WE Innovate National
Following over a decade of success at Imperial College London, WE Innovate National, backed by Former NatWest Group and Government Advisor Dame Alison Rose DBE, rolls out the programme to all four corners of the UK, with plans to support 175 women-led ventures every year.
University Partners
What is WE Innovate?
Through expert-led masterclasses, personalised coaching, and intensive mentoring, participants gain the entrepreneurial skills, confidence, and networks needed to transform early-stage ideas into investor-ready ventures. WE Innovate is more than a pre-accelerator. In a time where women represent only 34% of entrepreneurs, WE Innovate directly addresses the systemic barriers women face. These include limited access to networks, mentorship, financial skills, and leadership development. The programme’s holistic and equity-free approach not only enhances entrepreneurial capability but also cultivates resilience, confidence, and leadership skills that empower participants to thrive in any career path.
The programme culminates in a high-profile pitch competition, where each finalist team competes for a share of a £30,000 equity-free prize fund. The winner receives additional support, including legal services, while special awards such as the £3,000 Engineers in Business prize are also presented.
The event is a fantastic opportunity for ventures to gain widespread exposure to the UK and European vibrant startup ecosystem and meet with investors, accelerators and industry leaders.
Programme Structure
Phase One
Phase Two
Phase Three
WE Innovate National
The UK’s first national university network for women entrepreneurs.
By scaling WE Innovate, Imperial is helping more women to flourish in entrepreneurship and innovation by making the insights we have developed accessible to a much wider audience and facilitating knowledge exchange that will support the creation of more female founders and female-led businesses across the UK and beyond. The national network will create many opportunities for women founders to attend networking events with other startups, peer mentors, investors and industry representatives from across the UK.
Bridging regions: A successful pilot with Queen’s University Belfast
WE Innovate National has already welcomed Queen’s University Belfast, whose 25 teams joined the programme earlier in 2025 to compete for a share of each university’s £30k award – a combined £60k prize fund.
The pilot was a resounding success and served as a powerful platform for knowledge exchange, enabling regional programmes to benefit from Imperial’s proven methodologies. Participants from both South East England and Northern Ireland expanded their professional networks, shared expertise, and built lasting connections across regions.
Advisory Board
Dame Alison Rose DBE
Senior Adviser, Mishcon de Reya & Charterhouse, former CEO of the NatWest Group and author of the landmark Rose Review on female entrepreneurship.
Alexsis de Raadt St. James
Chair of the Advisory Board; Founder & Managing Partner of Merian Ventures, Founder of WE Innovate (formerly Althea).
Priya Guha MBE
Venture Partner at Merian Ventures and Non-Executive Director at UKRI. Formerly, served as the British Consul General in San Francisco.
Lucy Cohen
Founder of Mazuma, award-winning author, and celebrated keynote speaker.
Marla Shapiro
Managing Partner and Founder of HERmesa, a women-led angel investment syndicate and Imperial Venture Mentor.
Professor Maggie Dallman OBE
Associate Provost (Societal Engagement) and Professor of Immunology, Imperial College London.
Kristin Blanchfield
Vice President, Advancement, Imperial College London.
Impact and Public Recognition
Since its launch in 2014, WE Innovate has supported over 500 women, many of whom have gone on to raise over £88.3 million in funding and lead high-growth ventures in sectors such as health, sustainability, and deep tech.
The 2025 WE Innovate Grand Final received national media attention, reflecting the strength and visibility of the women-led ventures supported through the programme.
The event was featured on BBC Woman’s Hour, where 2017 WE Innovate alumna, Dr Olivia Ahn, shared powerful insights on the importance of targeted support in enabling women-led innovation. Further coverage in The Times Enterprise Network spotlighted the programme’s reach and impact. It featured Dr Ahn’s sustainable startup, Fluus, which is soon set to launch in British health and pharmacy retailer Boots.
The initiative has also received widespread media coverage, including features in regional press across Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, significantly amplifying its reach and influence across the UK. The programme’s impact has been recognised by national leaders and policymakers.
WE Innovate gave us the clarity and confidence to take our idea seriously. It helped us shape our business model and connect with a community that believed in our vision.”
WE Innovate was the launchpad for Fluus. It gave us the confidence, mentorship, and visibility to turn a university idea into a world-changing product.”
University Partners
Imperial College London
Queen’s University Belfast
Swansea University
Durham University
University of Glasgow
Loughborough University
Sponsorship Opportunities
Corporate partnership is crucial for the success of our programmes and helping us to broaden our reach. Our supporters fuel our shared mission to close the gender gap in science and business. By sponsoring our programmes, you will access a range of benefits:
Raise your brand awareness to over 23,000 students and over 1,750,000 alumni across 7 university institutions and their startup eco-systems, with your brand on all WE Innovate materials, and the opportunity to meet the teams and be part of the judging panel at the Grand Final.
Access to top talent to support and enhance your campus recruitment.
Create impact and evidence your commitment to nurturing the next generation of women-led ventures in STEM.
The opportunity to coach founders and teams on the programme.
Support Us
If you are interested in supporting a leading women’s enterprise programme, we would love to have a conversation and learn more about your priorities. Please contact Sarah Ranchev-Hale for more information: [email protected]