BioInformatics

**Venue:** Riverbank House, 2 Swan Ln, London EC4R 3AD **Please note:** 1\. 🚨🚨🚨 A valid photo ID is required by building security\. 🚨🚨🚨 2\. This event follows the [NumFOCUS Code of Conduct](https://numfocus.org/code-of-conduct). Please familiarise yourself with it before attending. If your RSVP status says "You're going" you will be able to get in. No need to show your RSVP confirmation when signing in. If you can no longer make it, please unRSVP as soon as possible. **Code of Conduct:** This event follows the NumFOCUS Code of Conduct. Please get in touch with the organisers with any questions or concerns. As always, there will be free food and drinks, generously provided by our host, Man Group. **Main Talks** 1. **SVD-ROM: Reduced Order Modeling of huge arrays using the Singular Value Decomposition** - **David Salvador-Jasin** We present SVD-ROM, an open source Python package to perform Reduced Order Modeling (ROM) of very large arrays using the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). Despite the high dimensionality of datasets typically encountered in real-world scenarios such as fluid dynamics or weather & climate, these are typically low-rank: there are a few dominant patterns that explain the high dimensionality. The SVD is a useful dimensionality reduction technique for such systems, and has the advantages of being explainable and computationally efficient. SVD-ROM enables the application of SVD-based machine learning methods such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) or Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) on massive datasets. We employ Dask for parallel and out-of-core computation, Xarray for labelled N-dimensional arrays, and data formats such as Zarr and NetCDF for chunked storage of large arrays. We have developed SVD-ROM keeping user-friendliness in mind, exposing a Python API that enables the straightforward application of methods such as pre-processing, model fitting, reconstruction and forecasting. Additionally, Dask makes code portability across laptop, HPC clusters or cloud straightforward, enabling the user to run SVD-ROM on different computational environments with minimal changes. The development of SVD-ROM has also resulted in multiple contributions to PyDMD, the most popular open source Python package for the application of DMD. In this talk we show how we can fit a DMD model to a global weather dataset tens of GB in size and produce an accurate sub-seasonal forecast (6 weeks ahead) on a laptop in just a few minutes. 2. **From Zero to HyperPod: Cutting Infrastructure Complexity for Distributed Model Training on AWS** - [Anton Nazaruk](anton.e.nazaruk@gmail.com) Training state‑of‑the‑art models often stalls on two pain points: GPU availability and infrastructure complexity. In this 40‑minute, practitioner‑level session, I will demystify the fastest, most cost‑effective routes to dedicated NVIDIA H100 and B200 clusters on AWS. We will compare EC2 On‑Demand, Spot, Savings Plans, EC2 Capacity Blocks, and the new SageMaker Training Plans with HyperPod, showing where each shines for research, production training, and massive fine‑tunes. A live demo will provision a 256‑GPU HyperPod, walk through distributed‑training set‑up with Deep Speed + PyTorch, and showcase built‑in checkpointing and automatic node recovery. Attendees will leave with: 1) a decision framework for picking the right reservation model, 2) reference Terraform and CDK snippets to launch clusters in minutes, and 3) cost‑optimisation tips that have saved our clients up to 35% versus unmanaged fleets. Biggest focus on practical architectures, benchmarks, and war stories you can apply the next day. **Lightning Talks** 1. **Agentic, Agentic AI for Personalized Care — Lessons and Challenges from Holisticare.io - Mojtaba Kargar** 2. **Mapping the International PyData Community featuring Web Scraping and Data Wrangling - [Hugh Evans](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-evans-dev/)** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Logistics** Doors open at **6.30 pm** (get there early as you'll need to sign in with building security). Talks start at **7:00 pm**, with drinks afterwards from **9:00 pm** at The Banker (EC4). We have reduced capacity for this event, but there will be plenty of people to discuss data science questions with. Please unRSVP in good time if you realise you can't make it. We're limited by building security on the number of attendees, so please free up your place for your fellow community members. If you want me to trim lightning talks down to two or shorten any abstracts, say which ones.

**Exploring the links between Bitcoin and Buddhism** The Wrathful Buddha explores the link between Buddhism and 21st century money. Expect an origin story about Bitcoin and Buddhism and a Wrathful approved path to financial and spiritual non-suffering. All other questions and enquiries regarding Bitcoin, wallets, security, hardware and best practice offered by the community. First time entry free / £15 cash on the door / Advance tickets [here](http://%5Bhttps://btcpay.btc.aw/apps/rvvVwGSSSiJ7UgtzjmBdxy1Uq6a/pos%5D(https://btcpay.btc.aw/apps/rvvVwGSSSiJ7UgtzjmBdxy1Uq6a/pos) "\[https://btcpay.btc.aw/apps/rvvVwGSSSiJ7UgtzjmBdxy1Uq6a/pos\](https://btcpay.btc.aw/apps/rvvVwGSSSiJ7UgtzjmBdxy1Uq6a/pos)") Promotional activities related to shitcoins are not permitted. No unsolicited photograhy. Stay humble.

