Founders Connect
Hosted by:
What the event is
Founders Connect is a dynamic, founder-first event crafted to foster genuine connections, provide valuable resources, and create an open space for sharing the challenges of the startup journey.
This event brings together founders, startup leadership teams, and their engineers for insightful conversations and inter-generational learning. Whether you're seeking advice, inspiration, or support, this event is designed to empower and elevate those building the next wave of innovation.
We’ll have:
When & Where
When: June 18th 2025
Where: London (Canada Water) - exact address will be shared with you once your attendance is confirmed.
Agenda
4-6pm: Office Hours
5:30-6pm: Facilities Tour
6-6:30pm: Networking, drinks & canapés
6:30-7:15pm: Founder Stories: Fireside chat
7:15-7:45pm: Facilitated Networking
8pm - late: Open networking
8-9pm: Executive Challenge Circle
*Note: Open Networking & the Executive Challenge Circle run in parallel
Fireside Chat with Noamaan Siddiqi
Noamaan Siddiqi
CEO & CTO at Bristol Superlight
Noamaan is the co-founder and CEO of Bristol Superlight, a UK-based climate tech company pioneering next-generation electric commercial vehicles and smart city technologies. With deep expertise in electronics systems and advanced battery design, he’s behind award-winning energy platforms powering some of the world’s most innovative vehicles.
Noamaan’s background spans the automotive, defence, and cloud industries, with products deployed globally, from under the sea to solar orbit. He is also a named inventor on several patents. By taking a first-principles, physics-led approach to rethinking trucks, Noamaan has led the development of a groundbreaking new vehicle - each of which will abate more than 1 kilotonne of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
In his fireside chat, Noamaan will share the raw truth about product-market fit, the so-called “green premium”, unconventional ways to win early customers, and bold alternatives to VC funding. We'll be using Chatham House rules to create a safe space for honest conversations. Expect to hear hard-earned, honest insights from a founder who's scaling deeptech hardware on his own terms.
Expert Office Hours
Click or tap on each option for more information
Pitch Practice & Public Speaking Coaching
What: Do a run through of your pitch and receive feedback on your speaking style and delivery techniques from a public speaking coach.
You should attend these if: You’re about to fundraise or have upcoming speaking engagements and want to take your pitching & speaking to the next level.
Hosted by: Climate Connection
Climate Connection brings together the climate community to create opportunities for learning and collaboration, to support the growth of a more effective, faster- moving, and more resilient sector.
Ran by: Juliette Devillard - Founder & CEO of Climate Connection
Requirements: Attendees must come prepared to give a short talk or 5-10min pitch.
Length: 30 mins
Juliette Devillard
Founder & CEO of Climate Connection
Business Plan & Financial Model Review
What: Receive detailed feedback on the strength of your business plan or financial model. This session will help you refine either the messaging of your business plan, or the structure of your financial model to make it more compelling to investors.
You should attend these if: You’re about to fundraise, have upcoming speaking engagements and want to sharpen your business narrative, or are looking to build a robust financial plan that aligns with your business strategy.
Hosted by: Prosemino
Prosemino creates, builds, and supports startups to tackle the net-zero challenge, offering a new model to fast-track innovations to commercial reality.
Run by: Gyen Ming Angel - Director of Venture Building at Prosemino
Requirements:
Pre-seed > seed stage
Considering or actively trying to fundraise
Attendees must express whether they’re looking for feedback on their business plan or on their financial model
Length: 30 mins
Gyen Ming Angel
Director of Venture Building at Prosemino
Digital Marketing Strategy Review
What: A session to get practical advice on starting or scaling your digital marketing strategy.
You should attend these if: You're working on tech-based climate solutions and need help framing your message or telling your story.
Hosted by: Adopter
Adopter helps early stage climate technology solutions reach customers, investors and employees with digital marketing.
Ran by: Katherine Keddie - Co-Founder & Director at Adopter
Requirements:
Pre-Seed > Series B
Attendees need to share up to three biggest marketing challenges in advance of the session and a link to their primary online channel (eg. website)
Additional information (eg. pitch deck, marketing plan) are welcome in advance, must be shared 3 or more working days before the event (optional)
Length: 30 mins
Katherine Keddie
Co-Founder & Director at Adopter
Commercial Contracts Advice
What: This session will help you with drafting, negotiating, or reviewing your supplier or customer contracts – so you can navigate the complexities and ensure your agreements are robust.
You should attend these if: You have a contract in mind that needs legal review or if you want to develop template documents tailored for your company – let’s have a chat!
