Pressure is continuing to grow on Innovate UK despite its U-turn over its flagship Women in Innovation Awards.
The UK’s national innovation agency sparked a social media outcry when it announced it’d only be awarding 25 grants to female founders through the Awards.
It had previously said up to 50 female founders would share a £4m pot. It backtracked on the decision after a furious response on social media.
Yesterday BusinessCloud published an investigation on how the campaign against Innovate UK started with a single email to Liverpool-based FemTech entrepreneur Emma Jarvis and the story has been shared around the world.
High-profile Cindy Gallop (pictured), who is based in New York and is the founder of MakeLoveNotPorn, shared the story to her 122,000 followers with the message: “I’ve been urging women for decades to get very, very angry – because when we get angry, we make shit happen.
“Nothing demonstrates this better than Emma Jarvis, Tara Attfield-Tomes, Zandra Moore and Becky Lodge and how they mobilised female founders around Innovate UK’s appalling fail to get Innovate UK to reverse their position within hours, and to spark a bigger conversation about how investors everywhere are failing to fund female founders.
“Women, read this for future reference the next time investors f*ck us over – and investors: are you the kind of investor who talks about funding female founders, or are you the kind that writes cheques?”
The full story of how Innovate UK messed with the wrong women
Hundreds of other people have commented on the ‘debacle’ including Laura Wharton, employment partner at JMW Solicitors, who asked: “Don’t we think Innovate UK needs to explain in detail what’s gone on here, the original decision and how it was reached and the change of ‘heart’?”
Sandy Lindsay, chair of Tangerine Group and an experienced NED, said: “About time Innovate UK have been brought to task – I’ve always had deep suspicions about the way they operate, not just from a gender point of view but something I couldn’t ever quite put my finger on. Well done to all for forcing this about turn and to you for highlighting.”
Carla Ottersen is the CMO of Silent Sensors and actively supports female founders. She said: “Don’t forget the hundreds of Women in Innovation applicants who acted collectively from the very moment we got that miserable email from Innovate UK. Not so we could compete for the missing 25 awards – because 95 per cent of us won’t be in the top 50 anyway – but to make sure that those of us who should get the full 50 awards got them, as they should. This was a 100 per cent community effort.”
Karla Morales-Lee, co-founder of Warrior Group, said: “None of us are doing this to get a grant for our business. It’s women (and some very impassioned equally ducked-off male allies) wanting us all to rise. The funding of women is a deeply systemic issue that requires mobilisation of many voices for real change.”
Angela Rawstorne wrote: “Incredible work on behalf of Emma Jarvis and all those who got behind her so quickly to shame Innovate UK into a very public U-turn, and loving the publicity opportunity it’s created! Power to the female investor.”
Applied Futurist Tom Cheesewright said: “Yet again women have to work twice as hard just to get what’s theirs. Brilliant action but ridiculous that it was required.”
Tasnim Khalid, managing partner, Private Client Solicitors, said: “Thank you for raising awareness on this issue. So many female founders have been deeply affected by this but the support has been phenomenal.”
Lauren Stiebing, founder and CEO of LS International, said: “Amazing to see the power of collective advocacy leading to tangible change. Here’s to more funding, more innovation, and a brighter future for female founders.”
‘It’s just not good enough’: Female founders call for Innovate UK reform
Claudia Stankler, chief operating officer, Connectd, said: “It’s so inspiring to see what women can do when we are listened to, but it’s a shame we are even put in that position in the first place.”
Innovate UK’s U-turn on Monday came just hours after a press release was shared on social media on behalf of ‘Let’s Fund More Women’ and the organisers didn’t mince their words.
“Your time is up, Innovate UK,” it started. “You’ve messed with the wrong women. Innovate UK has broken its promise to female founders for the final time. We can’t and won’t stand for this any more.”
In addition to calling on Innovate UK to fund the remaining 25 awards, ‘Let’s Fund More Women’ had three further demands.
- Engage in talks to address the issues raised and implement necessary reforms;
- Acknowledge the shortcomings in the applications process;
- Launch a revamped award program for 2025, with more funding committed.