Welcome to **Networx London** Are you a **biotech founder, healthcare innovator, pharma executive, or life sciences professional** looking to build valuable, career-elevating connections? Join a relaxed and engaging evening tailored for professionals across the **biopharma, medtech, clinical research, and health innovation sectors**. Whether you're a **research scientist, medical affairs expert, regulatory consultant, VC, entrepreneur, or aspiring industry leader**, this event is your space to connect with like-minded peers and spark new opportunities. We start at **6:30 PM** with a warm welcome and light icebreakers to get conversations flowing, followed by **open networking all evening**. No formal pitches—just real connections, fresh ideas, and meaningful conversations in a friendly, laid-back setting. 📍 **Venue: The Refinery Regent Place, Warren St** Located in the vibrant Regent Place area, The Refinery offers a stylish yet welcoming atmosphere perfect for networking and socializing. With its modern interiors, spacious layout, and relaxed vibe, it’s an ideal spot for after-work drinks and professional gatherings. Just a short walk from Warren Street station, it provides the perfect setting for meaningful conversations and new connections in a chic but unpretentious environment. Come join us, grab a drink, and grow your network—one great conversation at a time. 📅 **Event Schedule** **18:30 – 19:00 \| Welcome** Kick off with a warm intro and fun icebreakers to set the tone. **19:00 – 19:30 \| Meet & Greet** Mingle with fellow professionals in an open, approachable setting. **19:30 – 21:30 \| Informal Networking** Free-flowing networking all evening—no pressure, no sales. Just great conversations with high-caliber peers. 💼 **Bring Your Business Cards** Want people to remember what you do? Bring your business cards and share your story. It’s a great way to follow up after the event. 🧠 **Suggest a Future Theme** Is there a niche you’d love to see featured—clinical trials, digital health, regulatory trends? Add it to our suggestion sheet onsite! We're building this community with you. 💡 **Why Attend?** Connect with **biotech, pharmaceutical, and life sciences professionals** in a relaxed and dynamic setting. Discover **career opportunities**, meet **companies and startups hiring top talent**, and exchange insights with peers across the industry. Whether you're working in **clinical research, regulatory affairs, medtech, or healthcare innovation**, this is the place to spark new ideas, find collaborators, and grow your impact. **Who Should Attend:** This event is perfect for anyone looking to expand their professional network, grow their business, or gain fresh perspectives from a diverse mix of biotech founders, pharmaceutical professionals, medical researchers, regulatory affairs specialists, healthcare innovators, investors, job seekers, and leaders shaping the future of life sciences. 🎟 Tickets & Entry To avoid the venue getting overcrowded and ensure everyone enjoys an amazing night, we've introduced a small ticket price to keep things running smoothly. **Limited spots!** Register today and hit **Follow** for updates on future weekly events. 📸 **Event Photography** Please note that photos and videos may be taken for promotional purposes. 📸 \*\*Follow us on Instagram for updates and event news:\*\*👉 [@networxldn](https://www.instagram.com/networxldn/ "https://www.instagram.com/networxldn/") 🔗 \*\*Join our WhatsApp group to connect before and after the event:\*\*👉 [https://chat.whatsapp.com/GisOCaIiMeKEehV5Lv7qxg](https://chat.whatsapp.com/GisOCaIiMeKEehV5Lv7qxg "https://chat.whatsapp.com/GisOCaIiMeKEehV5Lv7qxg")

