The 50 winners of the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards can now be revealed.
The government innovation agency came under fire last year over claims that it underfunded women founders to the tune of more than £2m.
A total funding pot of £4m was assigned and set to award 50 founders, but it was revealed that only 25 had been awarded the grants, despite some applications receiving over 90% scores.
Let’s Fund More Women brought together a collective of hundreds of founders, investors and ecosystem supporters, launching an instant data-backed campaign against the non-departmental public body.
Due to the number of voices speaking up on the issue, Innovate UK quickly decided to issue grants to a further 25 female founders, amounting to the original 50 founders they promised funding for.
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Now these 50 women leading the charge in groundbreaking industries – from revolutionary peat-free farming solutions, to continuous green electricity, to an AI-powered platform that streamlines allergy management in schools – can be revealed.
Many winners were inspired by personal experiences, such as a disabled innovator breaking barriers in online shopping for people with physical impairments, a student overcoming dyslexia to achieve top A-levels through her own education platform, and a creator developing an AI-enabled PTSD support platform after an 18-month wait for therapy.
The winners span digital health, LegalTech, sustainable fashion, financial inclusion and more.
The full story of how Innovate UK messed with the wrong women
The Awards, which attracted 1,452 applications from female-founded and female-led businesses – up 52% on last year – give each successful applicant £75,000 to develop their ideas. They will also receive personalised business coaching and access to networking, role modelling and training opportunities.
Since launching in 2016, the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards have invested over £11m in 200 women innovators and has built a vibrant community of over 10,500 women business leaders.
Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards winners
Alicja Dzieciol, from Livingston, Scotland, founder of SilviBio, developed LatticeGro, a peat-free propagation block. It helps farmers comply with DEFRA’s peat ban and improve UK food security. Transitioning to peat-free farming is estimated to cost farmers over £239 million. LatticeGro offers a cost-effective solution, enabling compliance by 2030 without the need for expensive new equipment.
Monica Saavedra from Girton, Cambridge, founder of Lambda Agri, is revolutionising food production with light-changing greenhouse coatings. Her technology boosts photosynthesis, increasing crop yields by 20% without extra electricity or land. This sustainable solution cuts energy use, lowers costs, and promotes healthier diets, tackling the food insecurity affecting over 2.33 billion people.
Sian Fussell from Bristol, co-founder of Albotherm, is developing responsive glass coatings that regulate temperatures in buildings and greenhouses without electricity. These coatings transition from transparent to reflective-white as temperatures rise, potentially cutting global electricity use by 3% and boosting greenhouse crop yields by 34%.
Helle Ehrenreich, from London, founder of Micro Thermal Energy, boosts rural access to renewable energy with Thermawynd®. This technology generates green electricity from low-temperature heat sources like shallow geothermal wells or industrial waste heat, providing continuous power 24/7 without relying on weather or extensive infrastructure. It aids the transition from fossil fuels, reduces National Grid pressure, accelerates rural decarbonisation, and improves EV charging infrastructure outside of urban areas.
Jane Pearce from Bath, founder of Rookwood Operations, is tackling environmental challenges by recovering and reusing phosphate. While essential for plant growth, excess phosphate in waterways causes harmful algae blooms and contamination. Rookwood’s materials absorb phosphate from problem areas, enabling its reuse on farmland and restoring a healthy environmental balance.
Binhui Shao, from Cambridge, founder of Easy Digital, is improving digital accessibility for the 2 million visually impaired people living in the UK. Binhui is developing an AI-powered audio device that provides seamless internet access without needing sight or advanced skills. This intuitive solution learns user behaviour for a highly user-friendly experience.
Samantha Morgan from Cardiff, founder of TaluCard, is revolutionising financial transactions for the visually impaired. With 73% unable to use smartphones for payments, TaluCard’s tactile and auditory features ensure seamless authentication and secure transactions.
Claire Given, from Biggleswade, founder of Equipmii, born with only one hand, is revolutionising online shopping for people with physical impairments – 90% of whom report that online product descriptions lack the essential information they need. Over 43% of those with a physical disability avoid making online purchases Claire’s platform offers personalised recommendations validated by healthcare professionals, promoting inclusivity and empowering informed choices.
