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Techstars London

Techstars London

Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals

The world's largest pre-seed investor.

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About us

Our London programs catalyse emerging startups from all over the world, across all verticals, leveraging the city's strengths in diversity, global outlook and talent.

Website
https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/londoncom
Industry
Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
Company size
2-10 employees

Updates

  • Techstars London reposted this

    View organization page for Techstars
    Techstars

    339,296 followers

    Raising your first round is one of the hardest parts of building a startup. Join us for a live session where you will gain practical insights on how to frame traction, think about valuation, and build genuine momentum in your raise—while avoiding the common pitfalls that turn investors off. 📆 October 22nd at 12:00pm ET 🔗 https://luma.com/o6ziv0n2 Learn from 🎤 Georgina Smithwick, Managing Director at Techstars London 🎤 Usman Gul, Founder & CEO of Metal

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  • View organization page for Techstars London
    Techstars London

    1,878 followers

    Founder raising your first round? Let’s make it easier. Raising pre-seed and seed funding is one of the toughest parts of building a startup - especially when you’re trying to figure out what investors actually look for, what traction really means, and how to tell a story that cuts through the noise. Join us for “How to Raise Pre-Seed and Seed”, a live session with Georgina Smithwick, Managing Director at Techstars London, and Usman Gul, Founder & CEO of Metal - the AI-powered fundraising OS backed by a16z. Gul previously raised $120M+ for his first startup (backed by First Round Capital and Harry Stebbings’ 20VC) and now helps founders supercharge their own raise. Together, they’ll share insider tips on how top investors evaluate founders, what red flags to avoid, and how to build real momentum in your round. Expect a candid, tactical conversation with examples you can apply immediately. 📅 Next Wednesday, October 22 · 17:00 BST (12:00 ET) 💻 Live on Zoom + LinkedIn 🔗 Register via the link in comments #startups #fundraising #earlystage #founder #techstars #accelerator

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  • View organization page for Techstars London
    Techstars London

    1,878 followers

    Great reflections from our MD Georgina Smithwick on why students should build startups 👇 We’re seeing incredible talent emerging straight out of universities across Europe and beyond - and we’re here to back them. If you’re an early founder already building your startup - applications for our next Techstars program are open now. Link to apply in the comments! 👇

    View profile for Georgina Smithwick
    Georgina Smithwick

    Investor in early-stage founders // Managing Director at Techstars

    Paul Graham once wrote that students shouldn’t build start-ups. I disagree. Last Friday, I was invited to speak at Keble College, Oxford, to an amazing entrepreneurial community from Oxford and Cambridge - encouraging the many budding founders to back themselves and build, just as I did back in 2010. During my studies, I had an idea I couldn’t shake. When I landed a last-minute pitch meeting with Terry Clune — one of Ireland’s top tech entrepreneurs — I had less than twelve hours to show him a demo. I called Tiernan Kennedy, one of the best software engineers I knew on campus, who worked through the night to ship one just in time — all for the thrill of the challenge. That morning, Terry committed to backing me, and for the next two years, I was propelled into a crash course in building a startup. Looking back, the talent density at university is unmatched — future Stripe engineers, future product designers, future journalists at the student paper. My peers stress-tested products, brainstormed over midnight coffees, and built with me through moments of chaos. Graham is, of course, right that start-ups are all-consuming and demand 200% commitment. But university campuses are the perfect breeding ground for the discovery phase - for prototyping, pitch practice, and finding co-founders or early team hires. Those with the urge to build shouldn’t wait to start. I was delighted to meet so many students and recent grads with big ambitions — and I hope to support them however possible on their journeys. Thank you for inviting me Udai D. Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society Cambridge University Entrepreneurs Oxbridge AI Challenge & Oxbridge AI X 🙌🏼

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  • View organization page for Techstars London
    Techstars London

    1,878 followers

    Big update from Techstars for founders 🚀 Earlier this year, Techstars announced updated investment terms - increasing our total investment to $220,000 on improved, founder-friendly terms. Starting with our upcoming London program, for which applications are now open (link in the comments!), every company accepted into Techstars will receive: 💸 $220K total investment ⚖️ Structured as $200K via an uncapped MFN SAFE and $20K for ~5% common equity 🌍 Plus lifelong access to the Techstars network of 8,000+ founders, mentors, and investors This will be the first Techstars London cohort we’re sourcing under these new terms - and applications are now open. If you’ve been thinking about joining Techstars, now’s the time. 👇 Links in the comments to: - The full Techstars investment terms update - The application #TechstarsLondon #Techstars #Startups #Founders #Funding #Accelerator #VentureCapital

