The Build-Up

Ideas Fest partners with Stoneway, Knotel and Greenwoods to launch the Workspace Hub

Starling funds 250 places for female founders at Ideas Fest 2026

Ideas Fest partners with IronMarket & FINT Invest to launch the Finance & Growth Tent

Ideas Fest partners with The Grafter to launch 'The Exit Stage'

A dedicated space for founders thinking about scale, succession and successful exits. Ideas Fest is excited to announce a new partnership with The Grafter, who will host The Exit Stage at Ideas Fest 2026 - a dedicated space for founders and business leaders navigating one of the most critical (and often least talked about) phases of the entrepreneurial journey: building towards exit. Across the two days, The Exit Stage will bring together founders, operators, investors and advisors to share honest, practical insight into what it really takes to prepare for, execute and maximise a successful exit. Through a curated programme of talks, panels and candid conversations, the stage will move beyond theory and into the real-world mechanics of exits - from early-stage positioning to deal execution and life after the sale. WHO ARE THE GRAFTER? The Grafter is a platform built for ambitious founders who want to grow, scale and ultimately exit their businesses successfully. Focused on providing practical insight, expert connections and real-world playbooks, The Grafter supports entrepreneurs at every stage of the journey, with a particular emphasis on helping them understand how to build with exit in mind from day one. Working with experienced founders, investors and exit specialists, The Grafter delivers content, community and advisory designed to demystify the exit process and help founders avoid common pitfalls while maximising value. WHAT FOUNDERS WILL FIND AT THE EXIT STAGE The Exit Stage will be a central hub for anyone thinking seriously about the long-term trajectory of their business. Founders can expect: - Honest founder stories: First-hand accounts from entrepreneurs who have successfully exited, sharing what worked, what didn't, and what they wish they'd done earlier. - Deep dives into exit strategy: Clear, practical guidance on how to position your business for acquisition, including timing, valuation drivers and buyer psychology. - Investor and acquirer perspectives: Insights from those on the other side of the table - what they look for, what kills deals, and what creates premium outcomes. - Legal, financial and operational realities: Breaking down the mechanics of deals, from due diligence to negotiation, and how to prepare your business well in advance. - Life after exit: Conversations about what happens next, from reinvesting and starting again to navigating identity and purpose post-sale. By bringing The Grafter into the festival, Ideas Fest ensures that founders have access to the kind of insight that is often only available behind closed doors, helping them make smarter decisions earlier in their journey. WHY THIS PARTNERSHIP MATTERS NOW More founders than ever are building with ambition, but far fewer are building with a clear understanding of what an exit actually requires. Too often, exit strategy is left too late, resulting in missed opportunities or reduced outcomes. At the same time, market conditions are evolving, with buyers becoming more selective and expectations around operational maturity, financial clarity and growth quality continuing to rise. The Exit Stage aims to close that gap, giving founders the knowledge, perspective and confidence to treat exit not as an afterthought, but as a strategic priority. Frankie James, Founder of Ideas Fest, said: "Our community is full of founders who are building incredible businesses, but many haven't yet had access to honest conversations about exit. Partnering with The Grafter allows us to bring those conversations to the forefront, giving founders a space to learn from people who have been through it, ask the difficult questions and start thinking earlier about how they want their journey to end."

Simon Woodroofe OBE returns to Ideas Fest

Simon Woodroofe conceived YO! Sushi on a napkin and opened the first restaurant on Poland Street, Soho in 1997. What followed was one of the great British entrepreneurship stories — a brand that changed how the UK thinks about food, hospitality and doing things differently, growing to over 500 locations before selling to Zensho Holdings in 2023 for £494 million. He went on to create YOTEL, now with 24 sites worldwide. He was an original Dragon in Series One of Dragons' Den. He won Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999. In 2006 he received an OBE for his contribution to hospitality. Simon has been to Ideas Fest before. If you were there last time, you already know why we're excited he's coming back.

