Nine stages
1Apply
Any founder aged 18 or over can apply as an individual. No company, team or legal documents are needed.
2Interview
Selected applicants have a short video interview with the programme team.
3Team formation
Admitted founders become CEOs and recruit a team from the community or their own network.
4Hackathon
A 48–72 hour build window with mentors on call. Teams ship a working demo.
5Judging
Investors score every presentation against the same scorecard.
6Demo Day
Finalists present to the full investor panel and the winners are announced.
7Funding
Winning teams receive award money in tranches tied to milestones, after legal documents are signed.
8Build phase
Funded companies work with a mentor and an investor-mentor and report progress each month.
9Alumni
Graduates join the alumni network, hire through the jobs board and mentor the next season.
Six roles, one platform
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Founder (CEO) | Applies, forms a team, builds, pitches, runs the funded company |
| Team member | Joins a founder’s team, works on tasks, takes part in the build |
| Mentor | Guides teams during the hackathon and, if selected, the build phase |
| Investor | Scores presentations, funds winners, mentors as an investor-mentor |
| Hackathon manager | Runs the season, interviews, schedule and judging |
| Admin | Operates the platform, users, content and settings |
Other ways in
The hackathon is the flagship, but it is not the only route. Training tracks and stealth mode are open all year.
Training tracks
Structured programmes of different lengths, from first prototype to a company ready to raise.
See tracks