Selected from nearly a thousand entries, 11 extraordinary women from across the country have been unveiled as the 2023 winners in the UK’s longest-running recognition programme for female entrepreneurs.

Businesses are making positive strides towards overcoming the historical lack of diversity within the tech workforce, as data suggests that more than half (52%) set diversity targets (up from 46% last year).

It’s vital that employers demonstrate that they are committed to supporting everyone in their workforce by offering inclusive employee perks.

Diversity is more than just a catchphrase in the fast-paced world of technology - it's a major force behind innovation. Even while progress has been achieved, there is still more work to be done to close the gender gap in the IT sector.

Last week, US President Joe Biden signed a new initiative to support Women’s Health Research, a welcome impulse to close the gender health research gap.

Women in Tech Dorset, a community organisation committed to promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the technology sector, launched a transformative playbook on 15th November.

Redditch entrepreneur Steph Middleton-Foster has been honoured as the Digital Entrepreneur of the Year at the national Digital Women Awards.

In the dynamic world of entrepreneurship, a notable shift has emerged: the rise of entrepreneurs over the age of 50. This demographic, often overlooked in the youth-centric tech industry, is proving to be a formidable force, bringing a wealth of experience, resilience, and innovation to the startup ecosystem.

In the UK, VC funds owned exclusively by men garnered approximately ten times the capital of those owned by women from 2017 to 2023, and nearly five times the capital of funds with mixed-gender ownership.

A recent study by Barrington Hibbert Associates has cast a stark light on the ongoing issues of workplace discrimination, revealing that 25% of employees feel their career progression has been impeded by discrimination based on ethnicity, sexuality, religion, age, or gender. This impediment has profound implications across a spectrum of industries, including finance, legal, healthcare, and education.

As more and more companies strive to harness the power of diversity, we need to ask ourselves a fundamental question: Are we ready?

Family relationships are tricky – they can be a source of both tension and solidarity.

Did you know that neurodiversity in business has been PROVEN to improve the success of a company’s performance?

Over the last decade, the Black British Business Awards have proudly highlighted over 370 game changing rising stars and senior leaders across all UK sectors.

In 2019, Fionnghuala ‘Fig’ O'Reilly became the first woman of colour to win Miss Universe Ireland. She’s worked as a NASA datanaut, is a systems engineer, a specialist in data science, and you can often find her every weekend on CBS’s STEM TV show Mission Unstoppable. On top of all that, Fig is on a mission to close the opportunity gap for black and brown women in STEM through her company – Space to Reach.

On TikTok the hashtag #ADHDinwomen has 4.1 billion views and #autisminwomen has 337.2 million views. However, the recent rise in autism and ADHD diagnosis among women isn't a passing social media craze, but an appropriate response from a community that has been ignored by our health system.

With the third highest percentage of female entrepreneurs in the world, Saudi Arabia is creating a thriving startup ecosystem.

Aerospace Xelerated has launched a 12-month global mentorship program for university students and professional women designed to help mentees advance their careers in STEM fields, with a focus on aerospace and aviation.

Female-founded companies account for under 3% of venture capital (VC) funding deals involving AI startups, according to new analysis by The Alan Turing Institute’s Women in Data Science and AI team.

As part of Tech WM’s highly anticipated Birmingham Tech Week line-up, two new sessions have been revealed to help more female business founders access much-needed capital. Hosted by HSBC UK and lifestyle tech PR agency, EAST VILLAGE., the events will help women to navigate the funding landscape.

The 2023 #ThisIsBlackGenZ report, the largest set of research into the experiences of Black Gen Z in Britain, has been unveiled for a second year.

In a report published over the summer, the Treasury Committee recommended the government take swift action to promote diversity in the UK’s venture capital industry. With the proposed policies directly targeted at driving investment towards female and ethnic minority founders, as well as businesses outside of London, the report forms part of a growing momentum to expand access to venture capital (VC) in the UK.

On Thursday 9th November, 2023, Playfair and 150 of the world’s leading venture capital funds, including Atomico, Creandum, Headline, MMC, Northzone, Octopus, Partech, Plug & Play, SpeedInvest, and TriplePoint will be holding remote office hours for more than 300 female founders from across Europe.

The Amplify Venture programme has received £1.4 million from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This marks the launch of a free transformative two-year programme for ambitious and underserved founders seeking to scale and expand their businesses.

Ineffective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies are risking businesses’ ability to retain diverse tech employees, with 64% of UK businesses reporting that they have lost employees from diverse backgrounds.

73% of businesses in the UK do not have a measurement framework for diversity and inclusion, new research has found.

