming from my pitch at the demo day in oct" - Gareth Hawkins, BizChur

London’s Largest Demo Day is back!🚀

  • Provocative

  • Bold

  • Impactful

“I raised £500K as a result of pitching at the Demo Day“ - JP Schepens, AxonJay

“The team pulled off an incredible day featuring some of the most exciting startups in the UK “ - Seb Haire, Google Cloud AxonJay

“Best startup event of the year!” - Katrien Grobler, AI Kat

“The biggest event so far this year in London's startup scene” - Eva Dobrzanska, Sixth Wave Ventures

“I raised £500K as a result of pitching at the Demo Day“ - JP Schepens, AxonJay “The team pulled off an incredible day featuring some of the most exciting startups in the UK “ - Seb Haire, Google Cloud AxonJay “Best startup event of the year!” - Katrien Grobler, AI Kat “The biggest event so far this year in London's startup scene” - Eva Dobrzanska, Sixth Wave Ventures

Event structure

Main conference

9am-5pm

  • 2,000+ attendees

  • 450+ investors

  • 800+ startups

  • 2 pitching stages

  • 2 content stages

  • 121 networking area

  • Exhibitor area

  • Conference mobile app

  • Wellness & quiet area

  • Conference mobile app

  • Childcare room

first money-in dinner

  • Private pitching event

  • Networking

  • Drinks reception

  • 8 founders pitching live to 16 active investors

  • Investors committed to invest min £1,000 per company

  • Learn more about the event here

6pm-10pm

"It has been a fantastic day!" - Greg Mccallum, No Bull S##t

"It was exceptionally well run, had a brilliant turn out" - Sam Merullo, Family Office

"I really enjoyed the event" - Jonny McNamara, Innovate UK

"It was the best event I've been to this year!" - Michael Rees, Praetura Ventures

"It has been a fantastic day!" - Greg Mccallum, No Bull S##t "It was exceptionally well run, had a brilliant turn out" - Sam Merullo, Family Office "I really enjoyed the event" - Jonny McNamara, Innovate UK "It was the best event I've been to this year!" - Michael Rees, Praetura Ventures

Pitching startups

eligibility criteria

  • Any sector, any location

  • Raising from Pre-Seed to Series A+ rounds

  • Clear vision for global expansion

  • Actively fundraising

Applications will be open from 2nd to 12th FEB.

Only those who register their interest to pitch in advance will receive the link to apply.

Register your interest before 2nd FEB.

Don’t miss out!

Key dates for founders

"I raised £35K with additional £160K in the pipeline" - Chris Leighton, AirZones

"I doubled my valuation with SCF capital as a result of the hype around the demo day" - Katrien Grobler, AI KAT

"I pitched at the 1st Money-In and secured my 1st ever cheque of £11K" - Roxanne Pryor, Superoom

"I just closed £300K round with £40K coming from my pitch at the demo day in oct" - Gareth Hawkins, BizChur

"I raised £35K with additional £160K in the pipeline" - Chris Leighton, AirZones "I doubled my valuation with SCF capital as a result of the hype around the demo day" - Katrien Grobler, AI KAT "I pitched at the 1st Money-In and secured my 1st ever cheque of £11K" - Roxanne Pryor, Superoom "I just closed £300K round with £40K coming from my pitch at the demo day in oct" - Gareth Hawkins, BizChur

pitching Agenda

Pitching Stage 1

  • Innovations improving food production, delivery, nutrition, or sustainability in the food and beverage sector. Example: Alternative proteins, personalized nutrition, or sustainable packaging.

  • Solutions addressing climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Example: Solar energy, carbon capture, or sustainable agriculture.

  • Innovations in entertainment, media, and leisure experiences. Example: Streaming platforms, immersive media, or gamified experiences.

  • Transforming the retail experience to encourage sustainable and ethical consumer habits. Example: Circular economy platforms or personalized shopping solutions.

  • Solving challenges in education and training to improve learning outcomes and accessibility. Example: Online learning tools, VR training, or adaptive learning systems.

  • Enhancing how individuals and teams innovate, create, and achieve their goals. Example: Productivity apps, creative software, or collaboration tools.

Pitching Stage 2

  • Innovations in customer engagement, retention, and relationship management. Example: Loyalty programs, AI-driven customer support, or CRM systems.

  • Transforming workplaces to increase productivity, inclusivity, and collaboration. Example: Employee engagement tools, hybrid work solutions, or HR tech platforms.

  • Advancements aimed at improving lifespan, healthspan, and overall well-being. Example: Telemedicine, wellness apps, or anti-aging research.

  • Solutions improving financial systems, increasing accessibility, and leveraging innovative technologies. Example: Digital wallets, microfinancing platforms, or blockchain for financial services.

  • Bridging the gap between scientific research and practical, scalable technologies. Example: Quantum computing applications or lab-to-market biotech solutions.

  • Innovations enhancing urban infrastructure, transportation, and smart living. Example: EV charging networks, smart city planning tools, or ride-sharing platforms.

  • Unique or interdisciplinary solutions that don’t fit into traditional categories. Example: Novel applications in niche markets or breakthroughs in unconventional fields.

“Well, that was fun!” - Chris Howard, Investor

“It was a great event with so many talented minds” - Jiri Mcc, GIVE™

“It was AMAZING and just the best event!” - Steven Milne, impro

“The quality of pitching founders was outstanding” - Ivo Ronner, Swiss Post Ventures

“Well, that was fun!” - Chris Howard, Investor “It was a great event with so many talented minds” - Jiri Mcc, GIVE™ “It was AMAZING and just the best event!” - Steven Milne, impro “The quality of pitching founders was outstanding” - Ivo Ronner, Swiss Post Ventures

content Agenda

pro-investments STAGE

  • This session explores why sacrificing some ownership is often necessary for scaling fast and accessing resources only investors can provide, debunking the fear of giving up equity.