Bridgeen Callan, from Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, CEO of KLAS Therapeutics, is developing a low-cost, non-invasive treatment for aggressive skin cancer. KLAS Therapeutics has unlocked photodynamic therapy for metastatic melanoma, offering hope for patients with what is considered to be the most serious type of skin cancer and the fifth most common cancer in the UK.
Georgia Fleet, from London, co-founder and CEO of Zonova, is tackling the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis by adding antimicrobial properties to medical devices like catheters and sutures. This innovation prevents infections, reducing the need for antibiotics and improving patient outcomes.
Layla Hosseini-Gerami from St Neots, Cambridge, co-founder of Ignota Labs, is revolutionising drug discovery with AI. Her platform rescues failed drugs by identifying the precise biological and chemical flaws and offering alternative therapeutic uses. This innovation reduces R&D costs, speeds up drug development, and provides new hope for patients.
Yun Bing, from Liverpool, co-founder of Beautiful Voice, is transforming speech therapy with AI and gamification. Her platform makes therapy more accessible and engaging by guiding patients through evidence-based exercises while helping healthcare professionals make data-driven decisions.
Yola Jones, from Edinburgh, co-founder of Seluna, is revolutionising paediatric healthcare with an AI-powered wearable device that diagnoses sleep apnoea from home. With 80% of cases undiagnosed, her innovation offers a more child-friendly diagnostic experience, alleviates strain on hospital resources, and advances health equity.
Emma Yates from Cambridge, co-founder of Proteotype Diagnostics, is transforming early-stage cancer detection with the Enlighten test. This low-cost method uses the patient’s immune response, which is strongest at the onset of cancer. By enabling earlier diagnoses, it reduces mortality rates and supports more personalised treatment plans.
Samantha Jackman from Calstock in Cornwall, founder of Boost, is revolutionising breast prostheses for women post-mastectomy. Traditional silicone gel prostheses, unchanged since the 1960s, are often uncomfortable and heavy. Inspired by her mother’s experience, her innovative designs offer greater comfort and choice, addressing the needs of all women, including women of colour.
Divya Varma from Southampton, Chief QA/RA Officer at BirthGlide, is developing medical devices to improve childbirth safety. In the UK, 30% of new mothers require an assisted vaginal birth (forceps or ventouse). BirthGlide’s affordable, easy-to-use device aims to reduce these emergencies, lowering hospital costs, preventing trauma, and saving lives.
Dupe Burgess from London, founder of Bloomful, is boosting women’s health with a mobile app offering personalised support for gynaecological conditions, improving access to care and reducing health inequalities. Early feasibility studies have shown improved outcomes, and the technology is now undergoing trials in GP surgeries across the UK.
Lucy Hope from Stockport, founder of The Daughters of Mars, has developed a groundbreaking tampon that releases special biomimetic proteins during menstruation. These proteins fight harmful bacteria and restore a healthy vaginal balance, preventing bacterial vaginosis (BV), which affects one in three women.
Daniela Mercado Beivide, from Edinburgh, Chief Science Officer at Holly Health, merges psychology and technology for long-term weight management. Her mindfulness-based platform, which addresses the psychological factors behind eating behaviours, already supports over 30,000 users across 200+ NHS GP practices, with 86% adopting healthier habits within eight weeks.
Lisa Merryweather-Millard from Frome, co-founder of lumin&us™, enriches children’s mental health with digital tools. Her platform uses neuroscience and play therapies to support families, improving mental wellbeing and relationships. With over 20% of children aged 8-16 in the UK likely to have a mental health disorder, Lumin&us™ offers cost-effective, clinically proven interventions that reduce parent-child conflict and strengthen family bonds.
Emma Williamson from Faversham, founder of aneemo, is transforming mental health support for socially excluded groups. Brain injuries are common in vulnerable populations, affecting 50% of homeless individuals and 60% of the male prison population. Her platform trains health and social care staff to support people with brain injuries and complex needs, improving health outcomes and service access.
Nicola Cassidy from Manchester, founder of Adjutant Software (PTSD Hub), is transforming PTSD support. After facing an 18-month wait for therapy, Nicola created PTSD Hub, an AI-enabled platform providing immediate coping strategies and peer support to bridge the gap while awaiting professional care.
