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UCL’s most inspirational startups pitch at London Demo Day 2024
19 September 2024
Promising entrepreneurs from UCL, the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE), King’s College London and Imperial College London pitched their startups to over 150 investors at this year’s London Demo Day.
The annual event, hosted this year by LSE, brings together investors with the most ambitious startups at the top London universities with founder-owned IP.
Five early-growth stage businesses from UCL joined 15 others in pitching to an audience of over 500 guests, including investors, partners, students and alumni, each hoping to raise between £100,000 and £2 million.
The five startups representing UCL this year were:
Anima People, founded by Nadine Michaelides (UCL CDT Cybersecurity PhD, 2025) – Management of Human Factors conducive to information and cybersecurity through the use of psychological measurement tools designed to measure human factor risk, security culture, campaign and training impact.
Vollou, co-founded by Andres Payne (UCL Information Management for Business, 2021) with Callum Osborne and Niklas Homan,bridges the gap between artists, venues and transparent royalty sharing.
Inxtinct, co-founded by Deepanjan Paul and Bader Alghoul (MS Information Security, 2019), creates Cybersecurity solutions carefully crafted for startups and SMEs looking to protect their sensitive data.
Body Own, co-founded by Nayol Branco Dos Santos (MSc Global Healthcare Management, 2023) and Ruby Lai (MSc Cognitive Neuroscience, 2022), is a digital hub of sexual health education and specialist support for women aged 18-34.
Interstellar Space Technologies, founded by Mohit Joshi (MSc Technology Management, 2021), is an in-space manufacturing and construction company.
UCL alumnus Deepanjan Paul, co-founder of Inxtinct, said: “Pitching at London Demo Day is a fantastic opportunity, both for me personally and for Inxtinct. It’s a chance to showcase how we’re making AI-powered cybersecurity accessible for businesses of all sizes.
“The support we have received from UCL Innovation & Enterprise through the Hatchery Incubator Programme at BaseKX has been invaluable, guiding us every step of the way. UCL's mentorship has helped us navigate the challenges of launching a cybersecurity startup, and we are excited to build on that support as we push towards our next phase of growth.”
The pitch session was followed by a networking drinks reception and opportunity for the founders to exhibit their startups.
Since the first London Demo Day in 2019, over 65 startups have pitched to investors. To date, they have collectively raised over £97 million, with a combined post-money valuation of £289 million.
Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), said: “London Demo Day is an exciting opportunity for our most innovative startups to connect with investors and promote their ideas to a wide audience, building on the impact they are already having on the world. Since the first London Demo Day in 2019, several UCL startups have gone on to attract significant support from investors. I’m excited to see what’s in store for the five businesses who pitched at this year’s event.”
UCL alumnus Rashid Aliyev (UCL Information Management for Business, 2019) pitched his startup Stackt at London Demo Day in September 2023. Together with his co-founder Danil Gontovnik, they went on to secure £1 million of investment from a range of investors in December.
Rashid said: “London Demo Day got out name and mission in front of over 400 people and opened up some interesting conversations which have indirectly affected the round closure. The more people who know about you and your business the better when it comes to finding investors.”
The five UCL startups are all part of The Hatchery incubator programme at BaseKX, UCL’s dedicated entrepreneurship hub in the King’s Cross Knowledge Quarter, managed by UCL Innovation & Enterprise. They receive free support, mentorship and equity free office space as well as masterclasses, clinics and competitions to fast-track their success and prepare them for investment.
UCL’s thriving entrepreneurial community produces startups that attract millions of pounds of investment, creating jobs and spearheading innovation that boosts the UK economy. Over the last five years more than 335 new student startups were created at UCL. Collectively they have raised over £327 million in external investment and currently employ over 2,000 people.
Next year’s London Demo Day will be hosted by UCL in September 2025.
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- Startups pitching at London Demo Day. Credit: LSE
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Kate Corry
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