Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC) and North East and North Cumbria ICB have launched a new programme to support early-stage investment into innovations designed to address the gender gap in women’s health.
The Northern FemTech and Women’s Health Tech Accelerator Programme seeks women’s health business ideas in a position for growth and will provide a fully-funded “cohesive accelerator programme” for 10 business founders, including an opportunity to pitch to investors. In-person events will take place around Newcastle alongside virtual workshops, with the programme to cover topics such as business plan evolution; access to funding; developing pitch desks; and refining the business opportunity.
The programme calls for applications that are solutions-focused and “comfortable with taking risks”. It is open to start-ups, early stage businesses and founders from across the UK operating in this space, and although the programme is open to all there will be a focus on applications from female-founded or co-founded businesses.
The deadline for innovators to apply is 8 October – click here for more information.
FemTech accelerator programmes
In September, HTN reported that the national support programme Accelerating FemTech opened for applications, with the aim of providing early-stage companies and innovators focused on women’s health with commercial and funding support. This programme is run by Health Innovation Network South London and wider UK partners and offers a ten-week programme, with applications closing 3 October (tomorrow) at midnight.
Also on women and tech, we highlighted how Innovate UK reversed a decision to award only half of the planned grants through the Women in Innovation’ funding competition, following backlash online against an announcement that only 25 out of an expected 50 female founders would receive funding.
Tackling the gender gap: the wider trend
Earlier this year HTN hosted a virtual panel discussion exploring the gender health gap and the potential role of digital in this space. Discussion covered the women’s health strategy, challenges around digital healthcare for women, how digital can help to meet women’s health needs, identifying areas with potential for digital in women’s health, and more.
We also previously chatted with three health tech leaders from Nottingham – Jaki Taylor (director of Nottinghamshire Health Informatics Service), Nikki Turner (interim director for digital services at Nottinghamshire University Hospitals) and Alexis Farrow (digital programme director for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICS) – for a discussion on women in technology and digital leadership. Click here to read what they had to say.
