❯ ./blaxathon --city london --date 2027-01-23
> loading 5 challenges from real small businesses ... ok
> allocating 50 seats ... ok
system
edition001 / london
statusapplications open
closesfri 08 jan 2027
puzzlelocked
BLAXATHON
> a ton of ideas
A one-day AI hackathon. Black talent building real tools for London small businesses. Open to everyone.
press / to open the terminal. type help.
README.md
One day. Real problems. Working tools by the evening.
1
day, 10am to 8pm
50
builders in teams of 3 to 5
5
challenges set by real small businesses
3
minute demo per team, to the judges
why.log
The talent is here. The doors are not always open.
0.24%
of UK venture capital went to Black founders and their teams, 2009 to 2019.
source: Extend Ventures, Diversity Beyond Gender (2020)
manifesto.md
Blaxathon is the first edition of something bigger.
We want to find the best builders in every community, and crown them.
City heats lead to national finals. National finals lead to a world final.
Every champion holds the title for a year: a crown, a platform and a path to building something real.
One X. Every community.
A ton of ideas.
- now
Edition one
London, Sat 23 Jan 2027. The first heat and the first champion.
- next
More editions
The same format for more cities and communities.
- then
National finals
City champions compete for the national title.
- the goal
World final
National champions meet. One world champion is crowned.
Edition one is London 2027. Future cities are examples of where this is going, not confirmed dates.
schedule.json
From first coffee to final demo.
Food, drink, wifi and power are covered all day. Mentors are on hand from start to finish.
{
"09:30": "arrive, breakfast, welcome",
"10:00": "challenges revealed, teams form",
"10:30": "build, with mentors on hand",
"13:00": "lunch, business owner check-ins",
"17:30": "3 minute demos to the judges",
"19:00": "prizes and networking"
}perks.txt
What you walk away with.
real skills
Build with AI on a live business problem.
a portfolio piece
Working proof to show any employer or client.
the right people
Employers, investors and mentors in one room.
a team
Come with one, or come alone and we match you.
you own it
What your team builds is yours. Code is written on the day.
£2,500 prizes
£1,500, £700 and £300, plus support to turn the winning tool into a product.
who.yml
Open to everyone. Built to back Black talent.
No AI experience needed. Bring a laptop and its charger.
developers
Any language, any level. Students welcome.
designers
Product, UX and visual. Make it usable.
founders
You know business problems. Lead the pitch.
the curious
You will learn on the day.
apply.sh
Register. Then crack the code.
Step one: tell us who you are. Step two: crack level 1. That is your entry. Everything you need is on this page.
- L1 qualify. Careful reading. Gets you in.
- L2 source. Optional. Look where builders look.
- L3 crown. Optional and hard. Your handle goes on the wall, and you get first pick of seats.
prefer your own terminal?curl blaxathon.com/apply
$ ./register
[locked] register above to unlock the puzzle.
L1 qualifyL2 sourceL3 crown
$ cat level1.txt
EXLOG
# 1. every letter moved forward in the alphabet,
# by the minutes each team gets to demo
# 2. move each letter back to find the word
# 3. add the number of challenges to the end
# example: DBU moved back by 1 = CAT
$ cat level2.txt # optional, harder
# builders read what browsers hide.
# open the source of this page and find the level 2 note.
# it is wrapped in two layers. peel both.
# type what is left. symbols do not matter.
$ cat level3.enc # optional, the hard one
67 6b 1f 76 65 67 7e 70 1d 7a 7a 71 1d 6a 7d 7b 62
# xor each byte with a repeating key.
# the key is the number that explains why we exist.
# 4 characters, written exactly as on this page.
# crack it and your handle goes on the wall.
ACCESS GRANTED. You are in the running.
Email your code, your name and what you do to the address below. Applications close Fri 8 Jan 2027. A £10 deposit holds your seat and is refunded when you turn up.
CROWNED. @you is on the wall.
You hold the gold X. Crowned builders get first pick of seats. Keep the answer to yourself.
crowned.log
Cracked by.
Level 1 gets you in. Crack level 3 and your handle goes here, in the order you cracked it.
0
registered
0
qualified
0
cracked level 2
0
crowned
faq.md
Good to know.
Is it only for Black people?
No. Blaxathon is open to everyone. It is built to back Black talent, so that is who we reach first.
Do I need AI experience?
No. Curiosity matters more. Mentors help every team.
What does it cost?
Nothing. A £10 deposit holds your seat and is refunded when you turn up.
Do I need a team?
No. Come alone and we will match you with a team of 3 to 5.
Who owns what we build?
Your team does. All code is written on the day.
$ echo "see you there"
SEE YOU
THERE.