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Pitch competition for early-stage startups
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Work, Live, Thrive in the UK
Supporting global talent to work live and thrive in UK tech through our various support services
Discover the steps to apply and begin your journey
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Spotlighting top talent from our Visa Programme
Understand the standards applicants need to meet to be considered for a successful endorsement
Celebrating 10 years of global talent in UK tech
Rising Stars is Tech Nation’s pitch competition for early-stage tech startups.
This exciting event provides a valuable platform for tech startups to showcase their innovations locally, regionally, and nationally. Such exposure will substantially enhance their brand visibility and attract potential customers, partners, and investors.
Finalists will get the opportunity to showcase their businesses on the formidable London Tech Week (LTW) stage, PLUS gain access to numerous prizes set to propel their businesses forward.
Congratulations to our Rising Stars Grand Finalists for 2024!
Win prizes worth over £170k in value to help skyrocket your business! From media and communications support to go-to-marketing strategies and C-suite hires, each finalist will directly benefit from our prizes.
£30k Out-of-Home Media Package: Amplify your reach with a £30,000 out-of-home media package from Rising Stars partner JCDecaux Nurture.
£80k Brand and Go-to-Market Campaign: Immerse your brand in the spotlight with a brand and go-to-market campaign valued at £80,000 with the support of the experts at Founders Makers. From brand refinement to targeted advertisements, Founders Makers will help to elevate your presence in the market.
£60,000 Executive Hire: Secure your dream team with the first C-Suite hire courtesy of Founders Keepers, valued at £60,000.
£5,000 wabya Workshop: Focus on developing and strengthening your business’ core values, mission, vision, and purpose. Each founder will also win a 5 month (10 sessions) personal and professional coaching journey and 15% off on all coaching through wabya for 12 months – for colleagues, family and friends.
5 Hour Legal Audit: Access a 5 hour legal audit with Founders Law plus, 6-months access to the Founders Law Store.
Therapy Sessions: Invest in your well-being with three hours of tailored therapy sessions, provided by OMA experienced in supporting founders and high performers.
Office Space: Bring your team together with access to hot-desking space for three months at Founders Forum Group HQ.
360k Social Reach: Reach over 360,000 eager minds as your startup gains exposure across the Tech Nation, Founders Forum, and London Tech Week social channels.
Exclusive Invite: Land a nomination to attend the prestigious Founders Forum Global, joining over 400 pioneering entrepreneurs – including 200 unicorn founders – and 130 world-class VCs representing $1.5 trillion AUM.*
VenturePath Membership: Access quarterly growth diagnostics, over 100 hours of on-demand leadership learning content, exclusive in-person events, and a vibrant community of fellow founders and associated VCs. Additionally, receive 2 complimentary tickets worth £500 to the VenturePath annual celebration of success.
£15k Out-of-Home Media Package: Amplify your reach with a £15,000 out-of-home media package from Rising Stars partner JCDecaux Nurture.
£6.5K Campaign Ready Sessions: Dive deep into strategic planning for your brand with two campaign-ready sessions worth £6.5K conducted by Founders Makers to help propel your business to new heights.
3 Hour Legal Audit: Access a 3 hour legal audit with Founders Law plus, 6-months access to the Founders Law Store.
2 Months of wabya: Access personal and professional coaching, plus, 12% off on all coaching through wabya for 12 months – for colleagues, family and friends.
Office Space: Bring your team together with access to hot-desking space for three months at the Founders Forum Group HQ.
Global Exposure: Gain visibility on Tech Nation, Founders Forum, and London Tech Week’s social channels, reaching a combined audience of over 360,000 individuals.
£3.25K Campaign Ready Session: Dive deep into strategic planning for your brand with one campaign-ready session worth £3.25K conducted by Founders Makers to help propel your business to new heights.
2 Hour Legal Audit: Access a 2 hour legal audit with Founders Law plus, 3-months access to the Founders Law Store.
2 Months of wabya: Access personal and professional coaching, plus, 10% off on all coaching through wabya for 12 months – for colleagues, family and friends.
Office Space: Get amongst the action with access to hot-desking space for three months at the Founders Forum Group HQ
Tailored Coaching Sessions: Receive personalised guidance through 10 one-to-one coaching sessions with Manageable, empowering you to navigate challenges and optimise your startup’s trajectory.
Global Exposure: Showcase your venture to a vast audience across Tech Nation, Founders Forum, and London Tech Week’s social channels, opening doors to new opportunities and connections.
Executive coaching: Enjoy 10% off on all coaching through wabya for 12 months, for colleagues, family and friends.
Thank you to our partners for the generous prizes
CEO, Vitabiotics and Dragon, BBC’s Dragon Den
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Co-Founder and Chief Commercial & Legal Officer at Hertility Health
Co-Founder and CO-CEO, Marshmallow
CEO, London Stock Exchange
Head of Technology and Life Sciences for HSBC Innovation Banking UK & Nordics
Tej is CEO of Vitabiotics and a Dragon on BBC’s hit TV show Dragons Den. He has led the phenomenal growth of Vitabiotics into UK’s largest vitamin company, while expanding to over 100 countries. Tej has built a leading digital presence in his industry and worked with major brand ambassadors such as Nicole Scherzinger, Heidi Klum & David Gandy. He has won several entrepreneur awards and is ranked as one of the most influential Asians in Britain.