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  • View organization page for Techstars London
    Techstars London

    1,878 followers

    Tonight our MD Georgie Smithwick joins the stage at the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge AI Entrepreneurship Evening at Keble College, Oxford. The evening will bring together some of the most ambitious founders, researchers, and investors in AI - and launches the Oxbridge AI Challenge & Oxbridge AI X 2025. ✨ Highlights: - Fireside chat with Georgie on her founder journey and investing in AI - Startup pitches over dinner - Networking with the Oxford & Cambridge AI community Looking forward to meeting founders who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in AI. #Techstars #AI #Entrepreneurship #FounderJourney #Oxford #Cambridge

    View organization page for Oxbridge AI Challenge & Oxbridge AI X
    Oxbridge AI Challenge & Oxbridge AI X

    2,683 followers

    🚀 Join us for the inaugural Oxford edition of the Oxford-Cambridge AI Entrepreneurship Evening! Mark your calendars: Friday, 3rd October 2025 at Keble College, Oxford This prestigious black-tie event brings together the brightest minds in AI entrepreneurship from University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, and is the official launch event of Oxbridge AI Challenge & Oxbridge AI X 2025 (£60,000 in equity-free prizes!), year 3, and celebrating our 2nd anniversary. ✨ HIGHLIGHTS: - Fireside Chat with Georgie Smithwick, Managing Director at Techstars London - Connect with leaders from Microsoft, Lovable, Digital Realty, NetMind.AI, and others - Live startup pitches during formal dinner. This is how we do things in Oxford and Cambridge!  - Extensive networking with VCs, founders, and researchers 📅 SCHEDULE: 4:00pm - Fireside Chat with Georgie Smithwick 6:00pm - Oxbridge AI Challenge Launch Drinks Reception 7:00pm - Formal Dinner with Startup Pitches 10:00pm - Networking & Drinks 🎯 WHY ATTEND: This event is focussed on bringing people from Oxbridge's AI Entrepreneurship community together. Join us and connect with students, researchers, VC's and leaders from Microsoft, Lovable, Digital Realty, Netmind, and many others. Spaces are limited and deadline for tickets is Tuesday 30th of September. The inaugural dinner at Cambridge had almost 150 people and is still talked about as one of the events of the year. 👔 Dress Code: Black Tie (no gowns) 📍 Location: Keble College, Oxford 🎫 Registration: https://luma.com/xl6rzutq ⏰ Deadline: Tuesday, 30th September (spaces limited!) Brought to you by Oxbridge AI X, King's E-Lab, and Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society, in partnership with Cambridge University Entrepreneurs, Cambridge Female Founders Network, Oxford Seed Fund, and Oxbridge AI X Cambridge. Supported by Microsoft, Digital Realty, NetMind.AI, Marcho Partners, and Lovable. Oxford and Cambridge AI Entrepreneurs and budding Entrepreneurs out there come and learn more about the Oxbridge AI Challenge. We dare you to believe in yourself! We Do! You've got this and We've Got Your Back! 💪 Oxbridge AI X #OxbridgeAIX #AIEntrepreneurship #OxfordStartups #CambridgeStartups #TechstartsLondon #BlackTieEvent #StartupLife #VentureCapital #AIInnovation #EntrepreneurshipJourney Big thanks to Jenny Tudge , Bronwyn Friedemann , Sarfraz Hussain, Kamiar Mohaddes, Irwin Zaid, Sophie Harbour, Moneli Samarakkodi, Arif A. Wani, Michael H., Greg Jones, Dora Handrea, Ivan Vasenov, Emre Isik, Tom Wang, HannaYin Lindgren, Narankar S., Xann Schwinn, Lizzie Mushangwe and our Founder and President Udai Dhamija for making this event happen! Special mentions to: Kathy Harvey, Marc J Ventresca, Daniel Armanios (he/him/il/他), FASME, Siddhartha Sensharma, Jigar Patel, Michael C., Greta Sikora, and Xinyue Wu

  • View organization page for Techstars London
    Techstars London

    1,878 followers

    One of the best things about Techstars London? During program, we bring in experienced, successful founders for no-holds-barred, 1-1 sessions where our founders can ask anything and learn directly from those who’ve been in the trenches. This year, we had the privilege of hosting Krishna Raj Raja, founder of SupportLogic. He shared candid lessons from his journey that every early-stage founder should take to heart: - Naivety is a strength - don’t overthink the risks, fresh eyes lead to new ways to look at problems. -Ask for advice, not money (“If you ask for advice, you often get money”). - Founder-led sales are non-negotiable for your first 20–50 customers. - Customer feedback is your true north - not industry noise or trends. - Product-market fit isn’t one moment, it’s a continuous process. - ROI stories are weak early on - lean into your personal story and why you started. - For enterprise, don’t sell too soon - a “well-baked” product builds trust. In sum: Your story, scrappiness, and founder-led sales are your unfair advantage in the early days. Big thanks to Krishna for sharing his journey with our founders 🙌 Applications for Techstars London 2025 are now open - if you’re building something bold and want access to this kind of experience and network, apply with the link in the comments below!