**Welcome to NextGen Science – Medicine & Innovation Edition!** Are you shaping the future of medicine, biotech, pharma, or life sciences? This is your chance to connect with like-minded innovators, executives, researchers, and entrepreneurs. Step into an evening where ideas meet opportunity — a relaxed yet dynamic space for those driving progress in medtech, clinical research, biopharma, and medical innovation. From research scientists and medical affairs experts to founders, VCs, and rising leaders — if you’re transforming the industry (or want to), this is where meaningful connections begin. We start at **6:30 PM** with a warm welcome and light icebreakers to get conversations flowing, followed by **open networking all evening**.No formal pitches just real connections, fresh ideas, and meaningful conversations in a friendly, laid-back setting. 📍 **Venue: The Refinery Regent Place, Warren St** Located in the vibrant Regent Place area, The Refinery offers a stylish yet welcoming atmosphere perfect for networking and socializing. With its modern interiors, spacious layout, and relaxed vibe, it’s an ideal spot for after-work drinks and professional gatherings. Just a short walk from Warren Street station, it provides the perfect setting for meaningful conversations and new connections in a chic but unpretentious environment. Come join us, grab a drink, and grow your network—one great conversation at a time. 📅 **Event Schedule** **18:30 – 19:00 \| Welcome** Kick off with a warm intro and fun icebreakers to set the tone. **19:00 – 19:30 \| Meet & Greet** Mingle with fellow professionals in an open, approachable setting. **19:30 – 21:30 \| Informal Networking** Free-flowing networking all evening—no pressure, no sales. Just great conversations with high-caliber peers. 💼 **Bring Your Business Cards:** Want people to remember what you do? Bring your business cards and share your story. It’s a great way to follow up after the event. 🧠 **Suggest a Future Theme:** Is there a niche you’d love to see featured—clinical trials, digital health, regulatory trends? Add it to our suggestion sheet onsite! We're building this community with you. 💡 **Why Attend?** Connect with professionals shaping the future of medicine, biotech, pharma, and life sciences in a relaxed, dynamic setting. Discover career opportunities, meet innovative companies and startups, and exchange insights with peers across the industry. Whether you’re in clinical research, regulatory affairs, medtech, or medical innovation, this is the place to spark new ideas, find collaborators, and expand your impact. **Who Should Attend:** This event is perfect for anyone looking to expand their professional network, grow their business, or gain fresh perspectives from a diverse mix of biotech founders, pharmaceutical professionals, medical researchers, regulatory affairs specialists, healthcare innovators, investors, job seekers, and leaders shaping the future of life sciences. 🎟 Tickets & Entry To avoid the venue getting overcrowded and ensure everyone enjoys an amazing night, we've introduced a small ticket price to keep things running smoothly. **Limited spots!** Register today and hit **Follow** for updates on future weekly events. 📸 **Event Photography** Please note that photos and videos may be taken for promotional purposes. 📸 \*\*Follow us on Instagram for updates and event news:\*\*👉 [@networxldn](https://www.instagram.com/networxldn/ "https://www.instagram.com/networxldn/") 🔗 \*\*Join our WhatsApp group to connect before and after the event:\*\*👉 [https://chat.whatsapp.com/GisOCaIiMeKEehV5Lv7qxg](https://chat.whatsapp.com/GisOCaIiMeKEehV5Lv7qxg "https://chat.whatsapp.com/GisOCaIiMeKEehV5Lv7qxg")

Join Champs Within for an energizing lunchtime Boxercise session aimed at promoting a healthier lifestyle and supporting weight loss goals. This event is not only a fantastic way to stay active and fit, but also provides a social opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who are focused on their well-being. Boxercise is not just a physical workout, but also contributes to mental health support by helping you de-stress and boost your mood. Come sweat it out, release some endorphins, and feel the empowerment and positivity that comes with taking charge of your health. Let's punch and kick our way to a healthier and happier you together!

🚀 From Idea to Working App. Agenda: \* 18:30 \- Welcome drinks / meet and greet \| \* 19:00 \- presentation\, workshop \| \* 20:00 \- Share Demos and Wrap up and Q & A \| \* 21:00 - Social in the bar Join us for an informal evening exploring how AI is revolutionising the way we build applications. Whether you're a developer, product manager, or business leader curious about accelerating delivery, this meetup will show you practical approaches to go from concept to working software in record time. We'll introduce the spec-driven development approach that leverages AI to dramatically compress traditional timelines. You'll see firsthand how modern AI tools can transform requirements into functional applications, handling everything from architecture decisions to code generation. This isn't about replacing developers—it's about amplifying what teams can achieve and focusing human creativity where it matters most. **What to expect:** * Live demonstrations of AI-powered application development * Real-world examples of projects delivered in days instead of months * Interactive discussions about when and how to apply these approaches * Practical tips for getting started with your own projects * Time to experiment and ask questions **What to bring:** We encourage you to bring your laptop and have accounts set up with AI tools like Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, or similar platforms. If you have a business problem or app idea you're thinking about, even better—we might tackle it together! This is a relaxed, collaborative environment perfect for learning, sharing experiences, and connecting with others who are excited about the future of software delivery. All experience levels welcome—curiosity is the only prerequisite.