A Wolverhampton-based business duo has announced the launch of an interactive programme for aspiring businesspeople across the West Midlands.

Ineffective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies are risking businesses’ ability to retain diverse tech employees, with 64% of UK businesses reporting that they have lost employees from diverse backgrounds.

The UK tech sector has seen the number of female workers dip between the first and second quarters of 2023, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

The annual everywoman in Technology Awards, celebrating the most inspirational women working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), are open for nominations for 2024 and have announced their new title partner, Bupa Global & UK.

Global hygiene and health company Essity has partnered with FemTech Lab to support startups in the area of women’s health, hygiene and wellbeing this Autumn 2023. 

It is vital to champion founders from underrepresented groups, especially in the tech startup ecosystem, as traditionally the tech space is majority made up of white males. According to “The Business of Tech Q4 2022 Diversity Report”, created by Dave Sobel, which examined diversity development in tech leadership, found that 88.92% of the tech industry’s leaders were white men.

Back in 2018, Fibank (First Investment Bank) launched its special Smart Lady programme in support of Bulgarian businesswomen.

Amelia Peckham, the CEO and Co-Founder of Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks personally knows the importance of genuine diversity and inclusion policies in the workplace. Having worked in a selection of startups throughout her career, she believes that they do in fact benefit from being smaller companies that can act faster. Decisions can be made quicker and red tape is minimal so it’s easy to pivot and adjust as things progress.

Digital Catapult, the UK authority on advanced digital technology, and Sony Music UK, have announced a cohort of ten pioneering digital-first startups, to participate in the inaugural FutureScope Black Founders Programme. The programme will  support Black British entrepreneurs in the digital entertainment space, and encourage the successful commercialisation of their innovative new solutions. 

A groundbreaking research study conducted by campaign group Access2Funding, in partnership with leading organisations, has exposed the shocking disparities faced by disabled and neurodiverse entrepreneurs in the UK and the knock-on impact to the UK economy.

Resource Solutions, provider of workforce and advisory solutions, has announced a community-focused partnership with InnovateHer, a values-led social enterprise dedicated to addressing the gender imbalance in the tech sector.

The Treasury Committee is challenging the lack of diversity in the venture capital industry as only 2% of funding goes toward female founded and ethnic minority businesses, according to new report.

As a university professor and CEO of an EdTech company, I have experienced first-hand various challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the two sectors. While systemic issues persist, there are opportunities for individual companies to adopt best practices. Here are three tips for startups.

Take the time to do some research, and you can quickly find the names of 50 leading UK-based black tech entrepreneurs, all highly respected and the powerhouses behind successful businesses.

Pink Salt Ventures, the UK venture capital firm solely focused on funding female founders, announces the results of a survey of its founder community - which reveals startling new data and attitudes about how male and female founders are treated by investors - and the consequences.

Modern workplaces are a melting pot of different generations and perspectives. With Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z all collaborating in the same post-Covid working environment, business culture has had to evolve significantly over recent years.

Workplaces across the country aren’t providing working mothers with the support packages, pay-rises and promotions they need – according to a new survey of 6,000 UK professionals (in white collar jobs).

Oracle Red Bull Racing, the Formula One (F1) team, and its official Team Partner Rokt, a global player in ecommerce technology, has announced that they are launching a global talent search for female F1 sim racers.

2021 figures indicate that in the UK only 16.5% of engineers are women. The percentage of female engineers and computer professionals varies by specialisation too.

London-based manufacturing specialist, Get It Made, has launched a new 2023 grant to support the potential of women in innovation and to boost the growth of female employment within the UK industry.

Mark your calendars for National Women’s Enterprise Week, taking place from the 19th to the 23rd of June 2023. This is the first nationwide campaign set to honour and empower female entrepreneurship.

As your business grows, creating a culture that supports your business goals and helps you deliver the experience you want for your customers and clients is vital.

The everywoman Entrepreneur Awards, in association with NatWest and BGF, the UK’s longest-running recognition programme for women in business, is now accepting nominations until the extended deadline of 10th July 2023.

At the Dublin Tech Summit, an inspirational panel of women leaders in technology discussed how they are driving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) solutions in the industry.

A recent study conducted by Go Amplify found that a high percentage of marketers have a Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis.

It's no secret that the tech sector has a problem with gender representation. A joint report by Accenture and Girls Who Code suggests the drop-out rate for women in tech is as high as 50%.

When it comes to social media, it can be a bit of a mind-field to business owners, as it is ever evolving and hard to keep up with. With so many constant changes and shifts, how can one truly be ahead of the curve?

Technology is something that aids our progression forward, but can it be used as a force for good and point us in the right direction as we move to the future?

