Lifted Ventures has launched the Athena VC Elevate Programme in Leeds to address the lack of education and support for female founders in accessing investment.
The free-to access programme commenced in February and will run until 31st March.
It will offer features including one-to-one mentorship with Lifted Ventures founders Helen Oldham and Jordan Dargue; business diagnostics to identify bespoke support needs for growth; and selection to pitch at the programme’s festival on May 13th 2025.
Female-founded businesses have the potential to contribute an additional £250bn to the UK economy and Dargue and Oldham are on a mission to tackle the problems that women face in tech.
According to a Boston Consulting Group study, startups founded by women deliver higher revenue – more than twice as much per dollar invested compared to those founded by men.
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The Athena VC Festival in May is set to be the largest women in VC event outside of London and the South East and will bring together 150 investors, founders, and industry leaders to support female entrepreneurship and high-growth businesses across the UK.
“This initiative marks a significant step towards bridging the investment and education gap for female founders in the Leeds region,” said Dargue.
“We are committed to creating a sustainable and thriving environment for female-led high- growth businesses here in Leeds.”
Oldham added: “There are approximately £4.5 billion in untapped growth opportunities in Leeds for female founded businesses.
“By funding these projects, Leeds City Council is ensuring that this potential can be unlocked.”
The project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.