Thea Green is coming to Ideas Fest 2026

In 1999, aged 23, Thea Green came back from a work trip to New York with an idea. She'd spotted the nail bars — fast, efficient, brilliant — and realised nobody was doing it in the UK. More than that, nobody anywhere was doing it with a genuinely fashionable, high-quality product. No brand leader existed. So she became one. She opened her first nail bar on South Molton Street in London and built Nails.INC into a global, award-winning business — helping turn the UK nail industry into a market now worth an estimated $370 million. Last year she sold the business to LA-based Pacific World Corporation to accelerate its growth in the US. Thea's story is one of the best we know — a young woman who spotted a gap, backed herself completely, and changed an entire industry. We can't wait to hear her tell it.

Showcase Village trader slots are now open

Want to get your business in front of 6,000 entrepreneurs, founders and investors over two days in September? Showcase Village is where Ideas Fest gets hands-on — products, services, live demos and the kind of brands you actually remember. A limited number of trading slots are available for Ideas Fest 2026. If you want to be seen by the right crowd, this is your moment.

Glamping is now live

Bell tents on the Champneys estate, waking up to the festival on your doorstep. Glamping for Ideas Fest 2026 is now available to book — and based on previous years, these go fast. If you want the full experience without bringing your own tent, this is the one.

Hotel accommodation is 75% sold

A reminder that staying on site is a completely different experience to commuting in. You wake up at the festival. You use the spa. You're still talking to someone interesting at midnight without worrying about a train. We have a limited number of hotel rooms left at Champneys for Ideas Fest 2026. When they're gone, they're gone. Don't say we didn't warn you.

How we build the programme

Ideas Fest doesn't have a programming committee. It has a small team who care deeply about founders and spend a lot of time listening to what they actually need. Every session, every zone and every speaker we book starts with the same question — what would genuinely help someone at this stage of their journey? Not what sounds impressive. Not what fills a slot. What actually helps. It takes longer that way. We think it's worth it.

Why Champneys?

We get asked this a lot. And the honest answer is: because nothing else comes close. The 170-acre estate gives us space to build something that genuinely feels different — multiple stages, outdoor zones, evening experiences, and room to breathe between sessions. The spa means founders and investors can go from a keynote to a pool to an impromptu conversation on the lawn. The grounds mean Walk and Talk sessions, outdoor dinners and the kind of evening energy you simply cannot manufacture in a conference centre. We looked at a lot of venues. There was really only ever one answer.

The Founder Recovery Zone grows for 2026

Healthy founders build healthier businesses. That's the thinking behind the Founder Recovery Zone — and after the response in 2025, it's getting bigger. Curated by Jo Dalton, this is a dedicated space for the physical health, mental resilience and long-term performance of the people building businesses. Sessions cover everything from movement and mindset to longevity and burnout recovery. Because running a business is relentless and you can't pour from an empty cup.

The Off Script Stage comes to Ideas Fest

Ideas Fest has always believed the next generation of entrepreneurs deserves a proper seat at the table. The Off Script Stage gives them their own. Built for founders and changemakers aged 16 to 25, it's a dedicated programme of short talks and interactive workshops running across both days — covering confidence, creative thinking, AI, side hustles and what it actually takes to back yourself when nobody else does yet. Apply-to-attend. Spaces are limited and they will go.

Introducing Dreamland

Not every idea fits neatly into a pitch deck. Dreamland is the space at the heart of Ideas Fest for bigger thinking — the ideas that feel a bit too ambitious, a bit too early, or a bit too weird to say out loud anywhere else. Come here to think differently, meet the people who get it, and remember why you started. Built with Simon Squibb and HelpBnk, it's one of the most talked-about spaces at the festival. And it earns that every single year.

Introducing the Scale Up Zone

You've done the hard bit. You started. Now comes the part nobody really prepares you for — growing without breaking everything you've built. The Scale Up Zone is for founders who are past the beginning and ready to have serious conversations about team, investment, systems and what sustainable growth actually looks like. No basics, no beginner content. Just honest talk from people who've been through it.

