Supporting innovative start-ups at Founderfest

We were thrilled to support this year’s Founderfest, an annual celebration of entrepreneurship and an event that brings together founders, investors and industry experts.

Hosted by Foundervine, an innovative business dedicated to accelerating the growth of entrepreneurs from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, Founderfest offers a dynamic mix of networking opportunities, insightful workshops, and engaging competitions designed to nurture and showcase entrepreneurial talent.

Foundervine’s Chief Operating Officer, Cecil Adjalo, said about the event:

Founderfest serves as a platform for emerging business leaders to gain exposure, learn from seasoned professionals, and potentially secure support for their ventures, all while addressing the systemic barriers that often hinder these entrepreneurs from achieving their full potential.

The highlight of this year's Founderfest, held in June, was the pitching competition, where innovative start-ups presented their business ideas to a panel of judges and an audience of fellow entrepreneurs and industry professionals. The competition not only offered participants a chance to refine their pitching skills but also provided an opportunity to gain recognition and support for their ventures.

Pitch competition winners

Among this year’s pitch competition winners was Kristin Wilson, Chief Strategy Officer at Spurt!, a technology solutions company dedicated to facilitating socioeconomic growth across Africa by empowering entrepreneurs with resources, skills, and insights. Kristin and her team won the Pitch of the Year Award.

A personal and compelling presentation from Zeiynab Kane, founder of FirstTuch, earned her the People’s Award. Zeiynab's innovative product Adori, which is designed to help expectant parents bond with their unborn babies, impressed both judges and the audience.

Both entrepreneurs won a free 12-month Harper James Enterprise Plan subscription to support their businesses as they continue to grow, amounting to 12 hours’ free legal support and access to partners and senior solicitors at £145 per hour.

Speaking about the inspiring competition, Toby Harper, our Founder and CEO, commented:

We were pleased to be able to contribute to this year's Founderfest. As a law firm that’s purpose-built to support ambitious start-ups and growth businesses, we know all too well that lack of access to affordable and quality legal advice can be a barrier to business success. So, we were only pleased to donate two of our 12-month Enterprise Plan subscriptions to help Spurt! and FirstTuch get solid legal foundations in place to position them firmly for the growth and scaling of their innovative start-ups. We're excited to be able to play a small part in their entrepreneurial journeys and look forward to seeing the impact of their visionary ideas.

Introducing Spurt! - winner of the Pitch of the Year Award

Kristin Wilson is a people technology expert with over a decade of management consulting experience. As a seasoned digital work expert, writer, and thought leader, Kristin uses her expertise in data analytics, operations research, and project management to drive innovation and growth for ambitious founders.

Spurt! has created a workflow collaboration tool Sync!, which has revolutionised their ability to empower entrepreneurs by directly equipping them and their teams with an enterprise-quality team collaboration and workflow management tool.

Kristin's pitch for Spurt! at Founderfest stood out for its innovative approach to addressing the unique challenges faced by entrepreneurs from Africa. Her deep understanding of the market, combined with her expertise, impressed the judges, and earned Spurt! the prestigious Pitch of the Year Award.

Kristin commented on the win:

Spurt! is dedicated to empowering start-ups and small businesses in emerging markets. This award recognises our efforts, and it fuels our passion to continue making a meaningful impact in Africa's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Introducing FirstTuch - winner of the People's Award

Zeiynab Kane has developed Adori, a groundbreaking device that helps expectant parents bond with their unborn babies by tracking and sharing their babies’ movements in real-time. Adori's non-invasive design is particularly significant for partners, those using surrogates, or women who experience challenging pregnancies.

The inspiration for Adori came from Zeiynab's journey of self-discovery and healing. Growing up in a single-parent household, she embraced her unique perspective on life, which eventually fuelled her entrepreneurial spirit.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Zeiynab found herself reflecting deeply on themes of connection, inclusion, and personal growth. These reflections, combined with her natural curiosity and innovative thinking, led to the creation of Adori.

Zeiynab explains.

Adori is all about connection and inclusion for parents and babies alike, it's a physical manifestation of the compassion, connection, and patience I gave myself during tough times.

At Founderfest, Zeiynab's passion and deep knowledge of her product shone through during her pitch and Q&A session, earning her the People's Award and our Enterprise Plan subscription package to support the growth of her business.

An inspiration for future entrepreneurs

Both Kristin and Zeiynab’s stories exemplify the innovative spirit and diversity that Foundervine aims to nurture through events like Founderfest. As their businesses move forward, we wish them continued success in their entrepreneurial journeys. Their stories serve as inspiration for future entrepreneurs and highlight the importance of platforms and networks that support and celebrate diverse founders in the start-up ecosystem.