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Latest Startup Forum Activity
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The David Prize, an initiative of the Walentas Foundation, is offering $200,000 USD to five individuals with bold, innovative ideas to create meaningful and lasting change across New York City. With $1 million USD in total awards, the programme supports passionate individuals developing solutions to social, cultural, economic and environmental challenges affecting local communities. Unlike traditional grants, The David Prize provides unrestricted financial support, giving winners the freedom to develop their ideas and make a positive impact without conventional grant reporting requirements. Who Can Apply?The programme welcomes individuals who: Live and work in New York City, across its five boroughs. Have an ambitious vision to improve the city and its communities. Demonstrate a track record of taking action and creating positive change. Have the determination and ability to turn their ideas into reality. Could significantly benefit from the funding and recognition offered. Applicants can be entrepreneurs, community leaders, artists, activists, educators or individuals working across other sectors. Important: The prize is awarded to individuals rather than organisations. Applicants may be affiliated with a business or charity, but the focus is on the person and their vision. What Can the Funding Support?The prize welcomes innovative ideas across a wide range of areas, including: 1. Community Development Projects strengthening local communities. Initiatives addressing poverty and inequality. Activities improving access to essential opportunities and services. Programmes supporting underserved communities. 2. Social Innovation New approaches to tackling social challenges. Initiatives supporting young people and vulnerable residents. Projects addressing barriers to employment and education. Innovative solutions to local community needs. 3. Arts, Culture and Creativity Creative projects celebrating New York City's communities. Cultural initiatives encouraging inclusion and participation. Programmes supporting artistic expression and community engagement. 4. Environmental and Economic Change Community-led environmental initiatives. Projects promoting sustainability. Innovative approaches to economic opportunity. Initiatives improving neighbourhoods and public spaces. These are examples rather than restricted funding categories. Applicants are encouraged to propose bold ideas that could make New York City a better place. Funding AvailableAward Amount: $200,000 USD per winner. Total Funding Available: $1 million USD. Number of Awards: Five. Funding Type: Unrestricted individual prize. Location: New York City, United States. Application Status: Open. Application Deadline: 30 November 2026. Reporting Requirements: No conventional grant reporting or impact metrics required. How Are Applications Assessed?Applicants are considered based on: Vision: The originality and ambition of their idea. Community Impact: How their work could improve New York City. Track Record: Evidence of commitment and previous achievements. Determination: Their ability to overcome challenges and deliver results. Potential: How the award could accelerate their work and create meaningful change. How to ApplyInterested individuals must complete the official online application through The David Prize submission platform. The application process includes: Step 1 – Initial Application: Submit a short application outlining your vision and how you intend to improve New York City. Step 2 – Invitation Only: Selected applicants are invited to provide further information about their ideas and experience. Shortlisting: The organisers conduct additional research and interviews with shortlisted candidates. Final Interviews: Finalists participate in an interview before five winners are selected. Nominations are optional, and individuals can apply directly without being nominated.
Entreprenista, in partnership with IT Cosmetics, is offering a $5,000 USD business grant to support women entrepreneurs looking to grow and strengthen their businesses. The Entreprenista Evolve Grant is a quarterly funding opportunity designed for established, revenue-generating women-owned or women-led businesses ready to take their next steps towards growth. The programme aims to provide financial flexibility, helping female founders invest in business improvements, pursue new opportunities and build sustainable companies. Who Can Apply?Eligible applicants must: Own or lead a business based in the United States. Have been operating for at least one year. Generate at least $100,000 USD in annual business revenue. Be a woman founder or business leader. Have not previously received the Entreprenista Evolve Grant. Be looking to invest in the next stage of business growth. Important: This opportunity is only available to US-based businesses. UK-only businesses are not eligible. What Can the Funding Support?The grant is designed to provide flexible financial support for business growth. Potential uses include: 1. Business Growth and Expansion Investing in resources needed to expand business operations. Supporting existing growth strategies. Strengthening business infrastructure. Helping businesses pursue new commercial opportunities. 2. Business Development Investing in tools and resources that support business performance. Improving operational capabilities. Supporting the next stage of business development. Implementing previously developed growth plans. 3. Financial Flexibility Reducing financial barriers to business growth. Helping founders make important business investments. Supporting business stability during periods of expansion. Providing additional resources without taking on loan debt. Applicants should review the official grant terms for any restrictions on how funding can be used. Funding AvailableGrant Amount: $5,000 USD. Funding Type: Business growth grant. Award Frequency: Quarterly. Eligible Applicants: Established women-owned or women-led businesses. Minimum Annual Revenue: $100,000 USD. Minimum Trading History: One year. Location: United States only. Application Status: Application form available. Application Deadline: No specific closing date confirmed on the official programme page. How to ApplyInterested entrepreneurs should visit the official Entreprenista Evolve Grant website and complete the online application. Applicants should be prepared to provide information about their business, its trading history, annual revenue and plans for future growth. Before applying, businesses should review the full eligibility requirements and any application conditions.
