Real Futures: Prototyping & Validation
These office hours are practical, founder‑led working sessions inspired by the Nordic startup ecosystem - a region known for producing globally recognised unicorns through transparent, iterative, action‑driven experimentation.
In this session, we focus on helping you move your venture forward through rapid testing, learning, and decision‑making. Every conversation is tailored to your specific challenge, stage, and next step.
We’ll work through how to:
Turn ideas into simple prototypes or MVPs
Test concepts quickly and learn from real‑world feedback
Decide what to build next and when to pivot or stop
Create clarity around your problem, users, and assumptions
Build momentum through small, measurable experiments
You’ll leave with: practical next steps, evidence‑driven decisions, and a clear path to accelerate your prototype or validation process within Catalyst Converge.
Session Lead: Abda Rothman
Abda Rothman is Head of Sustainability Risks at a leading Nordic bank, bringing 20 years of experience across financial services, regulatory transformation, and digital innovation.
She specialises in aligning regulatory requirements with strategic business goals, helping organisations stay compliant, competitive, and future‑ready. Her work sits at the intersection of:
financial regulation and digital innovation
sustainability risk and opportunity
technology adoption in complex sectors
founder‑focused, action‑oriented experimentation
Abda brings a Nordic startup mindset — transparent, iterative, practical, and designed to create momentum. Her guidance helps founders test faster, de‑risk earlier, and build solutions grounded in real‑world insight.
Real Futures: Catalyst Converge Accelerator
Real Futures: Catalyst Converge is CSRI’s accelerator for ventures building sustainable real estate and built‑environment solutions. The programme accelerates bold, scalable innovation by connecting founders with researchers, industry partners, and real‑world pilot opportunities.
Ventures receive guided diagnostics, expert mentorship, access to PGIM and UCL resources, and a collaborative ecosystem focused on real‑asset transformation.
What the accelerator offers
Tailored workshops and matched mentorship
Access to researchers, industry leaders, and investors
Pilot opportunities with PGIM
Support for innovation grant applications
Real‑world validation and market‑readiness
The accelerator integrates with the wider CSRI ecosystem - from Bartlett Invents to executive education, hackathons, and thought leadership - creating a clear path from idea to pilot to scale.
👉 Register your interest in Real Futures: Catalyst Converge Accelerator