Manchester is where the stored-program computer was born. On 21 June 1948, the Small-Scale Experimental Machine, nicknamed the Baby, ran the first program ever stored in electronic memory at the University of Manchester, built by Freddie Williams, Tom Kilburn, and Geoff Tootill. Every mobile app running today, on an iPhone in Deansgate or an Android device in the Northern Quarter, still executes on that same basic principle: a program stored and run from memory. Manchester did not just witness the start of modern computing, it invented the architecture underneath it.
That heritage sits alongside a very current identity. Manchester has grown into the UK's leading digital hub outside London, drawing on a strong university pipeline and a deep base of creative and technical talent, while offering a real cost advantage over London rates without giving up engineering quality. Manchester agencies and in-house teams build for fintech, e-commerce, healthcare, sports, and media businesses that compete nationally and often internationally, not just locally.
Akoode works with Manchester-based founders, CTOs, and product teams who want the technical depth of a London-calibre engineering partner without paying London-calibre overhead. Our teams have delivered across FCA workflows, NHS Digital standards, and enterprise security requirements, building native and cross-platform mobile apps across Manchester and the wider UK mobile app development market that meet App Store and Play Store expectations from day one.