A survey amongst 1,024 UK adults in full-time employment has explored the connection between mental health and financial wellbeing.

How one woman brought together a background in wellness with a new business in financial advice to offer a holistic financial wellbeing service.

Starting your own business is an exciting new life venture. For the first time, you set the path to creating a product or service that you are truly passionate about. As an entrepreneur, you get to make the decisions, set your own hours and be your own boss. It sounds and is wonderful but it’s not without its challenges.

More than a quarter of SMEs believe that debt funding is more widely available to male-owned businesses than female, according to research conducted by independent asset manager BOOST&Co.

Economic headwinds and inequitable workplaces saw a surge in female founders in the UK during the pandemic as working women sought to take control of their careers, according to new data from LinkedIn.

For decades medical research has been based on data from the male body, however, we now know that women’s bodies respond in very different ways to drugs and disease. This research and application gap is starting to be recognised and thankfully the landscape is starting to change after all women do account for 50% of the global population.

For a long time now, we have acknowledged that there is a huge gap and problem around funding and investment not going to a represented and diverse business owners and founders. But what action is being taken?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought changing markets and different trends in how we work, and deliver goods and services to customers. Organisations have had to adapt quickly to survive, with hybrid and remote working becoming the new norm for many organisations.   

When it comes to improving gender diversity, employers often find it difficult to point to equal representation at the top of the leadership ladder, despite their efforts to improve women’s opportunities when recruiting at a junior level. Unfortunately, this is largely due to the systemic barriers that are holding women back, that sadly aren’t eroding nearly fast enough.

Women in the UK were paid just 90p for every £1 earned by a man, according to the latest figures released through the government’s gender pay gap reporting mechanism.  Women were also found to endure the most caring responsibilities during the global COVID-19 pandemic. 

Promoting diversity and equality is not just a socially responsible initiative, but a strategic business decision, imperative to innovation and success. Why should startups invest early in diverse people, and how they can do this to make a greater social impact whilst also improving business?

Fundraising is full time job, there is so much time and effort that goes into raising money, but it is worth it. We all know what the stats and figures show that there is a massive gender disparity when it comes to funding, and therefore although being a tough job – it’s even harder for women.

What do you do if your business is rapidly growing, and work is unrelenting? It’s easy, right? You focus more, you burn the candle at both ends, you work harder and longer.

THE pandemic has undone a lot of the success businesses achieved on gender pay equality, a leading employment expert has warned. Samantha Owen from law firm Harper James said the last two years had led to many women having to experience lesser pay. 

The vast majority of London tech companies still have hardly any female or BIPOC representation at board level, according to new research released today by Tech London Advocates.

International Women’s Day may have taken place a few weeks ago on the 8th of March, but that doesn’t mean the conversation has to stop there. It is so important that although we highlight this day and all it stands for, we take this further and action all these thoughts and ideas.

In our last Women in Tech issue back in September, the founder focus feature saw us head to the land of the midnight sun, Norway, to speak to Anne Lise Waal, CTO and COO of Attensi, provider of gamified training solutions, about the diverse team she has built, and how women in CTO positions can influence the ethos of a tech business.

Your health and wellbeing is one of, if not the most important thing in your life. There are so many different aspects to look after when it comes to your health and wellbeing, so why hasn’t the process of doing been made easier?

My colleagues at the Giants asked to hear my thoughts about being a 'woman in tech' for International Women’s Day (IWD). 

The first AllBright NFT mint coincides with a launch featuring AllBright members including Laura Whitmore and Nimco Ali to open up NFT investment opportunities for women.

Admitting we have biases is not easy. It makes you question how much control we have over our minds and behaviours. This year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) theme encourages us to ‘Break the Bias’ to achieve gender equality, but it is difficult to know which biases are the most important ones to ‘break’ first.

On this, International Women’s Day (Tuesday 8 March), Peppy, the digital health platform, reports there has been a significant change in employers’ attitudes to offering workplace menopause support:

New research from the find-a-tradesperson platform, Rated People has revealed the biggest challenges faced by women who work in the trades industry, inclusive of all who identify as women, as well as the trades which have the lowest representation of women and the biggest gender pay gaps. 

Despite women tech giants including Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg and YouTube’s Susan Wojcicki being championed in the press, women are still facing barriers when it comes to entering and succeeding in the world of technology, new research suggests.

International Women’s Day is designed to pay homage to the progress that has been made in the battle for gender equality, but it also highlights the existing challenges that many women still face today. This year, as well as highlighting the everyday prejudices that women face, focus is also being placed on the growing need for sustainable practices within business. Gender equality is essential, and so too is the need to protect our future environment. And from an enterprise perspective, work needs to be done to improve in both areas.