The UK Government's Connect Fund has opened its third funding round, offering grants of £300 to £50,000 to support community organisations, charities and not-for-profit groups developing stronger connections between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. With a total funding budget of £2.55 million, the programme aims to encourage collaboration, strengthen community relationships and support innovative projects addressing shared challenges across the United Kingdom. Funding is available for one-off activities and longer-term initiatives that bring communities together, develop leadership opportunities and create lasting partnerships. Who Can Apply?The programme welcomes eligible organisations, including: Registered charities and voluntary organisations. Community groups and constituted clubs. Community Interest Companies (CICs). Not-for-profit companies. Civic society organisations. National representative bodies. Eligible statutory organisations. Applicants must: Be formally established for public benefit and operate on a not-for-profit basis. Demonstrate how their project directly benefits communities in Northern Ireland. Establish relevant partnerships between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Have appropriate governance arrangements and financial controls. Meet the programme's organisational eligibility requirements. Important: Organisations based in Great Britain must collaborate with a partner in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland applicants generally need a partner in Great Britain, although exceptions may apply for certain standalone activities. Individuals, sole traders and profit-distributing companies are not eligible. What Can the Funding Support?1. Community Collaboration and Partnerships Building connections between organisations in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Establishing long-term community partnerships. Developing collaborative networks and forums. Sharing knowledge and practical solutions to common challenges. 2. Cultural, Sports and Community Activities Community events and cultural exchanges. Sports and recreational initiatives. Activities encouraging participation and inclusion. Projects strengthening relationships between communities. 3. Leadership and Skills Development Training and development opportunities for community leaders. Leadership programmes involving organisations across the UK. Knowledge-sharing workshops and networking events. Activities strengthening community organisations' capabilities. 4. Events, Conferences and Engagement Organising or attending relevant conferences. Facilitating visits between community organisations. Hosting exhibitions and collaborative events. Supporting discussions on shared community challenges. Funding can support eligible project delivery costs, travel and directly attributable staffing costs. Staffing must not exceed 20% of the total project cost. Core operating costs and capital expenditure are not eligible. Funding AvailableGrant Amount: £300–£50,000 per project. Total Funding Budget: £2.55 million. Funding Type: Community collaboration and project funding. Eligible Locations: United Kingdom, with a requirement to directly benefit Northern Ireland communities. Application Status: Open. Application Deadline: 18 December 2026 at 5pm UK time. Project Delivery Period: 1 April 2027 – 31 March 2028. Key DatesApplications Open: 2 November 2026. Applications Close: 18 December 2026 at 5pm. Expected Funding Decisions: Beginning of March 2027. Project Delivery Starts: 1 April 2027. Project Delivery Ends: 31 March 2028. How Are Applications Assessed?Applications should demonstrate how the proposed activities contribute to the fund's objectives, including: Collaboration: Strengthening relationships between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Community Impact: Delivering meaningful benefits for Northern Ireland communities. Innovation: Introducing original approaches to building connections. Feasibility: Providing a realistic project plan, budget and delivery timeline. Long-Term Benefits: Creating opportunities for continued engagement and collaboration. How to ApplyInterested organisations must complete the official Connect Fund application form before the deadline. Applicants will need to provide: A summary of their proposed project and objectives. Details of participating organisations and delivery partners. A project plan outlining activities, milestones and timescales. A detailed budget and proposed payment schedule. Information about expected participants and community benefits. Details of how project outcomes will be monitored and evaluated.until
Every AI founder’s nightmare: OpenAI or Anthropic ships a new feature in ChatGPT or Claude that wipes out your product overnight. Thin “AI wrapper” products built on top of large language models are easy to build, and just as easy to replace. Investors know it too. Before anything else, VCs now ask one question: what is your AI startup’s moat? The answer lies in proprietary workflows, niche data, deep industry integration and the kind of trust that general-purpose AI struggles to earn. Get that right and AI becomes a lasting advantage. Get it wrong and your product becomes a free feature inside someone else’s platform. What we’ll discuss The AI wrapper trap: why products built on top of ChatGPT or Claude are easy to copy, and how to avoid becoming a feature in someone else’s platform Where real moats come from today: proprietary data, workflows, deep industry integration and customer trust Why