Hello and welcome to our next **Cloud Platform Engineering London** meetup. This event brings together platform engineers, SREs, architects, and engineering leaders working across modern cloud platforms, internal developer platforms, reliability, and large-scale delivery. Our meetups are friendly, welcoming, and community-driven; everyone is welcome, whether you’re experienced in the space or just starting your platform journey. This session will include practitioner talks, demos, Q&A, and time for networking with like-minded peers. We run bi-monthly in-person meetups in London, so make sure to look out for future events on our meetup page. Food and refreshments will be provided for in-person events where a host venue is supporting. We are delighted to host this event in **London** on the **5th of February**. **Speakers and Sessions:** Speaker: **[Steve Fenton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefenton/)**, Principal DevEx Researcher at Octopus Deploy Session Title: Platform Engineering Research Description: I'll share insights from the Platform Engineering Pulse Report and share some of the gaps between theory and reality the research exposed. Speaker: **[Sean M. Tracey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmtracey/),** Founding Technologist at Mitchell Technologies Session Title: I've built a Cloud Platform, and You Can Too! Description: How do you build a cloud platform? Where do you even start with something like that? Can one person do it on their own? Well, it starts with getting a hold of a bunch of computers, and then it gets a little more complicated from there. In this talk, I'll cover everything I've learned from building fledgling.cloud - a PaaS Cloud built specifically for developers and their side-projects, and how you can build one too! Speaker: **[Immo Hüneke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/immo-huneke-27b121/)**, Expert DevOps Engineer at Zühlke Engineering Session Title: The Platform Plane - an instant software factory Description: The Platform Plane simplifies your development process, boosts productivity, and helps you deliver better software faster while integrating all your existing technology. This presentation and demo will show how Zühlke employs its Internal Development Platform to be productive from Day One of a customer project, "shift left" and let developers concentrate on developing. Instead of a building site, your new project starts off in an efficiently humming software factory environment. **Agenda (GMT / UK):** 18:00 — Welcome and refreshments 18:30 — Introduction — Ethan Sumner 18:35 — **[Steve Fenton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefenton/)** 19:10 — Break 19:20 — **[Sean M. Tracey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmtracey/)** 19:55 - **[Immo Hüneke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/immo-huneke-27b121/)** 20:30 — Close and networking **We are always keen to hear from:** • Speakers — case studies, engineering deep dives, lessons learned, platform stories • Hosts — organisations able to provide space for future meetups • Sponsors — support with refreshments, recording, marketing or accessibility If you would like to speak, sponsor, or host a future event, please get in touch with **[Ethan Sumner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansumner404/)** via LinkedIn. You can find our YouTube channel **[here.](https://www.youtube.com/@CommunityStackHQ)** This community forms part of the **[Community Stack ecosystem](https://www.meetup.com/pro/generative-ai-uk-community/)** and follows the **Community Stack Code of Conduct**, ensuring a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all attendees.

Join us for an exciting deep dive into the future of Kafka architecture and the intersection of AI with data streaming! Learn how diskless Kafka is revolutionising cloud-native deployments and discover how to interact with your Kafka data using natural language. **Date and Time: 🗓️** Wednesday 4th February, ⏰ 18:00 - 20:30 PM 🕘 **Venue:** Lacon House, London WC1X 8NL, United Kingdom **Attending Brands**: OSO, Aiven, Lenses **Schedule:** 18:00: Doors Open 18:00 - 18:30: Food, drinks, networking 18:30 - 19:00: "Diskless Kafka" - Hugh Evans, Aiven 19:00 \- 19:30: “How Lenses MCP Brings AI to Kafka \| Talk to Your Data with Claude & MCP" \- Tun Shew\, Lenses\.io 19:30- 20:30pm: Additional Q&A, Networking **🎙️ \~Talk 1\~** **Talk Title:** Diskless Kafka **Summary:** Summary: Deep dive into KIP-1150 and the future of diskless Kafka, why diskless matters in cloud-native deployments, rerouting replication to object storage, and how diskless and traditional topics can coexist in one cluster. This talk explores the fundamental architectural shift that allows Kafka to leverage cloud object storage for data persistence, reducing operational complexity and costs while maintaining the performance characteristics that make Kafka the backbone of modern data infrastructure. **🗣️ Speaker 1:** Hugh Evans is at Aiven **🎙️ \~Talk 2\~** **Talk Title:** Go Faster on Kafka with AI-Assisted Engineering (Without Summoning Consumer Lag Demons) **Summary:** Are you spending more time wrestling with Kafka configurations and debugging consumer lag than shipping real-time products? The era of AI-assisted engineering is here to change that. This talk takes you on a journey through the evolution of developer tools, moving from the editor wars of the past to a seamless AI-integrated future. We will demonstrate how next-generation tools like Cursor and Claude Code, paired with the Lenses MCP server, allow you to explore, manage and debug your Kafka environment simply using natural language. Through practical demos, you will see how to design robust topic strategies, apply governance best practices and deploy streaming data pipelines using any framework of your choice in seconds. We'll explore the best ways to shift your mindset towards leveraging an AI copilot and you'll leave with a list of actionable tips to enhance your daily routine and increase your productivity with AI today. **🗣️ Speaker 1:** Tun Shwe, Lenses.io

