AI for Startups: Unfiltered – A Guided Roundtable, what’s worked, what’s not and what you need to think about when you’re diving in!

AI for Startups:Unfiltered – A Guided Roundtable, what’s worked, what’s not and what you need to think about when you’re diving in!

For start-ups and scale-ups ready to think beyond the obvious about AI.

The noise around AI is deafening! 

New AI tools and new tools using AI are everywhere. Some of them are genuinely exciting, some are over-hyped, and  it is hard to tell which is which. As a founder you simply don’t have the time — or money— to experiment with everything. So how do you figure out what’s actually worth your attention?

The answer isn’t another article. It’s a conversation.

The most valuable AI insights aren’t published anywhere. They’re shared between people who’ve actually rolled their sleeves up and tried things — and are willing to tell you honestly what happened. What saved them hours. What was a complete waste of money. What surprised them. That kind of knowledge is gold, but it’s hard to find and even harder to trust unless you know the person sharing it.

That’s exactly what this roundtable is for.

A group of founders and someone who has talked to a lot of others, in a room together, sharing real experiences with AI — the wins, the failures, and the unexpected discoveries. No vendors, no pitches, no polished case studies. Just honest, peer-to-peer conversation that you can actually do something with. You might not leave with a shortlist of tools but you will have some genuine insights into what others have done and are doing, what’s worked for them and what’s not and what you need to think about when you’re diving in yourself.

Format

A guided roundtable. You’ll hear from other founders, share what you’re working on, and leave with a clearer picture of how AI strengthens your growth plan and your pitch.

Chaired by

Alex Bacon — Host of the Scaling With AI podcast and founder of BrightKeel.AI, an AI adoption advisory firm. Alex works with leadership teams on practical AI strategy: where it adds value, where it doesn’t, and how to make the case for it.

Keith Dixon — Entrepreneur in Residence, SETsquared Surrey. Keith works with early-stage founders navigating the path from idea to investment-ready business.

What we’ll cover

• Using AI for efficiency, for knowledge, and for enhanced delivery
• What you can do now with free or low-cost tools
• What investment in AI capability might strengthen your business
• How to talk about your investment in and use of AI to customers, investors etc.
• AI gotcha’s

Who it’s for

Founders and leadership teams in early-stage and scaling businesses, particularly those preparing for or actively seeking pre-seed, seed, or Series A funding. You don’t need to be an AI expert, but you do need to bring a keen interest and willingness to share your thoughts and ideas… and ideally experience of trying/using AI in your business.