London is a great place to build a startup, but most of the early-stage entrepreneurs we speak to are not aware of the local resources that are available to help them.

With applications for the London Founder Institute now open, we are excited to release an updated version of the London Startup Ecosystem Canvas, which is currently in v4 below! This version was developed by the London Founder Institute and local leaders Mercedes Bankston and Richard Cristina and Paul Weeden.

While this has been in development for several years, more input is needed. Please leave your comments on this collaborative Google document to help us complete the list. There are definitely omissions on this current version. 

Are you looking to build a startup in London? Then apply to the London Founder Institute today!

Text version included below, for ease of searching:

Startup Stages

---

There is no one right way to build a technology company, but for the sake of simplicity we have outlined a basic, common, sequential framework.

1. Idea Stage

This is where new entrepreneurs get inspired, learn best practices, develop skills, validate ideas, and begin to build their team and product.

A. Inspire

• Startup Media: Centralized local information, listings, and news. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletters, Startup Digest)

1. Angel News
2. Meet Up: Tecnoprenuers
3. Meet Up: London Startup Founder 101
4. Meet Up: Silicone Roundabout
5. Meet Up: Entrepreneurs in London
6. Startup Digest
7. Startups.co.uk  
8. Tech London
9. TechCity News
10. Techworld
11. UP London

• Inspirational Events: Open, inclusive, beginner startup events (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups)

1. DevelopHer
2. HackerNest London
3. Innovation Forum
4. London Open Coffee
5. London Tech Week
6. Minibar
7. Mobile UX London
8. Product Tank
9. Re-Work
10. Silicon Roundabout
11. Startup Grind
12. Startup Weekend
13. Supper Tribe
14. TableCrowd Dinners
15. Tech City
16. TedXLondon
17. The Business Show
18. The Next Women
19. The JS Roundabout
20. The London Lean Startup Group

B. Educate

• Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing events. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspire, like 1 Million Cups, Startup Grind, Startup Founder 101, etc).

1. Girls in Tech
2. London Startup Grind
3. Startup Founder 101
4. Startup Britain
5. Startup Direct

• Training & Feedback: Skill & Idea development. (Ex. bootcamps and comprehensive training programs, like Founder Institute, General Assembly, Lean Startup Machine, code camps, etc)

1. Creative Business-NFTS
2. Decoded
3. Escape the City
4. FFWD
5. Founders and Coders
6. Founder Institute
7. Forward Partners
8. General Assembly
9. Hipsters, Hackers & Hustlers
10. Le Wagon
11. Makers Academy
12. Mind The Product
13. NOVA Tech Startup Programme
14. Skills Matter
15. Startup Next
16. The Centre for Entrepreneurs- NEF Fast Track Programme
17. The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network
18. The Iron Yard
19. The Startup Leadership Program

C. Validate

• Team Formation: Resources for teaming up. (i.e. events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching)

1. AngelList
2. CoFounder Dating
3. Co Founder Lab
4. FoundersNation
5. InternAvenue
6. Unicorn Hunt
7. Work in Startups

• Build First Product: Hackathons & resources to build. (i.e. hackathons and other builder-focused events and resources)

1. Hackathon.com (directory)
2. Hackathons & Jams UK
3. Women Who Code

2. Launch Stage

In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.

A. Start

• Establish: Law firms & banks for startups

1. Baker McKenzie
2. Barclays
3. Bird & Bird
4. Bristows
5. Brown Rudnick
6. Dentons
7. DLA Piper
8. Fieldfisher
9. General Standards
10. HSBC
11. JAG Shaw Baker
12. Kemp Little
13. Linkilaw
14. Linklaters
15. Lloyds
16. Macfarlanes
17. NatWest
18. Norton Rose Fulbright 
19. Olswang
20. Orrick
21. Osborne Clarke 
22. Pinsent Masons
23. RBS
24. Santander
25. Seed Legals
26. Silicon Valley Bank UK
27. Taylor Wessing
28. TLT

