Innovate UK has announced its largest-ever Women in Innovation cohort, supporting women founders of businesses across manufacturing, digital technology and life sciences.
The 2026 cohort includes entrepreneurs working on innovations that could improve healthcare, strengthen supply chains, support the transition to net zero and help UK businesses compete in global markets.
Of the 100 women recognised 61 award winners will receive a £75,000 grant alongside 12 months of tailored business support, training, networking and mentoring opportunities and a further 39 highly commended applicants will receive the same 12-month business support package.
Spanning the UK, from Glasgow to Cirencester and Belfast to Gateshead, the cohort is developing innovative solutions across three priority sectors: advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, and life sciences.
Clockwise from top-left: Sanziana Foia, Keerthi Busanaboyina, Elizabeth Lee, Dr Allen-Adebayo, Mary-Brenda Akoda. (Credit Innovate UK)
The innovations include:
• Keerthi Busanaboyina, founder of Ellyfe, has pioneered wearable technology that detects the risk of dehydration early in older adults. Her innovation could prevent avoidable illness, reduce hospital admissions and improve later-life care.
• Elizabeth Lee, founder of Carbon Cell, has engineered a carbon-negative alternative to the conventional plastic foams used in packaging and insulation. Her biochar-based expanding foam helps manufacturers eliminate plastic waste and lock away carbon for centuries.
• Sanziana Foia, founder of Papcup, has developed non-invasive home diagnostics using menstrual blood. Her innovation enables earlier detection of conditions ranging from iron deficiency to cervical cancer, making women’s healthcare more accessible.
• Dr Allen-Adebayo, founder of Algaenic, is tackling harmful algal blooms by converting recovered biomass into sustainable fuels and materials. Her innovation could improve water quality and accelerate the circular economy.
• Mary-Brenda Akoda, founder of GenScan AI, is developing artificial intelligence (AI) that cuts MRI scan times by up to 90%. Her first-of-its-kind innovation could speed up diagnosis, reduce NHS waiting lists and improve care for millions of patients.
Launched in 2016, the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards were designed to unlock the potential of women innovators by addressing some of the most persistent barriers to success.
These include access to funding and finance, a lack of visible role models and difficulty accessing key networks.
Since then, the awards have invested more than £15m in 260 exceptional women innovators while fostering a thriving community of more than 11,000 women business leaders.
Since receiving their Women in Innovation Awards, previous winners have gone on to secure an additional £358 million in funding and investment.
The awards have also helped drive a major shift in participation across Innovate UK, with the proportion of successful women-led applications increasing from one in seven to one in three across all competitions.
The 2026 cohort reflects the diversity of the UK’s innovation economy, with 29% of its members coming from an ethnic minority background.
Regions
The cohort also spans every nation and region of the UK. Its members include:
• Maggie Gill, founder of PHIRA-Science in Carmarthenshire, is developing a climate-adaptive treatment to protect honeybees from the emerging threat of parasitic mites. Her work could safeguard pollination, support resilient agriculture and strengthen food security.
• Dr Pragya Sharma, founder of Gran Lab in Belfast, is pioneering skincare and sun protection products that reactive skin can tolerate. Her products could improve health outcomes for millions of people living with eczema or psoriasis, as well as those at increased risk of skin cancer.
• Myra Waiman, founder of Infi-tex in Lancaster, is transforming everyday textiles into smart pressure sensors that detect harm before it happens. Her innovation could prevent injuries, improve patient care and enhance performance across healthcare, sport and defence.
• Kiren Baines-Mortimore, co-founder of Valaya in Bristol, is using precision RNA therapeutics to target the biological drivers of Parkinson’s disease. Her innovation could reshape treatment for neurodegenerative conditions, improving outcomes for millions of patients.
• Yining Shen, founder of ProMaterial in Port Talbot, is harnessing AI to help manufacturers produce higher-quality precision magnets with less waste. Her technology is strengthening the supply chains that support electric vehicles, renewable energy and advanced robotics.
Emily Nott, head of inclusive innovation at Innovate UK, said: “Huge congratulations to everyone recognised in this year’s Women in Innovation Awards.
“Reaching the programme’s 10th anniversary with record levels of engagement demonstrates the extraordinary talent, unstoppable ambition and groundbreaking innovation being developed by women across the UK.
“Whether an award winner or a highly commended applicant, each member of this cohort is working to deliver significant economic and social impact for the nation through innovation.
“We are proud to support these inspiring founders as they navigate the critical growth stages ahead and to create pathways for more women-led businesses to become the industry giants of the future.”
Read the full list here