LSE has hosted the annual London Demo Day for the first time, providing a platform for 20 of London’s most promising homegrown start-ups to pitch to a live audience of over 500 people, including investors, business partners, students and alumni.
Each year, London Demo Day brings together the best and brightest entrepreneurial talent from leading London universities, showcasing early-stage businesses raising between £100,000 - £2 million from LSE, King’s College London, Imperial College and UCL.
This year’s event was held on Wednesday 18 September, and saw pitches from ventures across a wealth of sectors including HealthTech, Climate, Cyber Security, Creative Industries and EduTech.
After the dynamic round of three-minute pitches, the start-ups exhibited their innovations and connected with investors and business partners during a packed reception.
The five ventures representing LSE this year were:
- Adclear.ai, founded by Doni Hoti (MSc Public Policy, 2022). Adclear is a centralised platform which allows marketers to ensure that their content is compliant with all relevant regulations whilst providing an in-depth audit trail for compliance teams.
- Blend, founded by Jonah Werth (BA Politics and Philosophy, 2014). Blend develops short, accessible videos to train deskless workers.
- Cauli, founded by Mingqiao Zhao (MSc Comparative Politics, 2016). Cauli helps food businesses manage reusable packaging, with access to their supply chain and award-winning technology.
- be/impact, founded by Julian Buschmaas (MSc International Development, 2019). Be/impact empowers employees to build skills for good by connecting businesses and not-for-profits through short but impactful training programs.
- Yarn, founded by Sally Davies (MA/MSc International and World History, 2012). Yarn is the world’s first creative storytelling community for kids and families, powered by AI.
Companies trackable by Beauhurst states: “Since 2019, we have seen over 65 innovative teams take to the stage as part of London Demo Day. To date, they have collectively raised over £97 million with a combined post-money valuation of an outstanding £289 million!”
The event was opened by the Head of LSE Generate, LJ Silverman, who said: “The golden thread running through all of these businesses is that they are all founded on a clear intention to make this world a healthier and happier place and so to be a part of this movement is a real privilege.”
LJ then introduced Deputy President and Vice Chancellor of LSE, Professor Eric Neumayer.
Professor Eric Neumayer said of the event: “At LSE, we understand that the driving force behind successful entrepreneurship is not just the technology itself but the intelligent application of that technology. While new technologies hold immense potential, their successful deployment is guided by insights drawn from the social sciences—areas where LSE excels. Financial acumen, leadership, market understanding, consumer behaviour, and navigating regulatory landscapes are all enriched by the social sciences, reinforcing our belief that these disciplines are foundational to solving society’s pressing problems.”
London Demo Day will return in 2025 and will be hosted by UCL next September.