Are you a leading female technology founder in the UK? Want to raise awareness of your Start-Up across the UK and globally? If so, this competition is for you.

HM Treasury has estimated that the UK could benefit from up to £250bn in new economic value if women in the UK started and scaled businesses at the same rate of men.

The Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) Venture Capital Unit (VCU) is launching a national campaign to identify the UK’s 10 most promising tech female founders. These founders will form the cohort for 2024 and will be given the opportunity to engage in the following:

• The Venture Capital Unit’s first ever female founders lookbook. This will feature the businesses of the female founders and will be circulated to investors across the world.

• Intimate breakfast sessions with senior prominent VC investors that will offer advice on how to scale their businesses.

• Opportunities to meet with senior mentors across the VC industry.

• Opportunities to join overseas events where they will meet with investors and potential partners for collaboration.

The following criteria will be in place to select the cohort:

1. The female must be the sole or joint founder of a British technology business;

2. The business must be looking to raise at least £5m over the next financial year;

3. The business must have some market traction in place (for example early revenues, clinical/customer trials, IP in place); and

4. The female must be willing to participate in Government initiatives.    

Once submissions have been received, the Venture Capital Unit will review the submissions and announce the 2024 cohort. 

If you would like to be considered for this unique opportunity, please register by clicking on the button below by 13 May 2024.