Solid26 Preview: Building personal apps and AI agents
Schedule
Tue Apr 28 2026 at 09:30 am to 05:30 pm
UTC+01:00Location
Birkbeck, University of London | London, EN
About this Event
The Open Data Institute is hosting a 2-day tournament (April 28–29) to coincide with the launch of Solid26 - the first annual release of the Solid specification. Your challenge: to build a new generation of personal AI agents, apps, and websites that give people real control over their own data.
New to Solid? Join us on April 27 for a half-day of hands-on workshops led by ODI engineers to get you up to speed before the build begins. Contact [email protected] for more details.
Two tracks, one goal: prove that user-controlled data actually works.
- The Citizen Data Track (great for newcomers): We provide the data models, the template codebases, and a shared domain - citizen data. Your job is to build something useful. The twist? Every app in this track must interoperate over the same data. Show the world what happens when apps and AI agents actually talk to each other on behalf of citizens, not platforms.
- The Open Track: Build whatever you want. An AI agent that manages your personal data across services? A privacy-first health dashboard? Something nobody's thought of yet? Go for it.
What's at stake
The top teams will present their projects live at the 2026 Solid Symposium on April 30 - in front of the global Solid community, including Sir Tim Berners-Lee. The winning team takes home a £1,000 prize.
Where and how to join
In person: Birkbeck, University of London (Malet St, Room MAL-G16)
We encourage people to sign up in groups or individually. If you’re part of a group, have a lead booker select the number of tickets for your group.
PLEASE NOTE:
THIS IS A TWO-DAY EVENT (28-29 APRIL), WITH AN OPTIONAL HALF DAY (27 APRIL) FOR THOSE NEW TO SOLID
To join us for this half-day of hands-on workshops (led by ODI engineers to get you up to speed before the build begins) email [email protected]
WE ARE NOT PROVIDING EQUIPMENT, YOU WILL NEED TO BRING YOUR OWN LAPTOP & CHARGERS
27 April
- 12:00 - 12:30: Welcome and Registration
- 12:30 - 14:00: Workshop One: Solid Fundamental. Main Hall/ online
- 14:00 - 14:30: Break
- 14:30 - 16:00: Workshop two: Building with the Object Mapper / overview of application templates. Main Hall/ online
- 16:00 - 16:30: Break
- 16:30 - 17:30: Workshop Three: Shapes and Data Models. Mainhall/ online
28 April
- 9:00 - 9:30: Welcome and Registration. Main hall
- 9:30 - 10:00: Introduction and overview. Main hall/ Online
- 10:00 - 10:30:cTrack briefing and team formation. Split rooms
- 10:30 - 12:30: Building time (mentors available). All locations
- 12:30 - 13:30: Lunch.
- 13:30 - 17:00: Building time (mentors available). All locations
- 17:00 - 20:00: Building time (mentors unavailable).
29 April
- 9:00 - 9:30: Welcome and set up. Main hall
- 9:30 - 12:00: Building time (mentors available). All locations
- 12:00 - 13:00: Lunch.
- 13:00 - 16:00: Building time (mentors available). All locations
- 16:00 - 17:00: 5 min demos.
- 17:00 - 18:00: Networking & Judge Deliberation. Main hall/ online
- 18:00 - 18:30: Awards and closing remarks.
Where is it happening?
Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