Book your specific time here! www.betheband.org/book-online You'll receive the exact location after booking your slot. 🎸 **Join a Band – Meet & Greet for BetheBand** 🎤 Ready to stop playing solo and start gigging with a real band? BetheBand is a London-based music programme for amateur to intermediate musicians who want to rehearse weekly, improve with a professional music director, and perform live on stage — *without all the hassle of organising it yourself*. 📝 **What’s the audition?** We’ll ask you to prepare 1 song from a short list. You’ll play it with a backing track alongside one of our band directors. It’s relaxed, fun, and a chance for us to get to know your level, preferences, and goals. ✅ We match you with musicians at your level ✅ You rehearse weekly in a central London studio ✅ You’re guided by a professional musician as your band director ✅ You perform a full set live in front of friends and family at the end of each 8-week term 🎶 We’re currently welcoming guitarists, bassists, vocalists, drummers, and keyboard players. 🗓️ **Audition slots available:** Choose a time when you RSVP and we’ll send you details + the song list. 📍**Location:** Central London (address sent after sign-up) 💷 **Audition fee:** £15 (non-refundable) 🎟️ Spaces are limited — sign up now to start your journey from bedroom player to band member!

**Never tried Grafana before? This workshop is for you!** APIs are the backbone of modern software development. They power everything from mobile apps to internal tools, but let’s be honest, reading through raw JSON or API responses isn’t the most exciting way to work with data. What if you could turn that data into clean, interactive graphs without writing a ton of custom code or spinning up a backend server? That’s where Grafana comes in! **Grafana** is an open-source data visualisation and observability platform that lets you create interactive, real-time dashboards from various data sources. It’s best known for visualising metrics from systems like Prometheus or InfluxDB, but thanks to its plugin ecosystem, it can do much more. **In this fun, beginner-friendly workshop, we’ll:** * Explore what Grafana is all about * Connect to an API using the Grafana Infinity plugin * Configure a simple query and pull the data into Grafana * Turn that data into a beautiful dashboard with different panel types **No prior knowledge of Grafana** is required as this session is beginner-friendly, but bring your **(well charged) laptops** as this will be a hands-on session!

Forex Fridays – Traders, Vibes & Games 💹 Link up with fellow traders, swap setups, share stories, and play fun trading games like Forex Taboo and Pair on Your Head. Fridays just got profitable 😎