The Magic Teapot Returns to Ideas Fest 2026, Powered by Join Talent

If you were at Ideas Fest last year, you already know. If you weren't — this is one to look forward to. Join Talent is bringing The Magic Teapot back to the field for 2026. A firm festival favourite, it's a phone-free space built entirely around proper conversation and genuine human connection. By day it hosts Spill the Tea sessions — straight-talking conversations with founders and business leaders about what's really happening behind the scenes. The highs, the hard bits and the lessons learned the long way. Between sessions it becomes somewhere calm to sit down, think and reset before heading back into the festival. As the evening arrives, it transforms entirely. Acoustic music, singalongs, a roaring fire and warm drinks. No stage, no amplifiers, no barrier between performer and crowd. The Magic Teapot's circular structure centres around a fire bowl, kettles gently simmering and a real piano at the heart of the space. Everyone is welcome — join in, grab an instrument or just sit and listen.

Introducing The AI Den, powered by Implement AI

Ideas Fest is partnering with Implement AI to bring one of the most exciting new spaces to the 2026 festival — The AI Den. This is a dedicated space where founders and business leaders can see what an AI-powered workforce actually looks like in practice. Not the hype, not the theory — live demos, hands-on workshops and honest conversations about how AI can sit inside your sales, operations and customer experience right now. Across both days The AI Den will run a rolling programme of talks, demos and drop-ins designed to help founders move from "we should probably do something with AI" to knowing exactly what that something is. Implement AI are one of the UK's most talked-about AI companies — fresh from closing a £1.3 million seed round and being named AI Startup of the Year at the UK StartUp Awards 2025. They know what a production-ready digital workforce looks like. They're coming to Ideas Fest to show you.

Introducing The Purpose Pavilion, powered by Lodestar Accounting

Ideas Fest is partnering with Lodestar Accounting to bring a brand new destination to the 2026 festival — The Purpose Pavilion. This is a dedicated space for B Corps, businesses on the B Corp journey and purpose-led founders who are serious about balancing profit with impact. Across both days it will run a rolling programme of showcases, honest conversations and practical sessions on what it actually takes to build a business that's good for people, planet and the bottom line — without sacrificing commercial reality. Lodestar Accounting is an accountancy firm built specifically for purpose-led businesses and B Corp companies, founded by chartered accountant Chloe Fallon. They're on their own B Corp journey, which means they understand the gap between intention and action better than most.

The UK StartUp Awards National Final is coming to Ideas Fest

The biggest celebration of early-stage business in the country is coming to the Ideas Fest main stage this September. The UK StartUp Awards National Final will take place live at Ideas Fest 2026 — putting the UK's most exciting new businesses in front of the best possible crowd. If you're an early-stage founder, this is where you want to be. Applications open soon.

KitchenAid returns to Ideas Fest 2026

KitchenAid is back — and they're bringing proper energy to the festival this September. Their branded Coffee Airstream will once again be in the heart of Ideas Fest, showcasing their premium espresso collection across both days. But this year there's a twist — they're handing over the reins. Founders can step up, get hands-on with the machines and craft their own perfect cup. Right next to it, they're creating an intimate lounge space with indoor and outdoor seating. Somewhere to actually sit down, take a breath and have a real conversation. Mentoring moments, informal meet-ups, curated sessions and the kind of chats that only happen when you take people out of a conference room and put a good coffee in their hand. The lounge runs a full programme across both days — and if previous years are anything to go by, it'll be one of those spaces people keep drifting back to. Frankie James, Founder of Ideas Fest, said: "Some of the best conversations I've ever had with founders have happened over a coffee. Not on a stage, not in a boardroom, just two people sitting down with a good drink and no agenda. That's exactly what KitchenAid are creating at Ideas Fest and I think it'll be one of the most talked about spaces at the whole festival."