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  • View organization page for Techstars London
    Techstars London

    1,878 followers

    Throwback to earlier this year when we welcomed Shun Pang, founder of Anima, to share his journey with our founders at Techstars London. Anima helps GP practices manage patient caseloads 10x faster - and is now scaling past $10M ARR. Shun's lessons for founders: - Run towards pain - don't avoid churn, pricing, or customer truths. - Hire one-in-a-million talent - it levels up the company and inspires peers. - Balance your schedule by incorporating energy-giving activities while minimising or delegating energy-draining tasks. Georgie Smithwick Eoghan O'Flaherty

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  • View organization page for Techstars London
    Techstars London

    1,878 followers

    Founder? Raising soon? Start here - some great tips on building your investor list in 30 days.

  • View organization page for Techstars London
    Techstars London

    1,878 followers

    Manny Medina has raised over $450 million to scale his start-up Outreach since pre-seed from Techstars - it’s one of his super powers. So if you’re a founder gearing up for your next funding round, take the advice Manny gave our founders at Demo Day: chasing polite yeses won’t get you cash in the bank. Manny, a multi-time founder - most recently with Paid - has extraordinary fundraising experience (including with Sequoia Capital and EQT Ventures) and offers brutally honest, practical advice for first-time fundraisers ⬇️ 1️⃣ Treat Fundraising Like a Muscle - Keep Training. Fundraising isn’t a one-off show. Every pitch acts as practice, helping you sharpen your communication and your story. 2️⃣ Perfect Your Pitch - Test with Your B-List First. Start by pitching to investors who aren’t your top choices. Use their feedback to fine-tune your approach so you’re highly effective when meeting your A-list targets. 3️⃣ Don’t Mistake Interest for Commitment - Avoid the “Soft Yes” Trap. Warm conversations and positive vibes are not a signed check. Lay out a clear fundraising process, move decisively toward commitments, and focus on driving clear timelines and outcomes - not just friendly meetings. #Fundraising #Startups #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #FounderAdvice #Startups #Techstars #InvestorTips #Pitching

  • Techstars London reposted this

    View profile for Nick Gibbons
    Nick Gibbons

    Bootstrapping the rails for crypto’s next billion transactions.

    Brilliant evening last night hosted by Bloctopus in London - I have to share my thoughts. The evening featured Antoine Scalia, Founder of Cryptio. If you're not familiar, Cryptio is the leading institutional-grade crypto accounting platform. They work with over 450 enterprise clients worldwide, covering exchanges, custodians, asset managers, banks, and institutional investors. Anisha Goel, co-founder of Bloctopus (the blockchain devops platform), hosted the fireside chat, held at Techstars London HQ. What struck me most was Antoine's story. He founded Cryptio back in 2018 – right in the middle of the bear market! He didn't shy away from the early struggles and tough decisions he faced growing it into the leader it is today. The conversation was fascinating. He talked about maintaining conviction even when the market crashed, the challenges of being a solo founder initially, and how the company culture evolved as they moved from hiring mostly young engineers to bringing in more experienced professionals. He also shared insights on getting early traction in the U.S., and the strategic decision to focus on an enterprise SaaS model rather than launching a token. Fundraising in Europe was tough, but they found success in the U.S. because investors there had stronger conviction in the space. It was incredibly inspiring to hear how he navigated the chaos of the blockchain world and built infrastructure that now helps power the institutional shift to crypto. He also touched on Cryptio's future plans, including expanding their data infrastructure to better support institutional crypto adoption who face complex data and compliance challenges as the market matures. This was a great opportunity to hear first-hand from someone shaping the future of Web3. This one left me feeling energised and optimistic about the direction things are heading. Thoroughly enjoyed in-depth discussions with Madhav Sehajpaul, Scott Cooper, Mihai Ciorba, CPA auditor and Francesco Vlacancich Anisha Goel, Francesco Vlacancich & Eoghan O'Flaherty - thank you for hosting.

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