Rare Build Hackathon - From Prompt to Product in 10 Hours
Rare Founders x Mollie Hackathon
One day. One room. 150 builders. Whatever you ship, you ship from scratch.
What this is
A full-day, invite-only hackathon hosted by Rare Founders and Mollie. 150 of London's sharpest builders, designers, and operators in one room, forming teams on the spot and shipping something real by 7 PM.
No themes. No categories. No pre-formed teams. You walk in, you find your people, you build.
Judges from top VCs and operators pick the winners. Prizes from Mollie. Drinks until 10.
If you've been waiting for an excuse to stop scrolling and start building, this is it.
Format
150 attendees, max. Applications reviewed. Not everyone gets in.
Teams form on the day. Speed-dating style matchmaking from 9:30. You leave the morning with a team or you don't build.
Minimum 2 per team, ideal 3. One technical, one design, one commercial.
Open brief. Build whatever you want. Defend it on stage at 7 PM.
Real judging panel. VC, commercial, technical. Real feedback, real prizes.
Everything provided. Food, drinks, Wi-Fi, infrastructure credits, AI access, database templates. Show up with a laptop.
Agenda
9:00 AM - Doors open. Breakfast, coffee, settle in
9:30 AM - Matchmaking kicks off
10:30 AM - Teams locked. Kick-off, intros, judges on stage
11:00 AM - Build starts
1:00 PM - Lunch
6:00 PM - Dinner
7:00 PM - Submissions close
7:30 PM - Team pitches to judges and audience
8:00 PM - Judge deliberation
8:30 PM - Winners announced, prizes handed out
8:30 - 10:00 PM - Drinks, networking, debrief
10:00 PM - Doors close
Why apply
You'll meet people you'd never normally meet. This isn't a meetup. You'll spend 10 hours building shoulder-to-shoulder with people you didn't know at 9 AM.
You'll ship something real. Not a deck. Not a Figma file. Something that runs.
You'll pitch in front of VCs and operators who matter. Even if you don't win, the right person seeing your work is worth the day.
You'll walk out with a network, not a tote bag. Teams from past Rare Founders events have gone on to raise, co-found, and hire from each other.
You'll have fun. Free food, free drinks, free infrastructure, and 150 people who chose to spend their Saturday building instead of scrolling.
👉 Spots are limited - sign up now.
By joining, you're allowing us to capture and share moments from the night. Photos and videos may be used to showcase our community and promote future events.
About Rare Founders
A founder-led community connecting early-stage founders, operators, and investors through curated events across London - open mics, roundtables, and Demo Days. Sign up to our weekly newsletter for handpicked startup events and opportunities.
About Mollie
Mollie is a leading European financial services platform, trusted by over 250,000 businesses to get paid and manage their money effortlessly. Join Mollie Community in Discord.
💥 Get better connected with Sophy
Sophy is your networking companion built for founders, investors, and operators. See who's in the room, add notes to your contacts, set follow-ups, and search your entire network - so no connection ever slips through. Join the waitlist: GetsophySoPhy — Never Lose a Contact Again
Want to sponsor the event and get exposure with hundreds of businesses? Please email [email protected]
A Huge Thanks To Our Sponsors & Partners!
Safety Partner
Safespace Plus is helping us to foster a safe and inclusive environment at our events. Check out our Code of Conduct so you are aware of what kind of behaviour is not allowed at our events.
Venue Partner
Hosted at The Ministry - Borough’s iconic creative members’ club and workspace, built by the team behind Ministry of Sound. Set inside a beautifully restored Victorian printworks, it features stylish lounges, studios, a gym, a buzzing bar, and everything designed for founders and creators to collide. With flexible day passes, wellness spaces, great coffee and a culture-driven vibe, it’s the perfect home for bold ideas and unforgettable events.