  • A bold discussion on how strategic use of investment capital can accelerate growth, dominate markets, and leave competitors in the dust.

  • Practical advice for maintaining control and building a mutually beneficial partnership with investors, ensuring your goals align without compromising your vision.

  • A fascinating dive into the behavioral psychology of venture capital, exploring how founders can leverage cognitive biases, herd mentality, and narrative-building to secure higher valuations and investor confidence.

  • An honest discussion on the role of personal branding, charisma, and storytelling in convincing investors to fund your startup, often more critical than the product itself.

  • A candid panel on how the VC ecosystem operates like a powerful network, where being part of it can mean rapid growth and success, but staying out can mean isolation and struggle in a hyper-competitive startup world.

anti-investments stage

  • Candid stories of founders whose mental health, relationships, and personal lives were destroyed by the relentless demands of their investors.

  • A brutally honest critique of how VCs prioritize profits over passion, often forcing startups into strategic pivots that align with their interests. This session dives into how these pivots can result in VCs taking over the direction of the business, leaving founders sidelined in the very companies they built.

  • A deep dive into how venture funds operate, revealing that the pressure for rapid growth often stems from their need to raise the next fund rather than your business’s needs. This session exposes how aligning your startup’s pace with their fundraising cycle can lead to reckless decisions that kill businesses.

  • An unfiltered discussion on the power dynamics that shift when founders give up majority ownership, exploring the loss of control, decision-making authority, and the risks of becoming a minority stakeholder in your own business.

  • Case studies of founders who exited their companies with financial success but were left feeling empty due to the sacrifices made along the way.

  • A bold argument against the VC model, showcasing bootstrapped founders who built sustainable businesses without outside capital.

bonus session

  • At the end of the session, the audience votes on which founder’s path is most desirable. The winner receives the “Audience’s Choice Unicorn” award—a lighthearted yet meaningful nod to the path founders admire most.

“Congrats on an excellent event! Everything ran smoothly" — from preparation and communication to engaging panel discussions” -Kristin Bjelland, Family Office

“Brilliant event! Highly recommend it to all investors seeking new opportunities.” - David Levine, Manchester Angels

“A fantastic event—my first in the UK in over 5 years!” - Richard Hadler, Founders Capital

“The quality of pitching founders was outstanding” - Ivo Ronner, Swiss Post Ventures

“Congrats on an excellent event! Everything ran smoothly" — from preparation and communication to engaging panel discussions” -Kristin Bjelland, Family Office “Brilliant event! Highly recommend it to all investors seeking new opportunities.” - David Levine, Manchester Angels “A fantastic event—my first in the UK in over 5 years!” - Richard Hadler, Founders Capital “The quality of pitching founders was outstanding” - Ivo Ronner, Swiss Post Ventures

Investor partners

Each event, we have 60 of the most reputable investor partners who help us rate the applicants and select the best of them to pitch on the day.

Applications are open for new investor partners.

get access to an exclusive deal flow !

supported by

media partners

If you have 1K+, 10K+, or 100K+ email subscribers (startup, tech, VC, or business audience), you can become our media partner to get mutual PR

FAQs

startups

  • To be considered, your business should meet the following criteria:

    • Any sector

    • Raising from Pre-Seed to Series A+ rounds

    • Clear vision for global expansion

    • Actively fundraising

  • Only those who pre-register in advance will get a link to apply to pitch. Register here. Once pitching applications are live you will be notified via Whatsapp group that you will get access to once you register.

  • Selection is based on innovation, market potential, team strength, and traction/ validation. All decks are reviewed by our investor partners and the wider audience of the startup community.

  • Due to the volume of applications, individual feedback is not guaranteed.

  • Yes, there is no cost to apply, or pitch at demo day.

  • Once applications close, our investor partners and the wider startup audience vote on the startups they think are most promising. We will then tell you whether or not you’ve been successful and include next steps. The top 100 finalists will be announced 1 month before the event date.

investor partners

  • Please apply using this form.

  • Investor partners help us to promote the event and review submitted decks to help select the most promising startups for the event.

  • Yes, the event includes networking sessions for direct interactions with founders.

  • Only those investors who actively help with promotion and applications rating will get access to the deal flow.

Sponsors

  • We offer various tiers of sponsorship. Please contact us for detailed information.

  • Sponsors receive visibility through event branding, promotional materials, and specific engagement opportunities based on the sponsorship level. Contact us for more information.

  • Yes, the event includes networking sessions for direct interactions with founders. Contact us for more information.

attendees

  • While we aim for our events to be large and impactful, our priority is the quality of the audience. We want to create an environment where both founders and investors have a genuine opportunity to connect meaningfully. This is why tickets are granted only to individuals who are active in the startup ecosystem.

    Everyone on the waitlist will have the chance to increase their odds of receiving a free ticket during the ratings process. The applicant ratings will be open to the public, and by participating in the ratings, you can boost your chances of getting a ticket.

  • To be eligible for a free ticket, you need to join the waitlist first. From there, you’ll have the opportunity to increase your chances by participating in our public ratings process. By rating the startup applications, you’ll help us identify the best companies while boosting your odds of receiving a ticket. Register here.

Contact us.

info@rarefounders.com

London, UK