UK women entrepreneurship funding

In early July 2026, the United Kingdom announced an investment initiative aimed at increasing venture‑capital support for female founders, signalling a policy focus on gender‑balanced entrepreneurship.

By early August, Innovate UK expanded this effort with the launch of its 2026 Women in Innovation cohort, the largest to date. The programme recognised 100 women‑led technology businesses across the UK, awarding £75,000 grants to 61 of them and providing a year of tailored business support, training, networking and mentoring to all participants. Highlighted innovations ranged from wearable health‑monitoring devices to carbon‑negative packaging and AI‑driven MRI acceleration. The cohort also marked the programme’s 10th anniversary, underscoring a sustained commitment to scaling women‑led enterprises.

The cohort, announced on 5 August, brought the scheme’s cumulative investment to over £15 million across 260 women‑led firms since its 2016 launch and attracted a record 1,590 applications. Recipients included Ellyfe’s dehydration sensor, Carbon Cell’s carbon‑negative foam packaging, GenScan AI’s MRI‑time‑reduction system, In‑House Health’s workplace‑health platform, and SeeMe Ltd’s AI‑enabled personal archive. Innovate UK’s head of inclusive innovation, Emily Nott, said the awards “recognise women founders delivering significant economic and social impact for the nation,” while recipient Mary Blake described the grant as validation for her Derry‑based company.