The island's first Techstars Startup Weekend took place recently with ProfitM8, a pricing for profit app, taking first place after 54 hours of building, testing and pitching at the Launchpad in Douglas.

The event was the first Techstars Startup Weekend in the Isle of Man and the Crown Dependencies.

Participants formed five teams on Friday evening and worked through the weekend to turn ideas into working start-ups, supported by mentors from the island's business and tech community.

Participants represented 14 nationalities, living and working in the Isle of Man, with two travelling from Denmark and Essex specifically for the event.

Teams pitched to a panel of judges on Sunday evening, scored on customer validation, execution and design and business model.

The winning teams were:

* Winner: ProfitM8. A pricing for profit app that helps businesses price with confidence.

* First runner-up: Biosphere Beacons. A free, public directory of organisations with a Biosphere scorecard, built in the Isle of Man Government's climate impact assessment methodology and the 17 UN sustainable development goals.

* Second runner-up: WhyPost. A social media management tool giving small businesses the reach of companies 10 times their size.

As winner, ProfitM8 receives six months of pro membership at the Launchpad co-working space on Prospect Hill.

The runners up receive six and three months of flex membership respectively, and all three teams receive six months of marketing coaching from Launch Experiments.

Every participant left with a package of perks including Google Cloud credits, a Vodafone IoT Starter Kit, 25% scholarship from London Institute of Business and Technology on its courses and offers from Techstars Global Partners Brex and Deel.

Lead organiser of the weekend Chamara Peiris said: ‘None of this happens without the volunteers, mentors, judges and sponsors who gave up their weekend for free.

‘Watching strangers become teams and pitch working ideas in 54 hours was worth every late night of organising.

‘The Isle of Man showed up, and we'll be back.’

Chief executive of sponsor the London Institute of Business & Technology Sesiri Pathirane said: ‘We backed this event because the island deserves a place where anyone can test an idea, fail fast and try again.

‘Watching teams go from a pitch on Friday night to a working product on Sunday proved the appetite is here. LIBT will keep investing in that.’

Emma Kneale, team leader of winning team ProfitM8, said: ‘Winning the first ever Isle of Man Techstars Startup Weekend was the perfect launchpad for ProfitM8.

‘It was a fantastic 54-hour experience where our team learned a huge amount and we're incredibly grateful to Techstars and the whole team for making it happen!’

The event was made possible by title sponsor LIBT, venue sponsor Launchpad, and a wide group of local and global partners including Loganair, Comis Hotel & Golf Resort, SQR, Amplifi, Launch Experiments, Solsen Media, Timeframe Photography, Pop Cornaa, Robinson’s, Smash N Fry, Victoria Grill Douglas, Just Pizza and Pasta, Kasalo, Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce, Code Club, BCS Isle of Man Section, Isle of Man Angel Network, TEKEX, University College Isle of Man, Startup Grind Isle of Man, Google Developer Group Douglas, Love Tech and Techstars Global Partners Google for Startups, Brex and Deel.