Hi folks! Welcome to our February Cloud Native London meetup! Join us to hear from our three great speakers and network with your fellow techies over pizza and drinks, or alternatively chat and following along on Youtube! 6:00 Pizza and drinks 6:30 Welcome 6:45 Stop Running Mystery Meat in Production (Jeroen van Erp, SUSE) 7:15 Platform Wars: The Battle Between Golden Paths and Spaghetti Pipelines (Prithvi Raj, Mirantis) 7:45 Break 8:00 Beyond Chatbots: How AI Agents and Humanoids Are Shaping a New Era (Akshya Prakkash, Urban Care Community) 8:30 Wrap up Sponsors: TechShack, Cloudsmith, SUSE See you there! Cheryl (@oicheryl) **Stop Running Mystery Meat in Production (Jeroen van Erp, SUSE)** We have all been there. You need a database or a quick node environment, so you throw FROM node:latest into your Dockerfile and deploy. It works, but you have just introduced a black box into your Kubernetes cluster. For the Developer, it’s a quick fix. For the Platform Engineer, it’s a nightmare. Most upstream images from public registries are a roll of the dice. They come pre-packed with critical vulnerabilities, unknown binaries, and bloated libraries that you didn’t ask for and definitely don’t want running in your secure environment. In a world of Zero Trust, why are we trusting random upstream maintainers with the keys to our infrastructure? *Jeroen van Erp is a technology evangelist at SUSE, specializing in the observability platform. With a rich background spanning engineering, architecture and product management, Jeroen brings over a decade of experience in the DevOps space. Before joining SUSE, he played a pivotal role as technical slliance director at StackState, where he helped shape the future of observability. As a trainer and speaker, Jeroen is known for his ability to distill complex technical concepts into actionable insights. He is passionate about solving challenging technical problems, whether through mentoring or hands-on involvement. An active contributor to the open source community, Jeroen maintains several highly starred repositories. When he’s not diving into the latest technology trends, Jeroen enjoys spending time on his mini-farm, where he cares for his sheep and shares his love for rural life.* *https://www.linkedin.com/in/jvanerp/* **Platform Wars: The Battle Between Golden Paths and Spaghetti Pipelines (Prithvi Raj, Mirantis)** Internal developer platforms promised golden paths: streamlined, reliable routes for delivering software. Yet too often, they lead platform engineers into a tangled web of YAML, Bash scripts, and tool sprawl. The true crisis today isn't implementing the idea of platform engineering but navigating through platform democracy challenges. The true Darth Vader moments in platform engineering appear when good intentions turn dark: developer experience suffers, and open-source tools quietly become villains to velocity. This session aims to dive deeper into the open-source tooling and cloud-native strategies that mitigate the platform crisis. We’ll examine how to maintain the Jedi discipline of paved paths or fall into spaghetti-pipeline chaos while chasing the perfect delivery workflow. Through real-world stories and anti-patterns, we’ll explore the light and dark sides of OSS-powered platform engineering and help you uncover who the true Darth Vader of your stack might be. *Prithvi Raj is a Community Manager & Developer Advocate at Mirantis working with the Open Source Program Office team. He is a CNCF Ambassador with 5+ years of experience who helped scale a CNCF incubating project in LitmusChaos and runs the Platform & Resilience Engineering Meetup group. He is an active member of SIG Project Reviews and currently leads community efforts for the k0s project, k0rdent, OpenSDN, and other OSS initiatives Mirantis contributes to.* *He is a co-organizer for KCD Bengaluru and previously organized Chaos Carnival, LitmusChaosCon and KCD Chennai. He was previously at Harness, ChaosNative, and MayaData.* **Beyond Chatbots: How AI Agents and Humanoids Are Shaping a New Era (Akshya Prakkash, Urban Care Community)** Chatbots introduced the world to AI, but they are only the starting point. A new wave of systems - AI agents and humanoid technologies is shifting AI from conversation to action. This talk explores how AI is evolving beyond text-based interaction into systems that can perceive environments, make decisions and operate in the real world. Drawing from hands-on experience with agent-based AI projects and robotic platforms in community and care settings, we’ll examine what makes these systems different, the challenges of trust and why this shift represents a new era for human-AI interaction. Join this session to see how AI is beginning to act, not just respond. *BSc Computer Science Hons @ UOW & Software Developer at UCC* *LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshya-pv/* *Check out [https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon](https://www.oicheryl.com/cloudnativelondon) if you're interested in speaking or sponsoring.*

