WE Innovate
6 months, 3 phases and £30,000 up for grabs!
WE Innovate champions women-led teams with an entrepreneurial idea to explore.
Thank you to all who participated in the WE Innovate 2026 Grand Final.
We hope you enjoyed the experience. If you weren’t able to join us on the night, you can still view the Grand Final online.
What is WE Innovate?
We think great things can only happen when everyone has a seat at the table, which is why WE Innovate was created. For over 10 years, WE Innovate has inspired and empowered over 600 women-led startup founders who have gone on to raise £88 million collectively in funding.
WE Innovate is a six-month, three-phase initiative which runs from January to June. Through expert-led masterclasses, personalised coaching, and mentoring, 25 women-led teams gain the entrepreneurial skills, confidence, and networks needed to transform early-stage ideas into pitch-ready startups. The programme culminates in a pitch competition, where each finalist team competes for a share of a £30,000 equity-free prize fund.
Participants will gain automatic access to the Experts-in-Residence service, a broad network of industry experts ready to support you on your entrepreneurial journey with bespoke 1-2-1 advice. You will also join a fast-growing support network of women founders from across the UK.
The Prizes
All prizes will be chosen by our judging panel at the WE Innovate Final
A share of the £30K prize fund
Engineers in Business Award
Lauren Dennis in Memoriam Award
Meet the 2026 Cohort
Find out about the incredible teams on this year’s WE Innovate cohort.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this programme you’ll have learnt how to:
Understand the needs of, and how to talk to your customers
Create a compelling pitch deck and deliver with confidence
Understand what IP is and how to protect yours
Build a successful team, culture and business
Understand different funding needs and opportunities
Expand your network
Entry requirements
- Your team lead must be legally recognised as female (as defined under the Equality Act 2010).
- Your team lead must be a current undergraduate, post-graduate student or Early Career Researcher at Imperial College London OR must have graduated within the last 2 years.
- If you’ve previously been accepted and participated in the WE Innovate or Althea-Imperial Programme, you won’t be able to apply again as a team lead. Please note that if you’ve previously applied but not been successful, you can apply again.
- WE Innovate alumni who join or support teams participating in the programme will not be permitted to pitch at the WE Innovate Final should their team be selected as a finalist.
Key Dates
Applications Open 14 September 2026.
Applications Close 16 November 2026.
Applicants notified of outcome mid-December 2026.
Phase 1 of WE Innovate programme commences 21 January 2027.
Phase 2 commences 24 March 2027.
Phase 3 commences 4 May 2027.
The Grand Final Showcase will take place in June 2027.
FAQs
How is WE Innovate structured?
WE Innovate commences in late January. The programme is divided into three phases, with select teams progressing into each phase.
Phase One consists of eight weeks of masterclasses and coaching sessions. Phase Two introduces pitch coaching and investor networking, as well as an induction into the expansive WE Innovate Alumni network. Eligible teams then pitch to enter Phase Three, the final phase, where we focus on pitch preparation ahead of the Grand Final Showcase, which will take place in June.
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- After all applications to the programme are reviewed, 25 selected teams will enter Phase 1 in January 2027.
- 10 selected teams progress to Phase 2, which commences in March 2027.
- 5 teams are selected to enter Phase 3 – the final phase – which commences in May 2027.
Can my team participate in WE Innovate while based overseas?
To participate in WE Innovate, team leads and their team members are required to attend all in-person programme sessions. In-person sessions typically take place at the Enterprise Lab at South Kensington Campus.
Can I add team members to my team after the programme commences?
Yes. If you want to add team members to your team, you must inform the programme manager so we can collect their contact details and officially onboard them.
Can I submit several projects?
Yes! As long as you’ve done the required research on all of them (see our Entry Requirements 👆) you can submit several ideas.
Can I apply as a solo founder?
Yes!
What are the Terms and Conditions?
You can find the full Terms and Conditions here.
Where can I watch the How To Make Your WE Innovate Application Stand Out masterclass?
You can watch our online masterclass here.
Success Stories
Carbon Cell
Sending polystyrene packing:How Carbon Cell turn bio waste into sustainable polymer-based packagingExpanded polystyrene (EPS) has to go. It was once the universal packaging material, but its sustainability credentials are poor. From the use of ...
Peachies
Born to do it: How Peachies transformed the disposable nappyBorn of a much-needed change to disposable nappy design Endless commoditisation means that the relentless demands of nappy changing have long been overlooked and nappy design has ...
Pulpatronics
Tag That: How PulpaTronics is transforming RFID for a sustainable futureRFID tags, smart tags, smart labels, call them what you like – you’ll find these little devices everywhere. From credit cards, clothing labels, and even pet collars – ...
Testimonials
“Being part of WE Innovate has been an amazing experience. Every week, I looked forward to attending WE Innovate as I know I will see friendly faces, both students and staff, as well as learn an invaluable skill that I have never been taught in my academic training.”
“It felt like the coaches could meet you at your level… It gave us a really nicely tailored experience.”
Lu Afolayan, co-founder of winner MUJU Earth
How to apply
Applications for WE Innovate 2027 will open in September 2026. If you would like to be notified when the applications open, please register your interest.
Sponsors and Supporters
Michelmores
Michelmores is delighted to support the WE Innovate award winner through our MiVentures programme of legal support for ambitious early stage businesses – to help make growth a reality. Michelmores is a proud signatory to the Investing in Women Code and commits to adopting internal practices to improve female entrepreneurs’ access to finance, tools, resources they need to grow their business.
Engineers and Scientists in Business Fellowship
The EIBF empowers engineers and scientists to become leaders in UK industry, helps them achieve their full potential and achieve their career goals. EIBF partners with 50 UK universities to sponsor enterprise competitions which give engineering and science students an early insight into the world of entrepreneurship and a chance to win prize money.
Are you interested in supporting Imperial’s entrepreneurial women?
Email the WE Innovate team for more information: [email protected]
12 Years of WE Innovate
In 2014, Imperial launched the first women’s entrepreneurship competition at a UK university with one clear objective: to address the stark inequalities faced by female founders. Twelve years on, the programme has supported over 600 women who have gone on to raise more than £88 million for their ventures.