Birmingham — Week of 27 Jul 2026

with Asia Sharif (Software Engineer, NatWest Group) · Julia Gray (Full Stack Software Engineer, Griffiths Waite)

The strongest speaker line-up on the Birmingham calendar this month. Asia Sharif, a software engineer at NatWest Group, tells the story of going from teaching herself to code in lockdown to a multi-award-winning career in data and cloud in fintech — she has mentored over a hundred women into engineering roles and takes the TEDx stage in Manchester this September. Julia Gray, full-stack engineer at Griffiths Waite, follows with a lightning talk on why human connection wins in an AI-driven world, drawn from building custom AI products for large enterprise by day. Talks, food and drinks, and a genuinely warm room. Spaces are limited and the RSVP list is already deep.

An informal, no-pitch networking evening for Birmingham's AI and machine learning community, hosted by Network One at The Cocktail Club on Temple Street. Whether you're an AI founder, ML engineer, data scientist, product person, investor or simply curious about where the technology is heading, this is a relaxed space to meet others working on and exploring AI across the city. Expect a friendly mix of technical and non-technical attendees, a complimentary welcome drink, and genuine conversation rather than sales patter. Doors from 6pm.

The Birmingham Network's recurring tech evening at The Cocktail Club, bringing together startup founders, tech professionals and early-stage investors for informal connection over drinks. No pitching slots and no panel — the format is deliberately conversational, with a capped guest list to keep the room workable. A dependable option in a quiet late-July week for anyone wanting to meet the Birmingham tech scene without a formal programme.

Network One brings its nationwide business community to Birmingham for a relaxed evening of open networking at The Cocktail Club on Temple Street. Aimed at founders, small business owners, solopreneurs, freelancers and anyone building something with purpose, the format is deliberately low-key: no pitching, no awkward group intros, just natural conversation over a welcome drink. A good option for tech professionals and early-stage founders looking to widen their local network. Doors from 6pm.

with Stuart Pearson (Organiser, fizzPOP Makerspace C.I.C.)

fizzPOP, Birmingham's makerspace, is running its weekly public open night again from its Coventry Street base. Come and take a tour, see the electronics room and workshop facilities, and find out whether membership makes sense for you. Free and open to anyone — makers, hardware tinkerers, and software people curious about the physical side. Hosted by organiser Stuart Pearson.

Birmingham Indies runs a relaxed monthly gathering for anyone in, adjacent to, or aspiring to the games industry — programmers, artists, designers, audio people and hobbyists. It meets in the Map Room upstairs at Cherry Red's, a short walk from New Street. Tickets exist only as a reminder; you can simply turn up. The group maintains an active Discord and Bluesky between sessions, and runs a clear code of conduct. Birmingham has a real games-development cluster and this is where it socialises.

The weekly Friday after-work fixture for Birmingham's tech crowd, held upstairs at The Wellington on Bennetts Hill. Developers, data scientists, security people, product managers, students and career-changers all show up — the crowd skews practitioner rather than founder, and it is one of the better places in the city to hear about roles before they are advertised. £3 online only, no tickets on the door. Ask staff for Tech Social if you can't find the group.