Hi JavaScript London, We're thrilled to host the 1st meet-up of 2026!! We are kicking off the year with Omnea hosting at Wave Talent's offices in Shoreditch. We have some fantastic tech talks lined up, there will be plenty of pizzas 🍕, and of course drinks 🍻, plus plenty of networking with fellow tech enthusiasts. Don't miss out on a night of great conversations and new connections! **Address:** 14 Bonhill Street London, EC2A 4BX **Registration -** You know the drill by now!! Please register via Meetup and also via the website as we need to give a list of attendees on the night. [https://www.javascriptlondon.com/](https://www.javascriptlondon.com/) **Talks:** **1st Talk:** [Tynan Byrne](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tynanbyrne/) \- Software Engineer at Omnea\. **Topic: "Stop Guessing: How to Actually Know Your AI Feature Isn't Useless"**" You tweaked your AI prompt. Your teammate suggested adding markdown. Your manager wants to try Claude instead of GPT-4. Is it better now? Worse? Nobody actually knows. In this talk, I'll show you how to use an eval loop to iterate on AI features with confidence. We'll take a simple AI tool and improve it live - changing prompts, running tests, and watching scores update in real-time. You'll see which changes actually help and which just look different. Then, I'll show you how we do this at scale at Omnea: hundreds of test cases, continuous experimentation, big AI features used by the likes of Monzo and Spotify. You'll leave knowing how to judge your AI features with data, not just vibes." **2nd Talk:** [N. Nain](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nnain/) \- Lead Engineer at Indie Gaming **Topic:** **"Introducing TypeScript into a codebase owned by hardcore C++ / Rust engineers (and the politics involved)"** When I joined an indie gaming studio as Lead Engineer to build a new Web Engineering team, I assumed my biggest challenges would be technical - porting and integrating with an existing Rust and C++ codebase. I was only half right - as it turned out the real challenge wasn’t the code, but the developers behind it! Tonight, I’m not just gonna talk about the two languages I personally love, but the people - and the artificial tribes that formed around them. The technical challenges and misconceptions. The arguments. The (occasional) shouting. And the stranger-than-fiction lengths people went to, just to prove a point. Funny, tragic, and over the top - but everything works out in the end? Welcome to modern software development at work. **Full agenda:** 6:00 PM: Doors Open. Grab a pizza slice, sip a beer, and start chatting with other attendees. 6:30 PM: Welcome remarks by Sam, Richard and Justin 6:35 PM: First talk 7:05 PM: Toilet break 7:15 PM: Second talk 8:00 PM: Closing remarks and an optional pub visit! **Directions to WaveTalent:** The closest train station: Moorgate or Old Street **Sponsor**: **Omnea:** Omnea is a London-based AI-native procurement technology company that builds a platform to streamline how organisations buy goods and services, manage suppliers, and control spend through automated workflows and embedded governance. Founded in 2022 by Ben Freeman and Ben Allen, Omnea replaces slow, manual procurement processes with an intelligent system that lets employees make requests conversationally while routing approvals across finance, legal, IT, and security teams. Since its launch, Omnea has experienced rapid growth, driven by strong enterprise demand for AI-powered procurement solutions. Over the past year the company has grown revenue 5× and more than tripled its headcount, adding high-profile customers across North America and Europe, including Spotify, Albertsons, Wise, Adecco, and MongoDB. Omnea’s growth has been supported by significant venture funding, including a $20 million Series A round led by Accel in 2024 and a $50 million Series B round in September 2025 co-led by Insight Partners and Khosla Ventures, with participation from Accel, Point Nine, First Round Capital and Prosus —bringing total funding to over $75 million to accelerate its vision for AI-powered Supplier Relationship Management (AI-SRM) and expand hiring across the US and UK. Backed by world-class investors and trusted by leaders across tech and enterprise, Omnea is positioned as a fast-growing innovator in the procurement and supplier management space, transforming an often-fragmented business function into a strategic advantage.

### Tools in your AI's Toolbox : An introduction to MCP Servers The generative AI revolution has unlocked unprecedented capabilities, but the next frontier is agency: empowering models to interact with, query, and act upon the world. The current challenge is the “N x M integration problem,” where every AI model requires a custom, brittle integration for each external tool or data source. This approach simply doesn’t scale. How can we give an AI access to our sales leads, code repositories, or IoT devices in a standardized, secure, and reusable way? This session introduces Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open-source framework designed to solve this challenge and become the universal connector—the USB-C port—for AI. MCP standardizes how AI models discover and use external tools, moving beyond simple function-calling to a robust, client-server architecture. We will dive into how this open protocol is creating a new ecosystem for building powerful, context-aware AI agents. Join this session for a developer-focused introduction where you will learn how to: Understand the core concepts of the open-source Model Context Protocol and its architecture. Utilize pre-built, open-source MCP servers to instantly connect AI to tools like Git, Slack, and databases. Build a custom MCP server to securely expose your own proprietary data and APIs as tools for any compliant AI. Move beyond bespoke integrations and contribute to a standardized, collaborative, and open ecosystem. Stop building one-off connectors and start building intelligent agents. This session will give you the practical knowledge to leverage MCP and create the next generation of AI that doesn’t just talk, but does. Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! [https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/](https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/)

( this meetup was rescheduled from 1-27 due to the weather conditions) **NEW LOCATION - THE DAILY GROWLER -** **2812 Fishinger Rd, Upper Arlington, OH 43221** Over the years, we’ve heard two requests constantly: 1. A place that was quieter and possibly private. 2. “I wish they accepted Bitcoin.” We’ve finally found a solution to these requests with The Daily Growler. We’ll have access to their private room, and you’ll be able to pay your tab with Bitcoin. Join us for a fun and relaxed social event! Enjoy delicious food and drinks as we chat about the latest news in the Bitcoin world. Everyone is welcome, whether you're looking for guidance, have questions, or just want to meet like-minded people. These social evenings are a great opportunity to make new friends and enhance your experience at the larger events throughout the year. We look forward to seeing you there! PSA: If the attendee RSVP seems low, keep in mind that most of our attendees come from X and not [meetup.com.](http://meetup.com./) You are welcome to come and become a part of our online community. Recordings of past guest speakers are available on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@columbusbitcoin](https://www.youtube.com/@columbusbitcoin)