Deirdre O’Neill is the Co-Founder and Chief Commercial & Legal Officer at Hertility Health. She is a dual-qualified lawyer with a Masters in Medical Law from King’s College London. She specialised in corporate and venture capital law at Cooley for a number of years before co-founding Hertility a reproductive health company that supports women from menstruation through menopause with comprehensive diagnostic at-home testing, online consultations and treatments.
Oliver Kent-Braham is the co-founder and co-CEO of Marshmallow, an insurance company powered by technology that supports communities often ignored by traditional insurers. It has been recognised as one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe and was last valued at over $1bn.
Julia Hoggett joined the London Stock Exchange plc as CEO in April 2021. Julia is also Head of Equities for LSEG and is leading the team on the Group’s Digital and Securities Markets initiatives. Previously, Julia was at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as Director of Market Oversight, overseeing the conduct of market participants. She joined the FCA in 2014 to run the Wholesale Banking Supervision Department. Prior to this, she was a Managing Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, running various fixed income origination businesses in EMEA. Julia was previously a Board Member and CEO of DEPFA ACS BANK in Ireland. She began her career at JPMorgan. Julia holds a degree in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University and undertook a research scholarship at Kings College, Cambridge University on public policy in East Africa.
Julia was included in Financial News’ 100 Most Influential Women in Europe’s Financial Markets (2010, 2011, 2012, 2021,2022 and 2023), and awarded Industry Leader of the year 2023 by City AM. Julia has been an active speaker on Diversity and Inclusion in the City for two decades.
Simon Bumfrey is Head of Technology and Life Sciences for HSBC Innovation Banking UK & Nordics. He is responsible for client relationship and debt structuring teams focused on fast growth innovation businesses. Simon has spent more than 35 years working in commercial banking and sits on The Scale Up Institute and Gender Index Advisory Boards.
We want to showcase the brightest and best that UK tech has to offer but applicants must meet a few simple criteria, including:
Headquartered in the UK
A digital tech business with a product or service to sell
At Seed to pre-Series A funding stage. If the company is bootstrapped, maximum annual revenues are below £1.5 million
Able to demonstrate market traction
At least one active client or pilot
Ambition to scale
Able to commit to Rising Stars dates
Join some of the world’s most successful tech entrepreneurs as one of Founders Forum Group’s Rising Stars
Early-stage tech start ups from all over the UK will submit their virtual pitch via Instagram (@technationhq), alongside a questionnaire to understand more about their business and why they should be titled a Rising Star.
The judging panel, which will include some of the most influential entrepreneurs and investors, including Tej Lalvani, will select finalists to pitch in person at one of the six regional locations home to leading start ups: Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, North England, Midlands, South England.
Grand finalists will be selected to pitch at the prestigious London Tech Week on 10 June 2024.
Showcase your innovation on a local, regional, and national scale, whilst boosting your brand and attracting potential customers, partners, and investors
Refine your business strategy and pitch capabilities with insights from experienced investors and industry experts
Build connections that lead to potential funding, strategic partnerships, and a supportive network
Finalists will pitch to over 1000 attendees on the Founders stage at London Tech Week – a global celebration of tech, uniting the most innovative thinkers and tech talent
Your startup’s journey isn’t just about the pitch – it’s about rallying your community, sparking conversations, and leaving a lasting impression. That’s why this year, we have introduced the ‘People’s Choice Award’.
Turn your social media strategy into a winning game plan! This unique accolade is determined by the power of your social media presence during the virtual pitches submitted to the competition. This is your chance to demonstrate the power of your startup’s community and claim a distinctive spot in Rising Stars history.
The more buzz, likes, shares, and comments your pitch receives, the stronger your candidacy for the People’s Choice Award. The winner will be chosen based on a combination of virtual pitch excellence and the impact generated on social media.
The winner will join the finalists on stage at London Tech Week!
19 February 2024
25 March 2024
8-15 April 2024
17 April – 17 May 2024
20-31 May 2024
10 June 2024
“Being a Rising Stars Finalist gave us a massive stamp of credibility – both externally for investors and internally for the team.” Deirdre McGettrick Founder & CEO, uFurnish
“Being a Rising Stars Finalist gave us a massive stamp of credibility – both externally for investors and internally for the team.”
Founder & CEO, uFurnish
“We’ve been approached by investors who saw us in the Rising Stars campaign – usually we are the ones chasing them. Incredible!” Jonathan Lloyd Founder, CGHero
“We’ve been approached by investors who saw us in the Rising Stars campaign – usually we are the ones chasing them. Incredible!”
Founder, CGHero
HSBC Innovation Banking provides commercial banking services, expertise and insights to the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity and venture capital industries. HSBC Innovation Banking UK is a subsidiary of HSBC Group, benefiting from its stability, strong credit rating and international reach to help fuel its growth.
www.hsbcinnovationbanking.com
JCDecaux Nurture exists to empower global businesses of the future by giving them a voice in the real world. Launched by JCDecaux UK in 2016, the referral-only programme helps start-ups scale by using out-of-home (OOH) media to generate brand fame, trust and familiarity.
NURTURE | JCDecaux UK
