Reinventing start-up success can be as simple as showing up at events like the Ideas Festival, where ideas meet impact. Success looks different for every business, but for Filmster Network, it means redefining co-creative filmmaking and helping grassroots filmmakers achieve it.

As a founder, you must ask yourself: Why am I doing this? Why should it matter to others? Whether you have clarity or are still discovering your “why,” a space like Ideas Fest – where you hear other people’s journeys – is invaluable.

Unlike many start-up events, Ideas Fest brings together over 4,000 founders, speakers, and creators across keynotes, breakout sessions, and interactive wellness spaces. There is something for everyone, from practical insights to authentic stories that spark connection.

Ready.

As a Filmtech start-up, less than a year old, our goals for attending were simple:

- Explore representation for Filmtech

- Connect with founders and potential angel investors

- Gain insights into the UK start-up ecosystem

- Experience the wellness and networking spaces

Filmtech is still a niche, under-recognised sector, and this was evident in the absence of Filmtech speakers or partners on the programme. But this gap is also an opportunity. By showing up, engaging, and asking the right questions, we positioned ourselves as part of the conversation.

In an interview with Paul Fernandez on the Mastering Business Growth podcast, Anush Venkataraman, Founder of Filmster Network, discusses the challenges filmmakers face after completing a film. He highlights the difficulty of marketing a film and attracting an audience, which is one of the reasons Filmster Network exists – to support budding filmmakers in overcoming these hurdles.

At the event, we also learned the importance of preparation: many angel investors, like Joanna Jensen (founder of Childs Farm and author of Making Business Child’s Play), focus on very specific investment areas – supporting women-led businesses. Knowing this beforehand helps founders approach investors with clarity and respect.

Ideas Fest also reminded us that success needs definition. Established brands like Calm, Heights, and names like Rory Sutherland embody success because they have become standards in branding, authority, and consistency.

As Heights co-founder Dan Murray said, “Brands aren’t built in a launch, a logo, or a viral campaign. They’re built over decades, by showing up and keeping promises.”

Ready. Steady.

Start-ups want to be associated with success, and in order to achieve this, they can connect with those who have succeeded in a space like this.

You get to be Inside the Mind of a Marketing Mastermind like Rory Sutherland, or Make Business Child’s Play like Joanna Hensen, discover what Dan Murray thinks about what comes first for Start-Ups: brand or growth, or learn how to be Calm in a Chaotic World like Michael Acton Smith OBE and Alex Tew.

So, what can Filmtech start-ups like Filmster Network do when there’s no representation on stage? Show up, be seen, and apply to speak.

Ideas Fest 2026 offers the chance to bring Filmtech into the spotlight, creating more opportunities for our niche industry and helping us redefine co-creative filmmaking.

This two-day event, a vision by Frankie James, which connects 4,000+ founders, leaders, and creators, offers an opportunity to be one of the speakers at Ideas Fest 2026.

Ready. Steady. Grow.