• Workspace: Co-working and flexible workspaces (note: “official” office space goes in 3.1.a. Infrastructure)

1. Accelerator London
2. Bathtub2Boardroom
3. Campus London
4. Central Working (run Google Campus)
5. Digital Greenwich
6. EDSPACE
7. FreeOfficeFinder
8. Greenhouse
9. Here East
10. Hoxton Mix
11. Hubble
12. Huckletree
13. Impact Hub
14. Imperial Incubator
15. Innovation Warehouse
16. Interchange
17. Kitchenette
18. Level39
19. London Rise
20. London Office Space
21. MeWeHub
22. Ministry of Startups
23. Plexal 
24. Rainmaking Loft
25. Runway East
26. TechHub
27. The Boutique Workplace Co
28. The Collective
29. The Office Group
30. The Trampery
31. WeWork
32. WhiteBearYard
33. Workspace

B. Develop

• Formalize: Accounting, development and HR for early-stage startups.  

1. Alexander Rosse
2. Amity
3. BDO
4. Blick Rothenberg
5. CBW
6. Deloitte
7. DNS
8. EY
9. Glazers
10. Grant Thornton
11. KPMG
12. Moore Stephens
13. PwC
14. RSM
15. Shaw Gibbs
16. Stocker Accounting
17. Target Accounting

• Prepare for Seed: Incubators and advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources for startup TEAMS, Startup Next, etc)

1. Antler
2. Centre for Fashion Enterprise
3. Cinnamon Bridge
4. Early Metrics
5. Emerge Education
6. Founders Factory
7. GCHQ
8. Ignite
9. In Residence by JP Morgan
10. JLAB
11. LMarks
12. London City Incubator
13. MassChallenge
14. Seedcloud
15. Startup Manufactory
16. The Young Foundation
17. The Bakery
18. Whyable

C. Launch

• Seed Accelerators: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)

1. Activate Capital
2. Barclays Accelerator
3. Bethnal Green Ventures
4. Collider
5. Entrepreneur First
6. Fintech Innovation Lab
7. Ignite Accelerator
8. Oxygen Accelerator
9. Pfizer Health Care Hub
10. Pi Labs
11. RedBull Amplifier
12. RebelBio
13. Seedcamp
14. Seedrs 
15. Startup Bootcamp
16. Techstars London
17. The Founders Factory
18. The Grocery
19. Wayra

• Pitch & Demo: Show local startups for investment (i.e. demo days for companies seeking seed investment)

1. Firestartr
2. Ibis Capital
3. Pitch@Palace
4. TechHub Tuesday Demo Night 
5. The Pitch

3. Growth Stage

Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.

A. Recognition

• Investor Networking:  Connect professional investors with founders. (i.e. events or groups that facilitate connections with professional investors)

1. Cleantech Innovate
2. Connect London
3. Europas
4. F6S
5. Fast Growth Icons
6. Finovate
7. Gust
8. Innovate Finance
9. London TechWeek
10. Pitch@Palace
11. Propteq Europe
12. The Europas
13. UK Angel Investment Network
14. Web Summit

• Major Media: Mainstream local business press. (i.e. major local or regional publications that frequently champion local businesses)

1. BBC
2. City AM
3. Evening Standard
4. Financial Times
5. Metro
6. Telegraph
7. TechCrunch
8. The Guardian
9. The Independent
10. The Times
11. Wired

B. Funding

• Angels / Micro-VCs: Seed-stage investors

1. 24 Haymarket
2. Angel CoFund
3. Angels Den
4. Astia
5. Beacon Capital
6. Connect Ventures
7. Craigie Capital
8. Crowdcube
9. Clearly Social Angels
10. Downing
11. EC1 Capital
12. Ecomachines Ventures
13. Episode1
14. Faber Ventures
15. Frog Capital
16. Forward Partners
17. Hoxton Ventures
18. JamJar Investments
19. Kinetic Investments
20. LCIF
21. Mustard Seed
22. Notion Capital
23. Passion Capitall
24. Piton Capital
25. Playfair Capital
26. Silicon Roundabout Ventures
27. True Start

• Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond

1. Abingworth
2. Accel Ventures
3. Advent Life Sciences
4. Amadeus Capital
5. Atomico
6. Balderton
7. Benthal Green Ventures
8. Blossom Capital
9. Dawn Capital
10. Distill Ventures
11. DN Capital
12. EC1 Capital
13. Eden Ventures
14. Eight Roads Ventures
15. Episode 1
16. Fuel Ventures
17. Highland
18. Index Ventures
19. InMotion Ventures
20. Intel Capital
21. Kennet
22. Lakestar
23. MMC Ventures
24. Northzone
25. Notion Capital
26. Octopus Ventures
27. Passion Capital
28. Saffron Hill
29. Scottish Equity Partners
30. Spark Ventures
31. Wellington Partners

C. Growth

• Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)

1. Association of British Insurers
2. CBRE
3. Colliers
4. Cushman & Wakefield
5. Here East
6. JLL
7. Lloyds
8. Sherpa

• Expansion: Growth accelerators/consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)

1. BBC Worldwide Labs
2. Incubus
3. Upscale

4. Success Stories

Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.

1. ASOS
2. Blippar
3. Carwow
4. Deliveroo
5. DueDil
6. Farfetch
7. Funding Circle
8. GoCardless
9. Handy
10. Improbable
11. Just Eat
12. King Digital
13. Moo
14. OneFineStay
15. Prodigy Finance
16. Property Partner
17. Qubit
18. Ratesetter
19. Reevoo
20. Revolut
21. Rightmove
22. Secret Escapes
23. Shazam
24. Skrill
25. SwiftKey
26. TransferWise
27. Zoopla

Supporters

---

To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.

1. Evangelists

Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies.

1. Alban Remy
2. Alessandro Hatami
3. Alex Chesterman
4. Andrew Humphries
5. Bernhard Niesner
6. Brent Hoberman
7. Chris Gledhill
8. Chris Morton
9. David Butress
10. Eileen Burbidge
11. Eric van der Kleij
12. Errol Damelin
13. George Coelho
14. Gemma Godfrey
15. Jimmy Wales
16. John Spindler
17. Jose Neves
18. Mercedes Bankston
19. Nic Brisbourne
20. Paul Weeden
21. Petar Savic
22. Peter Read
23. Richard Cristina
24. Sherry Coutu
25. Simon Lavers
26. Soline Kauffmann-Tourkestansky
27. Sila Nur Isik
28. Steven Hess
29. Taavet Hinrikus
30. Tony Kypreos
31. Tom Hulme

2. Government

Public organizations that facilitate local economic development

1. Enterprise for London
2. Global Entrepeneur Programme (GEP)
3. Innovate UK
4. London First
5. London and Partners
6. TechCity
7. Tech London Advocates

3. Talent

Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.

• Local Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)

1. Brunel University London
2. City University of London
3. Goldsmiths University of London
4. Imperial College
5. King’s College London
6. London Business School
7. London School of Economics
8. UCL
9. University of West London

• Local Employers (Major technical employers, like Microsoft or Google or large local companies)

1. AstraZeneca
2. Aviva
3. Barclays Bank
4. BP
5. BT Group
6. Canonical
7. Diageo
8. Expedia
9. GlaxoSmithKline
10. Google
11. HSBC
12. Lloyds Bank
13. Prudential
14. Tesco
15. Unilever
16. Virgin Media
17. Vodafone

 

*  *  *

Learn more about the Startup Ecosystem Canvas here, and leave us your thoughts on the London Canvas on this collaborative Google document (This is just a DRAFT, and more input is needed!)

Are you looking to build a startup in London? Then apply to the London Founder Institute today