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The stories no one shares on stage — until now
🔥 Welcome to the Dark Side of the Money💥 London’s Largest Demo Day – April 25
Vasily Alekseenko
April 17, 2025
There’s what you hear at startup conferences — and then there’s what gets whispered between founders and investors in the pub.
We’re done with the polished PR panels and LinkedIn-perfect stories. At London’s Largest Demo Day, we’re opening the door to what really happens behind closed doors — on the Dark Side of the Money stage.
These are the stories people usually only tell in private.
The deals that went wrong.
The co-founders pushed out.
The investors who crossed the line.
The emotional and financial cost of “just raising a round.”
This isn’t clickbait. It’s what founders need to hear — and what no one talks about on traditional stages.
To protect the people sharing their truths, some sessions will be:
🔐 Held under Chatham House Rule
📵 Completely phone-free
🎭 Featuring masked speakers to protect their identity
We’re creating a space where people can finally speak freely — so others can stop making the same mistakes.
What to expect at London’s Largest Demo Day:
2,000+ attendees
450+ investors (VCs, angels, family offices, CVCs)
100 top-rated startups pitching
2 content stages packed with raw and unfiltered discussions
Non-stop networking across every level of the startup ecosystem
🚨 Free tickets are almost gone.
Starting next week, the only way in will be paid access.
If you want to join the movement — and hear what’s never said out loud —
🎟️ Join the waitlist now for free entry before we close it.
👉 Join the waitlist here.
PANELS OF THE DAY❤️
 | The Dark Side of the Money StageConfessions of a VC: The Deals I Regret – and Why I’d Never Fund Them AgainFounders they backed that didn’t work out — not just for business reasons but for misalignment, character, or speed. What red flags they ignored because of FOMO. The types of founders they’ll never invest in again (and why). In-person event 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK Fri 25 Apr, 10:00 - 10:40 BST |
 | The Dark Side of the Money StageSleeping with the Enemy: The Investor Who Killed My Business (and What I Did Next)A brutally honest one-on-one interview with a founder who saw the red flags, ignored them, and took the money anyway. What followed was a slow unraveling—power struggles, broken trust, and the eventual collapse of a once-promising business. But this isn’t just a story of failure—it’s a story of survival, self-awareness, and what happens when founders choose short-term funding over long-term alignment. In-person event 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK Fri 25 Apr, 11:00 - 11:40 BST |
 | The Dark Side of the Money StageFundraising in hell: when they don’t just take your company—they take your lifeCandid stories of founders whose mental health, relationships, and personal lives were destroyed by the relentless demands of their investors. In-person event 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK Fri 25 Apr, 12:00 - 12:40 BST |
 | The Dark Side of the Money StageOwning Less Than 50%: What Really Happens When Investors Own More of Your Company Than You DoAn unfiltered discussion on the power dynamics that shift when founders give up majority ownership, exploring the loss of control, decision-making authority, and the risks of becoming a minority stakeholder in your own business. In-person event 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK Fri 25 Apr, 13:00 - 13:40 BST |
 | The Dark Side of the Money StageThe Speed Myth: The Real Reasons Investors Need You to Go FasterA deep dive into how venture funds operate, revealing that the pressure for rapid growth often stems from their need to raise the next fund rather than your business’s needs. This session exposes how aligning your startup’s pace with their fundraising cycle can lead to reckless decisions that kill businesses. In-person event 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK Fri 25 Apr, 14:00 - 14:40 BST |
 | The Dark Side of the Money StageF* the VC World: How Bootstrapping Builds Real Businesses, Not Ponzi SchemesA bold argument against the VC model, showcasing bootstrapped founders who built sustainable businesses without outside capital. In-person event 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK Fri 25 Apr, 15:00 - 15:40 BST |
👇 This isn’t just another event. It’s a movement.
If you believe founders deserve the truth — not filtered soundbites — then you belong in the room.
We’re curating every attendee to protect the energy in the space.
Free access ends soon. Waitlist is your only shot to get in without paying.
🎟 Join the waitlist now and be part of something different.
👉 Join the waitlist here.
Vasily Alekseenko
Founder
@ Rare Founders
Rare Founders - building the bridge between founders and investors via regular in-person and online events, meetups, conferences.
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