FEMALE entrepreneurs running growing businesses have shared the secrets behind their success in a special report to mark International Women’s Day. The female founders also outlined the challenges they face in growing their businesses and explained how they’ve overcome them.

In our post-#MeToo era, 60% of male managers claim they no longer feel comfortable mentoring young women. And it's not just senior men in the workplace. In another study of younger males, Gen-Zs felt that feminism has 'gone too far.'

When it comes to the battle on gender equality, we can certainly see some improvement, however, there is still a lot to be done. Whilst we may be encouraging the younger generation into more STEM and subjects they weren’t considering before, we need to make sure this is reflected all the way up – and into leadership positions.

Ahead of International Women’s Day (Tuesday 8th March), we look at some of the best inspirational books written by and for women looking to jump-start or further develop their career in the tech world.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias, and whether deliberate or unconscious, bias against women has long been an issue faced by many in the workplace.

As we look forward to International Women's Day tomorrow, Dr Claire Vowell, Koa Health Lead Psychologist, issues a workplace warning.

Nearly a fifth (17%) of women in the UK are considering starting a business following the pandemic, with almost half (48%) citing a desire for more money as the biggest driver, followed by 46 per cent wanting the freedom of being their own boss. 

Tomorrow (Tuesday 8th March) is International Women’s Day. While more employers do now offer health and wellbeing support that is specific to women, this is often limited to a particular life stage, such as maternity. Towergate Health and Protection is encouraging businesses to provide for women across the entire lifecycle, from early adulthood to menopause, and beyond.

International Women’s Day shines a light on the amazing work of women across multiple industries. However, it also serves as an important reminder that a lack of diversity remains an ongoing issue, especially within the venture capital industry.

Making the leap from a business plan to a fully operating company with customers and employees is an exhilarating journey. There is nothing more exciting and empowering than building a business. Particularly as a woman because you have this added sense of breaking the mould or going against the statistics. With excitement, come some terrifying lows, confidence crises and loneliness. I want to make it one of my personal missions for the negatives not to scare people away. 

Recent reports have shown that women in business in the UK is on the rise. Almost a third of businesses are owned by women which highlights a remarkable shift from figures in 2016 when just 17% of founders were female. There is still some way to go before the playing field is even but undoubtedly female entrepreneurs have some of the most inspiring stories out there.

I always say that numbers speak for themselves. So it’s doubtful that these numbers will surprise female founders anywhere. Pitchbook data from earlier this year showed that, despite record levels of capital invested in Europe, female founders received just 0.7% of the total funding - €400m (about $473m). The picture isn’t much more encouraging in the US; last year, female-only founded companies garnered 2.2% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups.

The last 18 months have seen our working lives turned upside down, and after a period of uncertainty, a new era of hybrid working has emerged. Current guidance aside, the majority of companies are offering employees a blended option of at-home and in-office working and half the population would even leave their job if the option for hybrid working was removed.

Since the news broke that Meta Platforms Inc (formerly known as Facebook) will be leading the work on the metaverse, I often get asked what will happen if this new virtual realm looks like Meta itself, the tech industry, or even the broader professional world, in terms of female representation.

AI, Big Data, SaaS, cloud computing... tech companies are literally creating our future. But when it comes to salary equality between men and women, the tech industry is still stuck in the past.

With extraordinary women from across different parts of the country, a variety of backgrounds and industries, the 19th annual NatWest everywoman Awards brought these entrepreneurs together having one thing in common - being some of the UK’s most inspiring females, recognising their outstanding achievements during one of the most challenging periods for businesses in living memory.

BixBio was founded in 2019 by James Ross and Tyronne McCrindle. The pair are from Cape Town, South Africa, and seek to address the massive underrepresentation of African data in global genetic datasets.

Today’s business problems need the untapped potential of women-led enterprises which represent as much as £250bn of additional value for the UK economy.

Prior to starting Hertility Health, my co-founders and I realised that even though our careers and personal lives were very different, we all had one thing in common: we wanted reassurance about our fertility health. We found ourselves asking the same questions you might also ask yourself: "Should our career come before a family?" or "Why do we have to make a choice between the two?" And when we searched for help with these big questions, we came up empty handed.

A diverse team can have a huge impact on a business’ success. Diverse management teams can increase revenue by 19%. Racially and ethnically diverse teams are 35 percent more likely to perform better, and they’re 87% better at making decisions. Inclusive companies are 1.7x more innovative when compared to companies that aren’t diverse or inclusive.