trust, governance and verifiable AI win in regulated industries like fintech Owning versus renting AI: when to fine-tune open-weight models and when to pay for an API How investors now judge whether an AI startup is defensible What attendees will take away A practical framework for testing how defensible your AI product really is Clear guidance on what to build in-house and what to buy or rent Real lessons from founders building AI in finance and regulated markets A chance to see live founder demos and hear direct feedback from the speakers Time to ask questions and connect with other founders, operators and technologists building with AI in London Join us for the second Founders & AI session, a founder-focused startup event in London at The Brew, Shoreditch (Old Street): a fireside chat featuring Cien Solon (Founder & CEO, LaunchLemonade), Ajit Barik (Founder & CEO, HyphenOne and Wyzr) and Anurag Jain (Founder, Digital Back Office and Dataflow). They will unpack the AI wrapper trap, how to build a defensible AI startup with proprietary moats, why verifiable AI wins in regulated industries like fintech, and when to fine-tune open-source models versus paying for an API. Limited places. Register now. Seats are capped with limited founders only, to keep the conversation focused and personal. If you're building a business and ready to scale it with AI, grab this opportunity and secure your place before it fills up. How to join Founder DemosThis time, we’ve set aside 10 minutes for live founder demos. If you’d like to show what you’re building, apply through the demo application form (Click to Open Demo Form). From the applications, we’ll select a few founders to demo on the night, and we’ll personally invite those selected so they have time to prepare. Application deadline: Sunday, 22 November Limited places. Register Now. Seats are capped to keep the conversation focused and personal. Free to attend. If you’re building with AI and want a business that lasts, secure your place before it fills up. Date, Time and ScheduleDate: Thursday, 26 November 2026 Time: 17:30 to 20:00 Venue: The Brew Shoreditch, Eagle House, 163 City Road, London EC1V 1NR (https://share.google/PU1YqiVJeOK7yHnRy) Run of Show 17:30 to 18:15 Registration, drinks, food and founder networking. 18:15 to 18:25 Welcome and quick introductions around the room. 18:25 to 19:10 Fireside chat with Cien Solon, Ajit Barik and Anurag Jain 19:10 to 19:20 Live founder demos, with feedback from the speakers. 19:20 to 19:40 Open Q&A focused on building a defensible AI product. 19:40 to 20:00 Curated founder networking. About SpeakersCien Solon, Founder & CEO, LaunchLemonadeNo-code AI, product and startup growth Cien is the Founder & CEO of LaunchLemonade, a London-based no-code platform that lets anyone build, deploy and monetise AI agents trained on their own data. Since launching in 2024, LaunchLemonade has grown to more than 6,000 users and closed an oversubscribed pre-seed round, now funding a marketplace where users can sell the agents they build. Ajit Barik, Founder & CEO, HyphenOne and WyzrFintech, product and trusted AI Ajit is a London-based founder and former Deutsche Bank trader, building AI agents that can be trusted in finance. His company HyphenOne, part of Wyzr Fintech which he founded in 2020, builds verifiable, auditable AI for credit underwriting, due diligence and financial reporting for private credit, private equity and finance teams. Anurag Jain, Founder, Digital Back Office & DataflowEngineering, cloud, data and applied AI Anurag brings the technical lens: where real defensibility comes from in an AI product, when fine-tuning smaller open-weight models pays off, and what founders should understand before betting their engineering time on a platform they don’t control. With 25+ years in the industry, he has worked with startups and enterprises, and through Digital Back Office helps startups and scale-ups turn data into decisions, manual processes into intelligent automation, and AI ideas into measurable outcomes. About Founders & AIFounders & AI is a free, monthly startup event series in London for early-stage founders building in the AI era. Each session tackles one real decision founders face as they grow, from choosing the right AI tools and keeping costs down, to building a product that can’t be copied, winning customers and becoming investor-ready. Held at The Brew in Shoreditch, the series brings together experienced founders, operators and technologists for honest, practical conversations about what has actually worked, what hasn’t, and the trade-offs behind each decision. Every session also gives founders the stage, with live demos of what they’re building and direct feedback from the speakers. Frequently asked Questions (FAQs)Who should attend? Pre-seed and seed founders, technical co-founders and product leads building with AI in London, and anyone worried about OpenAI or Anthropic copying their idea. Is Founders & AI free? Yes, with food and drinks provided. Places are limited and registration is by approval. When and where is it? Thursday 26 November, 5:30–8:00 PM, The Brew, Eagle House, 163 City Road, London EC1V 1NR, near Old Street. How can I demo my startup? Apply through the demo form. Selected founders get a personal invite. Will there be time to network? Yes, before and after the session. How often does Founders & AI run? Monthly. Follow the Luma calendar to hear about each new session first.Trusted byTikTokGoldsmithsStartups MagazineBarclaysImportant Information
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