Summarise this article with: ChatGPT | Claude | Perplexity
Block your calendar for 26 November
The model isn’t your moat. What you build around it is.
Founders & AI is a free AI startup event in London for pre-seed and seed founders, run by Digital Back Office and held monthly in Shoreditch near Old Street. Session 2, “How to Build an AI Startup That Big Tech Can’t Kill”, takes place on Thursday 26 November 2026, 5:30 to 8:00 PM, at The Brew, Eagle House, 163 City Road, London EC1V 1NR.
Every AI founder’s nightmare is the same: OpenAI or Anthropic ships a new feature in ChatGPT or Claude, and a product you spent months building becomes a free button inside someone else’s platform overnight.
Thin “AI wrapper” startups are quick to build, and just as quick to replace. Investors know it too. Before anything else, VCs now ask one question: what is your AI startup’s moat? The answer rarely lies in the model. It lies in proprietary workflows, niche data, deep industry integration and the kind of trust that general-purpose AI struggles to earn.
Session 2: How to Build an AI Startup That Big Tech Can’t Kill
After a packed first session on what to buy, what to build and what to ignore, Session 2 tackles the question every AI founder needs to answer early: how do you build an AI startup that lasts?
What you’ll get
- A practical way to test how defensible your AI product really is
- Clear guidance on what to build in-house and what to buy or rent
- Real lessons from founders building AI in fintech and regulated markets
- Live founder demos with direct feedback from the speakers
- Startup networking in Shoreditch with founders, operators and technologists building with AI in London
What we’ll discuss
- The AI wrapper trap: why products built on top of ChatGPT or Claude are easy to copy, and how to avoid becoming a feature in someone else’s platform
- Where real AI moats come from: proprietary data, workflows, deep industry integration and customer trust
- Trust as an advantage: why governance and verifiable AI win in regulated industries like fintech
- Owning versus renting AI: when to fine-tune open-weight models such as Llama and Mistral, and when to pay for an API
- The investor lens: how VCs now judge whether an AI startup is defensible
New this session: live founder demos
This time, we’ve set aside 10 minutes for live founder demos. If you’d like to show what you’re building, apply through the demo application form. From the applications, we’ll select a few founders to demo on the night, with feedback from the speakers, and we’ll personally invite those selected so they have time to prepare.
Application deadline: Sunday 22 November 2026
Meet the speakers
Cien Solon, Founder & CEO, LaunchLemonade
Cien is the Founder & CEO of LaunchLemonade, home to AI agents you can trust. She brings over a decade of experience in financial services and fintech, building products used by millions and leading teams of up to 100 engineers. LaunchLemonade helps regulated businesses build AI teammates across multiple models, with control over data, tools and human approvals.
Ajit Barik, Founder & CEO, HyphenOne and Wyzr
Ajit is a London-based founder and former Deutsche Bank trader, building AI agents that can be trusted in finance. His company HyphenOne, part of Wyzr Fintech which he founded in 2020, builds verifiable, auditable AI for credit underwriting, due diligence and financial reporting for private credit, private equity and finance teams.
Anurag Jain, Founder, Digital Back Office & Dataflow
Anurag brings the technical lens: where real defensibility comes from in an AI product, when fine-tuning smaller open-weight models pays off, and what founders should understand before betting their engineering time on a platform they don’t control. With 25+ years in the industry, he has worked with startups and enterprises.
Join us
Date: Thursday 26 November 2026
Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Venue: The Brew, Eagle House, 163 City Road, London EC1V 1NR (near Old Street station)
Run of show
- 5:30 – 6:15 PM Registration, food, drinks and founder networking
- 6:15 – 6:25 PM Welcome and quick introductions
- 6:25 – 7:10 PM Fireside chat with Cien Solon, Ajit Barik and Anurag Jain
- 7:10 – 7:20 PM Live founder demos, with feedback from the speakers
- 7:20 – 7:40 PM Open Q&A
- 7:40 – 8:00 PM Curated founder networking
The event is free, with food and drinks provided. Places are limited and registration is by approval.
Click to register | Block your calendar
Know a founder who should be in the room? Send this their way.
About Founders & AI
Founders & AI is a free, monthly event series for early-stage founders in London who are building in the AI era. The series has one aim, captured in its tagline: from idea to efficient businesses.
Each session tackles one real decision founders face as they grow, from choosing the right AI tools and keeping costs down, to building a product that can’t be copied, winning customers and becoming investor-ready. No hype and no sales pitches, just honest conversation with experienced founders, operators and technologists about what has actually worked, what hasn’t, and the trade-offs behind each decision.
Every session also gives founders the stage, with live demos and direct feedback from the speakers. To hear about future sessions first, follow the Founders & AI calendar on Luma.
Frequently asked questions
What is Founders & AI?
Founders & AI is a free, monthly in-person event series in London for early-stage founders building in the AI era, organised by Digital Back Office. See all sessions on the Founders & AI Luma calendar.
What are the best free AI startup events in London?
Founders & AI is a free, monthly event in Shoreditch for early-stage founders building with AI, with fireside chats with experienced founders, live demos and networking. Register for Session 2.
Who should attend Session 2?
Pre-seed and seed founders, technical co-founders and product leads building with AI, especially anyone worried about OpenAI or Anthropic copying their idea.
How do you build an AI startup that OpenAI can't copy?
Build a moat beyond the model: proprietary data, deep workflow integration, industry expertise and customer trust. Thin wrappers around ChatGPT or Claude are easy to replicate. Session 2 explores this in depth. Join the conversation.
What is an AI wrapper startup?
A product that mainly adds an interface on top of a large language model such as ChatGPT or Claude, without its own data, workflows or integration. Wrappers are quick to build but easy for model providers to replace.
Is it free?
Yes. Founders & AI is free to attend, with food and drinks provided. Registration is by approval and places are limited. Register free on Luma.
When and where is Session 2?
Thursday 26 November 2026, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM, at The Brew, Eagle House, 163 City Road, London EC1V 1NR, near Old Street station. If you can't find us, head to the Moca Mochi café inside The Brew and ask for Founders & AI. Add it to your calendar.
Who is speaking?
Cien Solon, Founder & CEO of LaunchLemonade, Ajit Barik, Founder & CEO of HyphenOne and Wyzr, and Anurag Jain, Founder of Digital Back Office & Dataflow.
Can I demo my startup at a London founder event?
Yes. Founders & AI includes live founder demos. Apply through the demo application form by Sunday 22 November 2026. We'll select a few founders from the applications and invite them personally.
How do I register?
Register on Luma at luma.com/ydzsu4ke.
How do I hear about future sessions?
Follow the Founders & AI calendar on Luma.