Hosted by: Bird & Bird
Bird & Bird is a leading international law firm with a strong focus on helping start-ups and tech companies succeed. We're all about giving you practical, strategic advice that really makes a difference.
Run by: Simi Khagram - Technology Lawyer at Bird & Bird
Requirements:
Please bring along any relevant contracts you would like to discuss.
Length: 30 mins
Simi Khagram
Technology Lawyer at Bird & Bird
Public Relations Strategy Review
What: A session designed to help you communicate effectively through the media - whether you're attracting investors, announcing a new partnership, or promoting a fundraise.
You should attend these if: You're eager to raise the profile of your organisation in the media and want to speak with journalists but don’t know where to start.
Hosted by: Harpswood
Harpswood is a purpose-driven PR agency that works with organisations making the world fairer, better and cleaner.
Ran by: James Clench, Founder at Harpswood and Eva Lightfoot, Senior Account Manager at Harpswood
Requirements: Seed > Series A stage
Length: 30 mins
James Clench
Founder at Harpswood
Eva Lightfoot
Senior Account Manager at Harpswood
IP Session with Withers & Rogers
What: Introduction to identifying & protecting your IP, Freedom to Operate and Competitive Landscape analysis and reporting.
You should attend these if: You’re in the early stages of IP planning and want insights into protecting your technology and/or Brand.
Hosted by: Withers & Rogers
Withers & Rogers is one of Europe’s largest dedicated intellectual property law firms. Established 140 years ago, W&R remains as passionate as ever about making intellectual property work to their clients’ best advantage. Their clients include many renowned, innovative organisations from across Europe, North America and Asia.
Run by: Mark Sugden & Ben Palmer - Partners at Withers & Rogers
Requirements:
Pre-seed > Series A, particularly those with unique technology or proprietary processes.
Considering, actively trying or unsuccessfully tried to develop an IP strategy or file an IP
Attendees should come prepared to discuss the competitive landscape and any known risks around IP (e.g., potential infringement, freedom to operate).
Attendees should prepare questions or discuss challenges they are facing
Length: 30 mins
Mark Sugden
Partner at Withers & Rogers
Ben Palmer
Partner at Withers & Rogers
Team building and hiring mission-driven talent
What: An open session to discuss your hiring and talent strategy. I am on hand to answer any questions you may have about who to hire, salary benchmarking, talent availability, how to best structure your interview process and how to sell your mission and culture.
You should attend these if: You’re planning to grow your team in the next few months, and you’d like to make sure your offering is compelling in the market. Or if you’re an Investor looking to better support your portfolio companies with their talent strategy.
Hosted by: Above and Beyond Recruitment
We facilitate the growth of pioneering companies who are solving the climate crisis. We have supported over 25 climate start-ups in the last few years with building and growing their teams, and we offer a very comprehensive talent planning and recruitment service which is tailored specifically to early-stage and scaling businesses.
Run by: Cherry Swayne - Founder & CEO of Above and Beyond Recruitment
Requirements:
Attendees must be seeking to grow their team in the next few months.
Length: 30 mins
Cherry Swayne
Founder & CEO of Above and Beyond Recruitment
Go-To-Market : How to find and win anchor clients and reference wins
What: How can commercially focused Founders and Co-Founders build a business around their product/ service?
You should attend these if: You’re responsible for turning your product into a business and your strategy is focused on B2B client engagement and revenue.
Hosted by: K3C
K3C supports the Climate Connection community to accelerate the impact of their Mission and Purpose on Climate Imperative issues. We help founders and Startup’s to secure early-stage reference clients and build scalable repeatable go-to-market strategies & PMF that VC’s will invest in.
Run by: James Clark – Founder at K3C
Requirements: Attendees should have a good idea of where they are, where they want to be and be willing to explore how to get there.
Length: 30 mins
James Clark
Founder & CEO of K3C
Partner Overview
British Land is a property company which creates, owns and manages some of the UK’s best and most sustainable real estate.
We’re working closely with science and technology partners to create the best possible spaces for innovation, all within our London campuses, which are among London’s most diverse and attractive places to work.
Prosemino creates, builds, and supports startups to tackle the net-zero challenge, offering a new model to fast-track innovations to commercial reality. Founded in 2020 by leading innovators in energy technologies, our mission is to protect the environment and lower the cost of energy. By providing access to capital, industry connections, and specialised lab facilities, we reduce the commercialisation timeline to just 12-18 months, turning innovative ideas into reality.
Climate Connection brings climate changemakers together through impactful, interactive, and human-centric events!
Forget death-by-powerpoint and dinners where you meet the two people you sit next to. We design the kind of events we wish we were invited to. With an average rating of 9/10 on our event surveys, we know our community agrees.
