Manchester — Week of 3 Aug 2026

THE networking evening for Manchester's tech entrepreneurs, investors and startup founders. Brought north after 70+ sold-out London editions and a 3,000-strong community, this high-calibre format gathers operators, angels and VCs in a relaxed setting at The Anthologist on St Peter's Square. A recent AI Pitch Night drew 100 top operators including YC, Antler and Entrepreneur First founders alongside leading angel and VC investors. Informal networking over drinks (non-alcoholic welcome drink included), 6-9pm, business smart-casual.

A relaxed networking evening for the people driving healthtech innovation in Manchester: startup founders, medtech engineers, clinicians, researchers, developers and investors working on technology that improves health, wellbeing and clinical outcomes. Whether you are building a digital health platform, working with wearables, or developing AI tools for diagnostics, this is a no-pressure space for meaningful conversations (non-alcoholic welcome drink included). Part of Network One's wider UK network of tech-driven communities.

with Brian Wang (Programme Director, Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)) · Dr Parsa Pirhady (Postdoctoral Researcher in Breast Cancer Prevention, University of Manchester / Nucleate) · Jacob Thompson (Chief Scientific Officer, ADDER-VAX Ltd) + 1 more

This week's Venture Café Thursday Gathering, delivered with ARIA, explores its Sculpting Innate Immunity Opportunity Space, bringing researchers, founders and innovators together to look at how world-leading biological research becomes breakthrough therapies and companies. The headline panel, 'Turning Complex Biology into Commercial Reality', features Brian Wang (Programme Director, ARIA), Dr Parsa Pirhady (University of Manchester / Nucleate), Jacob Thompson (CSO, ADDER-VAX) and Andrew Ruffler (Director, Venture Café Manchester), on the challenges of moving from the lab to the marketplace. Pizza, networking and 60-second lightning pitches throughout. Free, no registration required to attend.