The skeleton of the C4DI building during construction in 2015.
It's been over a year since C4DI moved from it's beta stage to a brand new £13.4m development on the bank of the Humber. Mirroring The Deep, the C4DI building adds to the impressive architectural landscape that Hull has to offer, and has also proven to be the leading force in the region's digital sector.
David Keel, chairman at C4DI, commented on the role C4DI would play in the digital community: "As the chairman I would say this but I really think it's going to put Hull on the map digitally. In fact, it already has because it already has people elsewhere sitting up and taking notice of what is going on here." David certainly isn't shy about expectations for Hull's digital sector, exclaiming "We need to stop people sneering about Hull becoming the next Silicon Valley because it's going to happen.".
The C4DI building.
A lot has happened since opening - we've had many successful businesses flourish from within our community, some being born out of the C4DI and some utilising the networking opportunities to further their business.
Alex Youden, founder of NFire Labs and former C4DI Intern talks about what the building and community has done for him and his business: "I certainly couldn't run a 3D printing business from my bedroom, and even then to get office space of this quality can be very difficult, especially for a startup. A unique environment like C4DI highlights the fact that you are a part of a large community that is alive with activity, which is clearly apparent when showing clients around. With everyone knowing each other and having the opportunity to work together, it's a very supportive atmosphere."
One of our monthly Techy Breakie meetups, hosted at Nibble.
We've had tons of great events during the year; with countless sausage and bacon sandwiches being eaten at our monthly Techy Breakie meetups at Nibble, getting to play with Microsoft Hololens AR and Oculus Rift VR courtesy of Trident, as well as hosting popular hardware meetups for techies to come along and meet people with similar interests.
As well as our community of co-workers and tenants, a vital part of the C4DI family is the company members; big names such as Reckitt Benckiser, Siemens and KCOM. These companies work with our team and community to produce innovative projects that help them, and us, tap into the latest technological advancements.
Dileepa Ranawake, community manager at C4DI sums up the community feel in the building: "There is a really strong culture of support here in our community, with the key being openness and good attitude towards learning. Being surrounded by so many hard-working and creative people really makes it a brilliant place to be inspired."
It's been a fantastic journey for C4DI so far, however we know this is still only the beginning. The digital sector in Hull is still growing, and C4DI are leading the growth with a strong community and state-of-the-art facilities. If you're not already a member, come and see what opportunities you can find with us.
Check out the gallery below to see some more highlights of our community's journey so far.
