r/ukstartups

Hi all. I was hoping you could help, are there any recommendations on any software or platforms I can look into to build a 2 way marketplace?

I’ve seen some have mentioned Supabase.

I can of course use vibe coding (eg Replit, Lovable, Claude and bubble) but wanted something a bit more secure/robust as it will hold confidential information.

It should also enable conversations, and ultimately I may offer other resources for users when they login. I’d also want to link it to some sort of escrow platform/can check Stripe.

I want a nice customisable front end to link to it. I am completely non-technical but would study and learn as needed to get things kicked off. I also want to be in control of the solution and to know how it works (whereas with vibe coding it may not be as clear).

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated :)

Thanks!

First-time founder, UK limited company, pre-revenue. I am preparing an SEIS advance assurance application and want to know what to get right before I send it.

HMRC's manual (VCM60230) says the company must show "serious expectations" that named investors will invest. For a fund, it says a provisional agreement is fine. For individual angels, it does not say what evidence counts.

If you have been through this:

1. What did you send HMRC as evidence for individual angels? Did anything get rejected?
2. What do you wish you had known before you applied?

I'm looking for a cofounder to run the technical aspect of a Microsoft AI Consultancy in the UK with opportunity to branch out globally over time. I'm aware this isn't a revolutionary idea but I believe with my Sales background, that if I could team up with someone who is proficient in understanding how to automate Microsoft 365 workflows, then we could work together to build an amazing consultancy company with the goal of being acquired in five years.

My background is Tech Sales selling robotic automated solutions in the logistics space with over 4 years running the full Sales cycle. In outbound alone, I generated over £10 million ARR. The Consultancy sales cycle is very similar to what I've been doing in the robotics space with my strengths being outbound/hunting new prospects and closing (including contract negotiation).

Ideally the split would work as follows - I would focus on client acquisition, generating new leads, the initial SQL call with the client and arranging the on-site Audit. My cofounder would solely focus on workflow implementation and supporting staff training.

I have come up with the name and branding which I really love, drafted the legal contracts and put all the Sales templates together, however I can't do this alone without a brilliant technical person with wizard skills in Power Automate and Microsoft AI. The plan is to acquire 60 clients in a five year timescale and bring in 5 other Sales Consultants plus 2 further AI expert consultants while expanding to other niche industries with highly repetitive tasks.

Hope this sounds exciting to the right person!

Hello from London. I recently got accepted into an accelerator. The program I am in also matches you with potential co-founders, then takes you to SF and gives you investor exposure. However, I am a bit underwhelmed by the ideas I heard so far in my cohort. Therefore I want to widen my exposure to potential co-founders and maybe find someone here. If you are looking for a co-founder and you have an ambitious idea and you need investor exposure through an accelerator, lmk.

Who I am looking for:
\- 21 years or older
\- outlier personality
\- Europe or US based

Areas that I am interested in:
\- Next-gen of Social Media
\- AI Video Generation / World Models
\- Computer Vision

I am more than open to explore ideas besides the mentioned ones.

How do image to proceed this:

1. Feel free to share your vision and background in the comments or in dm (I‘d love to see people share their ideas openly)
2. We have a call to see if we vibe and we‘ll ideate it a bit further
3. You could join me in the accelerator within the next 5-6 weeks.

Looking forward to it!

Used to frequent the DIY Drones space back in the 2010's and was into the hobby side of it a bit.

Recently had the incling to look into what the drone inspection/surveying landscape was here in the NW of the UK as it's an industrial/agricultural zone.

However I'm coming at this with no experience in the value-proposition and deliverables.

Current bonus is living near a working farm with potential contacts to understand what problems could be solved if any.

I have a DJI mavic camera drone and will be looking at testing out some basic mapping this weekend.

It seems like all the pieces are generally available with a bit of investment - drone platforms, lidar, IR, software etc, it's stiching it together into a package that delivers something valuable and easy for potential customers and then marketing.

Of course I'm not expecting to get into this with a consumer camera drone and a prayer - just looking for advice from those who've been there on whether there's too much friction/saturation in the idea to get serious.

A few months ago, I made a decision that honestly scared me.

I left my job and decided to put my time, skills, and energy into building something of my own.

I'm a frontend engineer from Punjab, India, and along with my team, I've started Crewgine, a small digital studio focused on websites, e-commerce, SEO, branding, and design.

Since then, I've learned something nobody really tells you:

Building the service is one thing. Finding people who are willing to trust you with their business is a completely different challenge.

I've tried reaching out to businesses, networking, posting on social media, sending messages, and looking for leads in different places.

And honestly? The results haven't been what I hoped for.

But I'm still here, still learning, still improving, and still trying.

So now, beyond the usual social media platforms, I wanted to try a community-driven space like Reddit. I’m here sharing my journey, hoping to gain some insights and maybe connect with others who've walked a similar path.

If you're a business owner, freelancer, designer, developer, or someone who has built something from scratch. I'd genuinely like to hear your story too.

And if you happen to come across a business that needs a website, e-commerce solution, SEO, branding, or digital design, I'd appreciate you keeping Crewgine in mind.

Just a small team from Punjab trying to build something meaningful from the ground up.

Let's see where this goes.

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