OWASP is ending use of Meetup, so I built an eventbrite for the event. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-development-risk-case-studies-and-how-agentic-ai-is-the-future-of-appsec-tickets-1981450622150?aff=oddtdtcreator AI is transforming how software is designed, developed, and deployed, dramatically accelerating velocity while introducing new categories of risk. As organizations adopt AI-assisted coding, autonomous agents, and increasingly complex model interactions, traditional application security approaches struggle to keep pace. This talk examines emerging AI-driven risks through real case studies from the field, highlighting issues such as insecure code generation, data-leakage pathways, model manipulation, and evolving supply-chain threats. We will explore how engineering teams must adapt their people, processes, and governance models to secure AI-augmented development workflows effectively. The session will then introduce agentic AI as the next evolution in application security—autonomous systems capable of continuous analysis, multi-step reasoning, and real-time remediation. Attendees will learn how combining agentic AI with modern practices can reduce developer friction, improve coverage, and create a future-ready application security strategy designed for the demands of AI-native software development

( this meetup was rescheduled from 1-27 due to the weather conditions) **NEW LOCATION - THE DAILY GROWLER -** **2812 Fishinger Rd, Upper Arlington, OH 43221** Over the years, we’ve heard two requests constantly: 1. A place that was quieter and possibly private. 2. “I wish they accepted Bitcoin.” We’ve finally found a solution to these requests with The Daily Growler. We’ll have access to their private room, and you’ll be able to pay your tab with Bitcoin. Join us for a fun and relaxed social event! Enjoy delicious food and drinks as we chat about the latest news in the Bitcoin world. Everyone is welcome, whether you're looking for guidance, have questions, or just want to meet like-minded people. These social evenings are a great opportunity to make new friends and enhance your experience at the larger events throughout the year. We look forward to seeing you there! PSA: If the attendee RSVP seems low, keep in mind that most of our attendees come from X and not [meetup.com.](http://meetup.com./) You are welcome to come and become a part of our online community. Recordings of past guest speakers are available on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@columbusbitcoin](https://www.youtube.com/@columbusbitcoin)

**People Analytics 101: Making Sense of Compensation Data** Compensation data is one of the most widely used and widely misunderstood forms of people analytics. The session will cover where compensation data comes from, including market pricing data, internal payroll data, and benchmarking sources, and how companies think about structuring and analyzing that information. We will explore how compensation data is leveraged to set salary ranges, manage internal equity, support hiring and retention, and align pay with business strategy. A portion of the session will address common data challenges and limitations, such as market noise, inconsistent job matching, and incomplete datasets, while keeping the primary focus on practical use rather than technical depth. The session will also look ahead at where the space is going, including the growing impact of pay transparency laws, expanding pay equity requirements, and emerging regulations in the US and Europe that require organizations to report on gender and pay gaps. The goal is to give attendees a clear mental model for how compensation analytics works today and why getting it right is becoming increasingly critical. (note: we are back at Rev1 this month!) **About Our Speaker** [Alex Moore](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexscottmoore/) is the founder of [Moore Cooperative](https://moorecooperative.com/), where he advises organizations on compensation strategy, pay equity, and people analytics. His work focuses on helping organizations like the Ohio Supreme Court design, analyze, and communicate compensation systems that are data-informed, defensible, and aligned with organizational goals. Alex lives in Granville, Ohio and has three little kiddos. More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

Hey! I’m Ron K, and I’m excited to welcome you to Neighborhood Boxing Club. Kickstart your fitness journey with a FREE Beginner Class **Class Schedule** **​** **12:30 - 1:00 PM** **Hand Wrapping & Basics Tutorial** **We’ll start with a step-by-step tutorial on wrapping your hands, followed by tips on stance, footwork, and striking to get you feeling confident.** **1:00 - 1:30 PM** **Beginner Boxing Class** **Dive into a high-energy, 30-minute workout on the heavy bags, where you can practice your moves, release stress, and enjoy a great workout.** **1:30 PM** **Q&A & Membership Overview** **Stick around after class to learn about our membership options and ask any questions to help you continue your boxing journey.** **​This is the perfect opportunity to kickstart your boxing journey, enjoy the energy, and join a supportive community. I’m here to help you every step of the way!** Visit The Following Link To Sign Up [https://www.neighborhoodboxingclub.com/freebeginnersclass](https://www.neighborhoodboxingclub.com/freebeginnersclass "https://www.neighborhoodboxingclub.com/freebeginnersclass")

Our monthly PHP meetup. A virtual shindig courtesy of Zoom. Check back here for the details around 6:15 pm