Danae Shell, CEO of Valla in Edinburgh, is boosting the accessibility of legal services for employees. Despite almost 100,000 Employment Tribunal’s arising in the UK annually, many people are unable to afford initial case assessments from law firms (typically £250-£500), creating a critical gap in access to justice. Having already supported 10,000 cases, Valla’s platform is making legal services more accessible and affordable for all.
Sri Hollema from Hexham in Northumberland, founder of Mat Zero, is providing sustainable heating solutions for vulnerable communities around the world. Having witnessed displaced families relying on hazardous heating methods like open fires and toxic fuels, she developed a solar-heated mat for safe, portable warmth. Mat Zero’s mission is to deliver sustainable heating, while addressing energy poverty and saving lives.
Dini McGrath, from London, founder of The Wonki Collective, has developed the world’s first B2B food matchmaking platform, helping manufacturers track and redistribute surplus ingredients. With UK food and drink waste accounting for 18 million tonnes of CO2, her platform aims to cut 180,000 tonnes of this by 2026, equivalent to removing 40,000 cars from UK roads.
Katerina Mouliadou from Coventry, founder of LIGNOO, the first brand to create sustainable water bottles using biobased materials and UK supply chains. LIGNOO is also empowering consumers to make informed choices, by transparently sharing product life cycle assessments from raw materials to disposal.
Eve Kekeh, from London, founder of Bundlee, is pioneering a sustainable subscription model for baby and toddler clothing. Through Bundlee, parents can rent and exchange clothes as their children grow, reducing waste and cutting costs by up to 75% compared to buying new. Eve has already facilitated 100,000 clothing rentals, saving over 200,000 kg of CO2e and 30 million litres of water.
Larnia Ryder from Chester, founder of Ryde, is revolutionising outdoor clothing with her inclusive and sustainable collection, ‘As Nature Intended.’ This line combines mainstream designs with inclusive sizing, adaptive features, and eco-friendly materials, ensuring everyone can enjoy the outdoors comfortably while promoting responsible fashion.
Stacey Green, from Nottingham, co-founder of Shades Dancewear, champions racial representation in dance with inclusive dancewear in various skin tones, helping dancers embrace their identity. The ShadesFY app uses 3D AR technology for colour-matching, whilst also providing personalised dance instruction and mental wellness support to improve the dance experience for all users.
Bella Reid from Iver, Buckinghamshire, founder of Clens Cosmetics, is improving beauty hygiene with UVC sterilisation for makeup brushes, reducing cross-contamination and waste while promoting safer practices.
Victoria Mataczynski, from London, is the founder of Nanoloom, revolutionising textiles with graphene-based fibres. These eco-friendly materials are stronger than traditional fibres, use 10 times less water, and shed no microfibres. Designed for large-scale adoption by apparel brands, they can replace nearly all synthetic textiles and outperform them. They also have potential applications in automotive and aerospace industries.
Ilisha Masaun, from Birmingham, founder of Econominds, boosts academic performance with AI-tailored content to meet individual student needs. The platform is already supporting 30,000 students, including neurodiverse learners, and reducing teacher workloads by up to 45%. After being excluded from school six times due to undiagnosed dyslexia, Ilisha used her own Econominds platform to achieve exceptional A-level results: A, A, A*.
Sojin Lee from Reading, founder of Olive AI, is revolutionising education with personalised learning tools. Her EdTech platform automates practice question creation and offers students immediate, personalised feedback and chatbot-based tutoring support. By delivering up to 93% cost savings compared to private tutoring, this app makes quality education accessible to all.
Katie Michaels from Loughborough, co-founder of Moti Me, is revolutionising physiotherapy for kids with developmental disabilities. Her fun, interactive products ensure children consistently practice their exercises at home, making therapy engaging and effective.
Sarah Knight from London, founder of The Allergy Team, is making schools safer for kids with allergies. Her AI-powered platform streamlines allergy management, from staff training to policy documents, reducing anxiety for parents and teachers.
Kavya Jain from London, founder of Senseiforall, is transforming school accessibility with Sensei. Sensei’s durable, low-cost tactile surfaces can be affixed to walls, using patterns to guide visually impaired students through touch, saving schools up to 40% compared to traditional modifications.
