HACKATHON · FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER 2026 · UCL, LONDON
[HACKATHON NAME]
Build a venture in one day
A free one-day hackathon across Fintech, Medtech and AI Workspace. Mixed teams go from a real problem to a tested product and a pitch, built with Lovable. No coding needed.
Doors open in
Venture School × UCL × Lovable
[UCL logo][Lovable logo]- 1day
- 3tracks
- 100+builders
- 20+working MVPs
- 15–20mentors
- 6partners
WHY IT'S DIFFERENT
Not another idea weekend
Typical hackathon
- Who builds
- Engineers only
- Starting point
- A clever idea
- Evidence
- None
- Output
- A demo that may not run
- After the day
- Ends at the awards
This hackathon
- Who builds
- Mixed teams of business, health, finance and engineering
- Starting point
- A real problem set by a sponsor
- Evidence
- Customer interviews in the room
- Output
- A working MVP built on Lovable
- After the day
- Pilot talks and a Venture School fast-track
THREE TRACKS
Pick a problem worth solving
Each track starts from a challenge set by a sponsor. You choose one when you register.
Fintech
How might we
…stop scams before the money leaves?
Example build
A payment-scam warning tool for SMEs and older customers.
- Challenge set by
- Bank or payments sponsor
- Data
- Sandbox
Medtech
How might we
…keep patients safe at home after surgery?
Example build
A remote monitoring dashboard that flags risks to a care team.
- Challenge set by
- Health or medtech sponsor
- Data
- Synthetic or public only, never real patient data
AI Workspace
How might we
…help teams work with AI agents safely every day?
Example build
A workspace that routes tasks between staff and AI agents, with human sign-off.
- Challenge set by
- AI or tools sponsor
- Data
- Sample company data
THE DAY · 09:00–18:00 GMT
From problem to pitch in five moves
09:00–11:00
Frame
Welcome, challenge briefs, Lovable build workshop, problem framing
11:00–12:30
Discover
Interviews with clinicians, bankers and workplace experts
13:15–15:30
Build
Build the MVP on Lovable, with mentor clinics
15:30–16:45
Test
Test with users, refine, prepare the pitch
16:45–18:00
Pitch
3-minute demos, judging and awards
18:00 Networking with sponsors, mentors and investors
WHO SHOULD JOIN
Every team should include three people
- Someone who knows the problem first-hand
- Someone who can design or build
- Someone who can tell the story
40%+
of participants non-technical: Lovable means anyone can build
JUDGING AND PRIZES
Scored on evidence, not polish
Scorecard · 100 points
The panel
One investor and one sponsor judge per track, plus a Lovable judge.
The format
A 3-minute pitch with a live demo, then 2 minutes of Q&A.
The prizes
A winner per track and an overall winner, fast-tracked into Venture School. [PRIZE DETAILS]
MENTORS
Experts in the room, all day
- 11–13
Domain experts
Clinicians, medtech and regulatory, bank and payments, fintech founders, risk, AI product, HR and operations
- 2–3
Lovable build experts
On hand to unblock your build
- 3–4
Method and pitch coaches
From Venture School faculty
- Photo placeholder
- Photo placeholder
- Photo placeholder
- Photo placeholder
- Photo placeholder
- Photo placeholder
WHY PARTNER
Bring a problem, leave with a pilot
Solve a real problem
Set a challenge from your own roadmap and see 20+ teams attack it in one day.
Meet talent first
Watch students and professionals work under pressure before you hire.
Find your next pilot
Leave with tested MVPs and a direct line to the teams that built them.
Be seen leading
Put your name on applied AI work at UCL, alongside Venture School and Lovable.
| Package | You give | You get |
|---|---|---|
| Track sponsor3 places | A challenge, a judge, a mentor and a track prize | The track named after you, a pilot option with the winner, logo everywhere and 2 minutes on stage |
| Prize sponsor2 places | Cash, credits or a pilot | The award presented on stage, a logo and social coverage |
| Tools sponsor3 places | Credits or API access | Your product used by every team and a 10-minute demo slot |
| Hospitality sponsor1 place | Food and drinks | A branded networking session and logo |
Prices on request. Track sponsors confirmed by 13 November.
Enquire about sponsorshipINVESTORS
See 20+ MVPs before anyone else
Judge a track
16:00–18:00
Join the demos
16:45–19:00
PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
Founding partners: Venture School, UCL, Lovable
- [Venture School logo]
- [UCL logo]
- [Lovable logo]
- Sponsor place available
- Sponsor place available
- Sponsor place available
REGISTRATION OPENS 4 NOVEMBER · CLOSES 27 NOVEMBER 2026
Take your place
Free to attend. Places are given in batches for a balanced mix of skills, so register early.
Questions? info@ventureschool.io
FAQ
Good questions
Anything else? Email info@ventureschool.io
No. You build with Lovable using plain language, and half of every team's work is problem discovery and pitching.