As we gear up for the return of Digital City Festival, the annual event series that unites the digital and tech sectors across the North and beyond, here’s everything you can expect across the festival week.
Launched by Prolific North, the festival is now in its sixth year and has since become the leading event where ambition meets opportunity for anyone interested in growing or investing in the Northern digital and tech sectors.
You can expect five key anchor events from 20-22 May as we bring together founders, business and education leaders, VCs and policymakers right across the ecosystem to connect and collaborate!
Digital City Leaders Summit
The festival will kick off on Tuesday 20 May with the Digital City Leaders Summit event. This exclusive, invite-only event will bring together over 100 key industry leaders from across the North’s thriving digital and tech sectors, set to delve deep into the region’s bold ambition to be recognised as a world-leading digital city-region, while exploring the strategies, opportunities, and challenges that come with this vision.
Expect inspiring talks from some of the most influential voices in the industry, interactive sessions and panel discussions where leaders will collaborate, share insights and collaborate to shape the future of the North’s digital and tech sectors. Spaces are limited so please register your interest here, and the team will be in touch.
New Scale-ups to Watch
While our usual list to spotlight early-stage companies will continue later on in the year – as part of Digital City Festival we’re hosting a special new Scale-ups edition of Tech Companies to Watch for 2025 on 20 May.
Whether you’re looking to invest, collaborate, or simply be inspired, expect to hear about some of the most exciting and fast-growing early-stage companies, as Prolific North reveals its list of New Scale-Ups to Watch across the North. Alongside the big reveal, expect to hear fireside chats with leaders from the list.
Submissions are still open, so companies or their representatives can now submit their information to be considered for the list via our short form here.
GRAFT
Join us for GRAFT 2025 on Wednesday 21 May for what’s set to be a jam-packed day designed to inspire, inform, and connect entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators. This is your chance to learn strategies to scaling tech businesses, tips on access to funding, and explore the technologies shaping the future.
Whether you’re a start-up founder or an investor seeking the next big thing, this is an opportunity to engage with the tech community, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and get the tools you need to take your business to the next level. Founders can attend for free by claiming a ticket here but if you’re not a founder, you can also buy tickets to the event here.
Founders Summit
On the morning of Thursday 22 May, join us for Founders Summit. This exclusive event is specially curated for founders from across the North to come together, share ideas, and tackle the biggest challenges facing businesses today. Expect a series of interactive roundtable sessions, tech expert sessions with advice from leading innovators, and collaborative opportunities to share all the strategies, success and overcome any challenges.
So whether you’re an experienced founder or just starting out on your journey, the Founders Summit is your chance to connect with like-minded leaders and unlock fresh ideas to grow your business. Spaces are limited, so please register your interest in attending here.
STEM Marketing Awards 2025
We’ll be wrapping up the festival in style with an event to mark the winners for the inaugural STEM Marketing Awards, taking place during the evening on 22 May. The first-ever STEM Marketing Awards celebrates the national achievements of marketers helping to propel the future of the science, tech, engineering, and maths industries.
Check out all of the exciting events happening across the festival week here.
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