250 companies applied to take part in The Female Founders Accelerator programme, which supports innovative, female-led technology businesses.
Whittled down to 100, selected participants will work with experts to grow their businesses.
Led by Edinburgh-based AccelerateHER, it is supported by Barclays Eagle Labs and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
“We will now focus on supporting the participating founders in further developing their business proposition and their own leadership skills,” said Elizabeth Pirrie, CEO of AccelerateHER.
“We have a proud history of providing support and mentoring that has helped female-led companies thrive and we look forward to delivering those outcomes through this new programme.”
The programme includes one-to-one mentoring, accountability groups, and in-person community networking events being held in London and Glasgow. It will culminate with a showcase event in Manchester in March where selected participants will pitch their companies to an audience of investors.
“We are proud to continue our support for female founders who want to advance their ambition to grow their technology businesses,” added Amanda Allan, Director of Barclays Eagle Labs.
“The digital-tech economy needs more female founders and this programme, via AccelerateHER, is a great way for us to support achieving that ambition. It’s also very encouraging to see the number of female founders that applied for the programme. Women are clearly looking to entrepreneurship in the digital-tech sector, so this kind of support is vital to level the playing field.”
