Four female founders to pitch at SCALE Manchester on 25 November
Four female founders will pitch live to investors at SCALE Manchester on 25 November, competing for a support package worth almost £13,000. Organisers SCALE announced the finalists, who will present at Freight Island in Manchester to an audience of investors, founders and business leaders.
The finalists
- Gergana Ivanova, GA Innovations: Feelimb, a wearable device giving lower limb amputees real-time sensory feedback to improve gait, stability and confidence. The business is testing its second prototype and raising a seed round.
- Lucy Hope, The Daughters of Mars: a patent-protected bioactive tampon designed to support the vaginal microbiome and help prevent bacterial vaginosis. The firm has won an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award and is working with an established period-care brand.
- Rachel Shelmerdine, MiDx: a non-invasive urine test for early detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in people with cystic fibrosis and other complex respiratory conditions. The technology is being evaluated in a UK clinical study.
- Shirley Sarker, Summ Base: a personalised menopause support service that connects employees with workplace policies, occupational health services and adjustments while protecting privacy.
Judges and prizes
The panel will be led by SCALE chairman Andrew B Morris. He will be joined by Xavier Ballester of Angel Investment Network, Stephanie Birch of Birch Strategic Services, founder-turned-investor Andy Gray and Sim Singh-Landa of PXN.
The winner receives an MVP Sprint from Smile IT Solutions, executive coaching from SCALE Ventures and six months of coworking membership at Bruntwood SciTech's Manchester Tech Hub. The package also includes investor support from Angel Investment Network and YFM Equity Partners, plus further support from Growth Debunked and Sweqlink. The runner-up gets an MVP Sprint and support from Angel Investment Network, Bruntwood SciTech, Sweqlink and JournoLink.
Mr Morris said each finalist has created proprietary technology to address a real-world problem, with early validation. He added that female founders still face significant barriers when raising investment.
Wider support for diverse founders
The British Business Bank's Diverse Angel Syndicate programme is currently open for applications. The bank says it aims to address evidenced disparities in angel investing, with a focus on women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and to support syndicates outside London. Participating syndicates can receive up to £400,000 in grant funding over four years.
Entries for the Female Founders Awards 2027, open to female founders and co-founders of independent UK businesses trading for at least two years, close on 12 March 2027.
SCALE Manchester will also include panels, roundtables and networking on the practical challenges of growing a business.
Source: Business Matters · Image: Pixabay