Winners of a Government data app competition will be showcased at a tech industry event tomorrow (19 November).

The Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (SVC2UK) event will showcase the winner of the SVC2UK APPathon, which challenged developers to create apps that make use of Government data. 

Winners include A&Express from London, an app to help find the nearest hospital with the shortest waiting time; SafeTrip from Sheffield, which uses police crime data to plan a safe walking route; and Cambridges Wigutree that transforms career advice and stats into engaging videos to help encourage young people to find work.

The showcase is part of the annual Silicon Valley Comes to the UK visit, which will hit the Tech City area of East London tomorrow.

The visit brings a panel of Silicon Valley figures to London for an event that will address key topics in technology and entrepreneurship including product design, securing financing, building a company, and leveraging the community in your business. 

The event will mark the end of the Entrepreneurs Festival, which was arranged by the Governments Tech City Investment Organisation (TCIO) – an initiative designed to promote investment in an area of East London increasingly populated by tech companies. 

The Silicon Valley Comes to the UK event will feature the likes of Reid Hoffman, executive chairman and co-founder of LinkedIn; and Thomas Ryan, CEO of Threadless. Conversations will also take place with leading figures in the tech world such as Raj Kapoor, co-founder and CEO of Snapfish, and Joi Ito, CEO of Creative Commons and head of the MIT Media Lab.

Eric Van der Kleij, CEO of TCIO, says: “Were delighted to be able to welcome so many luminaries from Silicon Valley here to Tech City. Not only does it give companies the chance to benefit from their knowledge but it also helps highlight the exciting, emerging talent here in the UK to a key audience. I hope that the event will interest and engage both communities and help develop future ties.”

Sherry Coutu, Co-Chair of SVC2UK, says: “The last year has seen the organic growth of the Tech City area increase in pace, continuing to emerge as a thriving network of digital creative businesses. Were looking forward to visiting the area at such an exciting point in its development, both to help inspire and inform, and to see for ourselves the impact of this rapidly developing centre of technology and innovation on the capital.”