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Applications are now open for the 2026 cohort of Athena Labs, a growth and funding programme designed specifically to support women-led businesses as they scale. Based in the North East of England, Athena Labs focuses on equipping female founders with the practical tools, investor insight and strategic clarity needed to accelerate sustainable growth. The programme has…

Four Key Grant Opportunities Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in 2026 Access to capital remains one of the most significant barriers facing women founders across the UK. While the wider funding landscape continues to evolve, several targeted grant programmes are actively helping to close the gap by providing non-dilutive funding and structured business support. A recent funding…

The 2026 edition of TechRound’s Top 50 Women in Startups and Tech has officially launched, shining a spotlight on female founders and leaders driving innovation across the UK’s startup and technology ecosystem. Now in its third year, the initiative is designed to elevate women whose impact in business and technology deserves wider recognition. At a time when…

The UK Government has reinforced its commitment to improving access to capital for female founders, signalling that it remains prepared to take further action if progress in closing the gender investment gap slows. In its response to the Women and Equalities Committee’s recent report on female entrepreneurship, ministers acknowledged that while important strides have been…

lgian Female Retail Entrepreneurs Are Turning Digital Businesses into Fulfilling, Growth-Driven Careers A new study highlights a powerful shift in how women in Belgium are building and scaling retail businesses — not as side hustles, but as meaningful, revenue-generating digital ventures. Research commissioned by Becom and Amazon reveals that 90% of Belgian female retail entrepreneurs feel professionally fulfilled by running their…

Despite important progress in global startup ecosystems, gender disparities in venture capital (VC) investment remain stark, according to the latest PitchBook Female Founders Dashboard. This comprehensive data tool tracks investment activity over time and reveals a persistent gap in venture funding going to women-led companies.  Funding Growth, but Uneven Progress In 2024, startups founded exclusively by…

Women digital entrepreneurs play a vital role in driving innovation, job creation and inclusive economic growth. Yet despite the rapid expansion of the digital economy, women remain underrepresented among digital founders and face persistent structural barriers that limit their ability to start, grow and scale businesses. New analysis highlights that without targeted action, the digital…

Supporting female entrepreneurship represents one of Europe’s largest untapped economic opportunities. New analysis highlights that empowering women to start and scale businesses could unlock up to €250 billion in additional economic growth, strengthening productivity, innovation and resilience across the region. Despite progress in recent years, women remain underrepresented among business founders and continue to face disproportionate…

The Women Backing Women fund has secured an additional £30 million in investment, strengthening one of the UK’s most significant initiatives dedicated to supporting women-led and mixed-gender founding teams. The new capital commitment comes from the British Business Bank, bringing its total backing of the fund to £130 million. This milestone reinforces growing institutional confidence in the economic potential of…

Digital Boost Impact Report 2025 Highlights Growing Support for Women Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses The Digital Boost Impact Report 2025 highlights a year of significant progress in supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses and charities to build digital capability, confidence and long-term resilience. As part of its continued engagement with the Invest in Women ecosystem, Digital Boost shared an…