Last weekend, I visited BeMyApp, a hackathon for developers with a passion for creating apps on Google’s Android platform. The event, set up by the London Silicon Roundabout group and sponsored by the Intel AppUp develop program, was designed to bring together new groups of software developers to create useful new mobile applications.
Around 70 developers joined the first evening of the hackathon – some to pitch their ideas for apps, others to offer their skills and several more simply to watch and learn. Some great ideas were pitched to the crowd, including games, productivity apps and an app for trading second hand books.
By the end of the weekend, three apps had been developed: Last Sandwich, an app that connects companies with surplus food with those who need it; Followars, a Top Trumps style app that uses your Twitter followers as playing cards; and SwiftDel, an app that connects you with cheap local delivery services. Judges selected Last Sandwich as the winner and each member of the team received ‘golden tickets’ to an upcoming developer event.
The style of the hackathon followed a format that has already proved popular amongst developers in the US. It brings together eager developers from all communities – full time employed, part time, hobbyist and student – with companies seeking to engage them, experts keen to offer advice and venture capitalists looking to back software start-ups.
The result is an explosion of creativity and networking – one of the most productive event environments I’ve ever seen. Not only did three working Android applications result from the weekend but hundreds of ideas were exchanged, advice given, skills developed and business connections made.
It really demonstrated the level of entrepreneurialism, technology and innovation London’s Silicon Roundabout is buzzing with. Not surprising that more companies and government bodies are taking an interest in the area.
In a few months time, the second annual Digital Shoreditch Festival is set to take place across the Tech City zone. Its proximity to the Olympics, it is hoped, will help to foster international as well as national business interests. In the meantime, while the downturn continues to bite in the Square Mile, the vibe on Silicon Roundabout is increasingly optimistic.
Congrats to last sandwich. Will they now bring the app to market?