Alongside a row of judges, I listened to founders pitch at HackerSquad’s Build Pitch Fund event. Coming away from the room reminded me of something I had half forgotten from my brand consultancy days: a founder’s two-minute window quickly shows whether they truly understand the problem they are trying to solve.
Fifty applicants entered, but only eleven startups made the final cut. The strongest teams were not asking, “What if AI could do this?” They were looking beyond what already exists and building products and services with a clear reason to stand apart.
The problem comes before the technology
A compelling pitch does not begin with a list of features. It begins with a precise understanding of who needs help, what is currently failing them and why the proposed solution deserves to exist. The founders who communicated this most clearly made their technology feel purposeful rather than decorative.
Different teams, distinct problems
Dori is building always-on customer intelligence, with real analytics embedded in synthetic personas so teams can validate ideas before they ship. Therapyway is connecting patients directly with verified therapists and helping people move beyond NHS waiting lists.
Convu and Cuewise, by Samuel Vasilis, approach communication and language from different angles. Each shows how a familiar challenge can still produce a distinctive proposition when the founder is specific about the audience and the outcome.
Questtor took the win for good reason. Its industrial AI for QHSE is designed not to invent regulation clauses, but to cite the material on which its answers are built. In a high-stakes setting, that commitment to evidence and traceability is not an extra feature—it is the foundation of trust.
A young ecosystem with serious ambition
The startup ecosystem right now feels young, highly intelligent and fiercely ambitious. There is more talent to watch than ever before, and the strongest founders are not chasing technology for its own sake. They are using it to solve defined problems with greater relevance, rigour and care.
Sam Hooti and HackerSquad brought the event together at pace, with Kickstart Global and Oneder holding space for a thoughtfully curated room. The panel conversation with Kateryna Golushko, Pete Huang and Arthur Marsh added further perspective to the evening.
If you are pre-funding, actively raising or simply watching London’s startup scene, these are teams worth staying close to.
