Last night, our Founder community gathered in the heart of London for an exhilarating Startup Demo Night, hosted by Canopy. This event, held at Bayes Business School, attracted a dynamic mix of entrepreneurs, investors, and community members, all eager to witness the latest innovations from emerging startups. Live-streamed to a global audience, the evening highlighted the value of entrepreneurship and the power of community.

Key Takeaways for Founders and Entrepreneurs

Here are three major lessons from the evening that every founder should consider:

1. Focus on Clients, Not Just Competitions: A key message shared by Paulo Andrez, a seasoned investor, was the importance of focusing on customers over winning competitions. While awards and accolades are great, building a sustainable business depends on attracting and serving clients—a key aspect of any entrepreneurship journey.

2. Perceived Risk is Critical for Investors: Investors frequently decline startups due to perceived risks. Paulo explained that founders should work on addressing and reducing these perceived risks to increase their chances of securing funding.

3. Community Engagement is Key to Growth: Events like Demo Night highlight the importance of building a strong community around your startup. By engaging in discussions and receiving feedback, entrepreneurs can refine their ideas and accelerate their growth.

Startups on the Rise

The night showcased several exciting startups from our London community, each making waves in their respective industries. Here’s a quick summary of the standout presentations:

1. Rooted

   • Summary: Rooted, co-founded by Annabelle Collinson, is an AI-powered platform helping Gen Z take action on climate change. By matching users with climate-focused opportunities based on their skills and preferences, Rooted helps users overcome climate anxiety and make a tangible impact. Monetized through subscriptions and surcharges, Rooted is well-positioned to grow in the sustainability space.  Its innovative approach won them the People’s Choice award for the night along with a copy of the Zero Risk Startup from Paulo.

2. Loqbox

   • Summary: Founded by Tom Eyre, Loqbox is a financial tech platform that empowers users to build their credit history, making it easier to access better financial products. With a subscription model, Loqbox is on a mission to improve financial literacy and opportunity for underserved markets. The startup is scaling fast.

3. Amutri

   • Summary: Amutri, presented by Michael Calver, offers the fastest way to create 3D video experiences for businesses. This SaaS platform allows organizations to turn complex design data into immersive, shareable presentations. Amutri is already gaining traction in industries like architecture and engineering.

Next Stop: Lisbon

The excitement doesn’t stop in London! Our Founder community is heading to Lisbon for our next big event on November 13 during Web Summit week. Join us as we bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators for another round of inspiring demos and networking.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to engage with our growing Canopy Membership and take your startup to the next level. Stay tuned for updates from the Canopy Founder community at www.canopy.community.