Summer 2025
MOST PEOPLE SLOW DOWN DURING SUMMER.
NOT US.
HOTBED SUMMER
⋆
HOTBED SUMMER ⋆
What is hotbed summer?
WHAT IS HOTBED SUMMER?
Hotbed Summer is a free weekly event series for early-stage founders, running every Wednesday from the 9th of July to the end of August. It is designed to keep momentum going when the rest of the ecosystem slows down.
Last summer, more than 300 founders joined us for six weeks of tactical sessions covering everything from fundraising and live pitch feedback to product strategy, founder wellbeing, and brand building. This year, we are back and it is hotter than ever.
WHAT TO EXPECT
One session every Wednesday at 11am UK time, plus a few extra!
Join from anywhere — your desk, the beach, or your garden.
Each week, you will hear from experienced founders, active investors, and operators sharing practical, no-fluff advice you can actually use. Sessions are designed for early-stage founders who are raising, building, hiring, or just trying to move things forward while everything else goes quiet.
You’ll be able to join:
Live pitch feedback with investors
AMAs with angels and VCs
Tactical sessions on brand, content, product, and more
Conversations on burnout, balance, and staying sane while scaling
#NOSTRINGS ATTACHED
Whether you’re at the beach, by the pool, in the mountains, or at your WeWork desk, we’re bringing you a whole summer of startup events, focused on growth and fundraising.
The best part?
It’s all no strings attached.
Meaning you sign up for the sessions you want, around your schedule, and it’s all free. <3
You’ll be hearing from experienced founders and top-notch investors, who will be sharing all you need to know if you’re planning to close your round over the coming months.
WORK
SHOPS
VIRTUAL, VIA ZOOm
Learn from founders who have walked in your shoes and hear how they solved their biggest funding and growth problems.
PITCH PRACTICE
VIRTUAL, VIA ZOOM.
We’ll be hosting sessions for you to pracitce your pitch with angels and VCs to get live feedback.
IRL EVENTS
IN PERSON, IN LONDON
Sometimes you just need to meet people in-person. We’ll be hosting a handful of IRL events as part of Hotbed Summer, with the majority of the sessions hosted virtually so you won’t miss too much if you aren’t in London.
UPCOMING SESSIONS
Additional sessions will be announced shortly.
-
Learn how founders can avoid burnout, reclaim time and manage the stress of running a startup.
Hosted w/Abigail Langridge
-
Ever wonder if an investor is really telling you what they think of your pitch?
Wonder no more.
During this session, you’ll practice your pitch with Engin Yenidunya (Angel, founder @ 21×21 angel syndicate, former CFO @ MUBI, ex-Investment Banker) who will tell you his honest thoughts on your pitch and what can be improved.
-
This session will be a masterclass on brand building for early stage founders with Kirsty Jarvis, Founder & CEO @ Luminous PR.
-
Mo Punjwani (Partner @ Sunflower Capital, BizOps & Strategy @ Mural Health, Ex-investor @ General Catalyst) will walk us through how his experience as an investor at a top tier fund has formed his views on startup growth and strategy.
-
After you close a funding round, come learn how you can use AI to hit your growth metrics and build a product customers love.
Hosted w/ The Impressit Team
-
Feel awkward at networking events? Get rid of your nerves and leave with the commercial leads you’re looking for.
Hosted w/The Impressit Team
PARTNERS
-
As founders who've scaled startups, they understand the tax, payroll and finance challenges firsthand. That's why they started the accountancy they wished they had when building their company in 2016. From company setup to fundraising, growth, and exit, Novabook supports startup founders with tailored accounting services every step of the way:
• VAT returns
• Bookkeeping
• Annual accounts
• Payroll & pension
• Company secretarial
• Management accounts
• Corporation tax filings
• Support with EMI returns
• Support for R&D tax credits
-
FAQs
what is hotbed summer?
Hotbed Summer is our 6 week long, #nostringsattached startup programme. Make sense? Basically, we’re hosting drop-in sessions, and once you’ve registered for Hotbed Summer, you can join any session you want. Join any session you think is most relevant for you.
how many sessions are there?
6 sessions, and we may sprinkle in a few more as well.
when are the sessions?
Sessions are held at different times throughout the week, but most start at 11am. We’ll regularly be adding more sessions, so complete an interest form to be notified when new ones drop.
How do I sign up?
Complete this form, then register for each event you want to attend.
Does it cost anything?
No baby. Save your £££ for Mykonos.
How many sessions can i attend?
Any, all, or just the one session that is most relevant to you.
Will I meet other founders?
Yes, particularly in the IRL activities in London.
WhO IS THIS FOR?
Pre-seed and seed stage founders who are focused on growth and/or fundraising. Some sessions are more geared towards founders who are further along, some are for those raising their first rounds. Each session will clearly state what type of startup it’s for, so sign up to the sessions most relevant to you.
Does it matter where i am based?
Not at all. We aim to host sessions that are accessible for most timezones.
are the sessions interactive?
Yes! Depending on the type of session, some will be more relevant than others. Pitch sessions in particular will be solely based on attendee interactions, while workshops will usually have around 20 min for audience Q&A.
