Accelerating FemTech
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Overview
Women spend a significantly greater proportion of their lives in ill health and disability. The awareness of disparities across women’s health has grown significantly since the publication of the Women’s Health Strategy for England in 2022. Yet, critical challenges persist, with calls to advance women’s health with bold leadership, co-design and co-development, and world-leading research and innovation.
Accelerating FemTech, which is funded by the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst, recognises the potential of UK-based innovation to help address current challenges in women’s health and other conditions that affect women differently or disproportionally. It is designed to identify high-potential products and help to drive the commercial and funding momentum needed for long-term success.
It is delivered by the Health Innovation Network South London with DigitalHealth.London and national partners. It builds upon the experience of running the award-winning DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, Propel and other innovator support programmes from the health innovation networks.
Despite encouraging progress, too many women here and around the world still feel unheard or dismissed. They continue to face barriers accessing routine healthcare, leading to poorer health outcomes, and receive inadequate research investment.
That is why, as Women’s Health Ambassador, I have been asked to renew the Women’s Health Strategy: to assess the progress made since 2022, address enduring gaps and ensure women’s health is never neglected again — particularly by building a system that listens to women and tackles persistent inequalities. Innovation has a vital role to play in closing these gaps, from earlier diagnosis to more personalised, inclusive models of care.
Programmes such as Accelerating FemTech are therefore essential, helping to unlock new ideas, support innovators, and translate ambition into practical solutions that will deliver on our shared priorities for women’s health. When we get it right for women, everyone in society benefits.
Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Women’s Health Ambassador for England
Accelerate your FemTech Innovation
We have proven track record of supporting early-stage innovators from across the UK, who are looking to take their innovation for women’s health to the next level.
Building on the HIN’s experience of running the award-winning DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, at the heart of Accelerating FemTech is a 10 week programme of learning, networking and collaboration. The learning programme helps innovators with targeted workshops, peer learning and tailored mentoring, which are lead by subject matter experts, business coaches and the HIN team. This element of Accelerating FemTech aims to enhance product development, entrepreneurship skills and stakeholder engagement across the healthcare system.
The programme of learning
- Insightful workshops from subject matter experts on value proposition, regulation, pitching and more.
- Individual support to navigate the healthcare landscape and engage with key stakeholders.
- One-to-one meetings with business coaches and mentors to help champion the important work taking place at your company.
- Opportunities to network and collaborate with peers from across the FemTech industry.
- Tailored support to prepare for a special closed-call Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst opportunity, with funding to develop your innovation.
Meet the team
We have assembled a talented team to drive the Mindset-XR Innovator Support Programme.
Meet our delivery partners
We have assembled a talented group of delivery partners to drive the Mindset-XR Innovator Support Programme.
The programmes
The Health Innovation Network South London was first commissioned by the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst in 2023 to deliver the first cohort of the programme. The HIN has since been commissioned a further two times, delivering three cohorts of the programme for a total of 43 high-potential innovations for women’s health.
Accelerating FemTech 2023-2025
The first cohort of Accelerating FemTech ran from May 2023 to January 2024, supporting 12 UK-based small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing early-stage innovations for women’s health.
For the second cohort, support was broadened to be delivered through funding from Innovate UK in collaboration with the Medical Research Council. It recognised the important role universities play in cutting edge innovation, providing help for 21 UK-based, early-stage SMEs, university spinouts and entrepreneurial-minded academics focused on women’s health. The programme ran from November 2024 to March 2025.
Of these innovations, 25 companies were awarded feasibility funding through a special closed-call Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst opportunity, available as part of the Accelerator.
Delivered with support from national partners:
Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate
Building on the Accelerating FemTech programme for early-stage companies and recognising the demand for tailored support from innovators at more advanced stages of development, Accelerating FemTech: Evaluate was designed for later-stage innovations for women’s health with a technology readiness level (TRL) 4 or above.
The programme ran from November 2025 to February 2026, supporting 10 companies through tailored support, planning strategic partnerships and refining pathways for real-world evaluation, such as health economic analyses.
To mark the end of the programme in February 2026, companies presented their innovations during a Showcase which saw a keynote from Dr Zubir Ahmed, Minister for Health Innovation and Safety, on women’s health and innovation as the engine for reform.
Delivered with support from national partners:
Case studies
Bloume
A digital approach to navigating pelvic pain care
Dignity Care Network
Improving access to safe, dignified and compassionate miscarriage care
Ellescope
Reconfiguring maternity through comprehensive maternal health screening
IBEX Innovations
Revolutionising bone health through timely osteoporosis detection in post-menopausal women
Matresa
Making maternal healthcare personal
Niramai Health Analytix
Supporting accessible, early breast cancer detection with AI and thermal imaging
Peripear
Non-invasive medical device set to transform preventative perineal care
P.Happi
Redefining women’s intimate health with microbiome biotech-led solutions
Plexaa
Revolutionising breast surgeries with preconditioning
SimLevator®
Standardising pelvic floor examinations
Taahirah
Empowering Muslim women to manage their reproductive health
Upskill.Health
Fixing outdated approaches to training is critical to safe maternity care
What our alumni say
Since Accelerating FemTech launched in 2023, our alumni have gone on to reach new commercial and funding milestones, from securing Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst funding and private investment to establishing partnerships across the NHS, research, charities and academia.
Despite their early maturity levels, this pipeline of 43 innovations is set to make a real impact in women’s health, backed by the programme’s national network.
£1 million +
Innovate UK Biomedical Catalysis funding awarded to 25 innovators across two cohorts
99%
of participants agreed expert guidance will help business development
98%
of participants would repeat the programme
Excellent
NPS category, with average score of 73
“I’ve never felt more supported. My Business Coach was incredibly helpful, well-connected, always reachable, and always had an answer to my questions… This has been the most transformative accelerator I’ve experienced in terms of progress…”
Accelerating FemTech participant
“For me, the programme was incredibly impactful – not only from a business learning perspective but also in how it shifted the narrative… It gave me a profound sense of belonging and strengthened my confidence to stand tall as a female founder. I genuinely believe this programme should go global.”
Accelerating FemTech participant
Get in touch
Whether you’re a FemTech innovator or you’re working within the health and care system to address health disparities, we can support your mission.
Get in touch with the team to find out more about our work.
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