Ina Hanninger, from London, CTO and co-founder of Anathem, is streamlining police case management, particularly complex cases like domestic violence, by reducing paperwork and enhancing evidence collection. The AI-powered PolicePartner tool cuts documentation time from three hours to just 30 minutes and is projected to boost prosecution rates from 58% to 70%, delivering better outcomes for victims.
Louise Bray from Cardiff, co-founder of Green Wing, is cutting TV production emissions with a carbon management app. Despite ambitious net-zero targets from broadcasters like SKY and the BBC, the industry lacks effective tracking. Backed by 25 years of experience, Green Wing streamlines reporting, cuts costs, and promotes greener productions, helping the industry meet its environmental goals.
Sam Godfrey-Moore from Basingstoke, founder of What’s On 4 Kids, offers a fun, personalised way to find local children’s activities. Despite 82% of UK grandparents helping with childcare, only 1 in 10 regularly attend classes with their grandchildren. What’s On 4 Kids bridges this gap, fostering intergenerational bonds, boosting child development, and supporting thousands of women-led businesses.
Tallie Bush from Newcastle, founder of Circadacare, is transforming elderly care with Heleos, a plug-and-play device. Heleos uses circadian lighting to improve sleep and AI-driven monitoring to provide actionable insights to caregivers. This innovation promotes independent living, reduces the care home burden, and cuts care costs.
Victoria Smith from Sunderland, founder of Ghostwriter, is solving the resource gap for independent live event venues. Her platform boosts efficiency and accessibility with automated processes, compliance tools, and data insights. This helps grassroots venues thrive as community hubs and fosters a vibrant, inclusive industry.
Priya Guliani from London, CEO of EarthID, is revolutionising digital identity with TrustScore. Inspired by India’s Aadhaar system and her father’s experience with identity fraud, Priya’s technology helps organisations prevent identity fraud, comply with data privacy laws and foster customer trust.
Megan Worthing-Davies from Birmingham, co-founder of Maji Financial Wellbeing, is tackling the Gender Pension Gap. Women retire 30% poorer than men, with an average retirement income of just £12,000 per year. Megan’s digital pension planner for women boosts financial security and reduces stress.
Roisin McCarthy from London, founder of Verifoxx, is developing privacy-enhancing technologies. Financial crime and fraud cost the UK over £100 billion annually. Verifoxx’s technology lets companies exchange sensitive threat intelligence without exposing the underlying data, preventing scams and improving consumer protection.
Sabrina Del Prete from London, founder of Kore Labs, is using her 30 years of financial markets experience to transform how banks manage their products. Her technology simplifies and digitises product management, helping financial firms reconnect with their mission of empowering people and businesses.
Amber Akhtar from London, co-founder of TextMine, is revolutionising how businesses extract data from critical documents. Despite failing her A-Levels, she became her family’s first graduate. Her subsequent law and tech experience led her to develop large language models that analyse unstructured data, helping clients find answers up to 100 times faster and transforming enterprise documents into strategic assets.
Amanda MacCannell, from Leeds, co-founder of Pathways Open, is bridging the gap between academia and industry. Inspired by the collaborative scientific response to COVID-19, Amanda developed an advanced AI-driven matching algorithm. It pairs life-science businesses with top experts, who can provide the credibility, insights and validation needed to fast-track development and secure investment.
Judy Leung from Altrincham, founder of Sweqlink, empowers early-stage entrepreneurs through sweat equity partnerships, where professionals trade time and expertise for ownership stakes. By connecting underserved founders, especially women and minorities, with talent, Sweqlink fosters an inclusive innovation ecosystem, boosting startup success and economic growth.
Róisín Hyde from Belfast, founder of NoMAD, is revolutionising sustainable construction. As one of the largest energy consumers and CO2 emitters, the cement industry is a key driver of climate change. Róisín’s 3D-printed concrete components, made from local waste materials, cut both resource use and emissions.
Ese Eniwumide from Bromley, founder of Happaning, an app that is transforming digital event experiences. Their immersive video platform allows fans to watch live events and performances from multiple perspectives, including authentic audience captured video. It’s the only platform where users can create, share and consume stories with blockchain-verified authenticity, combating misinformation.