Manchester is set to host a two-day ‘BuildAthon’ in January, an event designed to “unlock” untapped founder ambition across the region and help more people to start building companies.
Taking place from 6 to 7 January, the Build Like a Pro event aims to give first-time builders and experienced founders the tools, mentorship and investment pathways needed to turn ideas into high-growth ventures.
With around £1m in potential investment on the table, the event is bringing together investors such as Antler, Haatch and Ascension, alongside mentors, to allow participants to pitch their ideas directly “without gatekeepers.”
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“We’ve secured over £1m in investment from Antler, Ascension and Haatch. There are no gatekeepers — this capital is available directly to founders, which is really exciting,” David Levine, CEO of Glenluna Ventures and Principal at Manchester Angels, who is organising the event, tells Prolific North.
Two tracks will run in parallel: ‘Build’, aimed at first-time builders supported with training and mentoring with no-code tools like Lovable, and ‘Scale’, tailored to more experienced founders and start-ups ready for accelerated growth.
The initiative is the brainchild of Levine, who has partnered with global pre-seed accelerator Antler to deliver what he hopes will be a big moment for the region.
He says the concept emerged from his “obsession” with vibe-coding platforms like Lovable, combined with a frustration he hears repeatedly across the North’s start-up ecosystem.
“A lot of people say we don’t have enough investors in the region. That’s nonsense. There’s a lot of money here and we also have the internet. Investors don’t need to be local, you can get them on Zoom or Google Meets,” he explains.
The real challenge he sees isn’t lack of capital, it’s “unlocking ambition.” He believes many talented people in the region haven’t yet been given the time, technology, or confidence to build.
The hackathon aims to change that, opening access to AI-powered tools that let entrepreneurs test and develop ideas at speed.
“For too long we’ve seen investability programmes that are little more than putting lipstick on a pig — trying to take a business that will never be venture scalable and trying to make it look scalable. I want to unlock ambition for founders from all socioeconomic backgrounds, using the most modern technology through this two-day hackathon.”
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The event is open to anyone eager to build or experiment with an idea, including those who arrive without one, from first-time builders to seasoned founders. Levine also explains how AI-driven platforms are widening access for people who previously lacked the resources to get started.
“A non-developer can now build software using AI, without having to architect the platform, design it, and write the code. It’s opening up opportunities for non-technical founders who previously had to wait to find a technical co-founder or raise £20,000 to build an MVP in some far-off land, which never really worked.”
These tools mean founders can get a proof of concept “into customers’ hands really, really quickly.”
At its core, the hackathon is about igniting ambition across the North, backing new founders, accelerating early-stage start-ups and injecting fresh momentum into the region’s tech ecosystem.
“We want to create new companies that generate jobs and unlock ambition in the region. But we also want to create founders and give them the tools, confidence and support to build. Even if their two-day idea isn’t their final business, we can show them how to go and build.”
Over the two-day event, participants will collaborate with investor mentors, product experts and technical specialists, culminating in a pitch of what they’ve created.
But despite strong interest and plenty of applications so far, Levine says he’s especially keen to see more female founders apply.
“More than 25% of applicants are female founders, but we want more because female founders don’t get their fair share of capital,” he explains. “People constantly talking about how hard it is for women to raise can actually put women off, fueling imposter syndrome. This is their opportunity to bring brilliant ideas directly to investors with no gatekeepers.”
The same commitment extends to founders from other underrepresented backgrounds too: “This event is absolutely for them. We want to wrap them in support with mentors, tools, technology, so they can build, pitch and see what’s possible.”
Levine hopes the January event will be the first of many, with long-term ambitions to host more regular hackathons and help Northern founders realise they don’t need to wait for a technical co-founder to bring their ideas to life.
“We’re really excited to make this happen,” he says. “Nobody’s done this before. This isn’t the usual investability stuff. It’s about helping people build, unlocking ambition and giving them access to things they’ve never had before. If people are not sure if this is for them, they’re exactly the sort of people we want to take part.”
Applications are open until 24 December.
