Accelerating FemTech
Accelerating FemTech helps UK-based, early-stage companies, university spinouts and entrepreneurial-minded academics focused on women’s health to gain the commercial and funding momentum they need for long-term success.
The programme is delivered by the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London and partners across the UK. It utilises Innovate UK funding as part of the Biomedical Catalyst, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council. It builds upon the experience of running the award-winning DigitalHealth.London, Propel and other innovator support programmes from the health innovation networks.
The first cohort of Accelerating FemTech ran from May 2023 to January 2024, with companies being awarded more than £1 million in funding through a special closed-call feasibility funding opportunity through the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst.
The second cohort ran from November 2024 to March 2025, supporting 21 early-stage companies, university spinouts and entrepreneurial-minded academics.
Applications are now open for 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 is designed for women’s health innovations with a technology readiness level (TRL) 4 or above. Applications are open until 11:59pm on Sunday 28 September.
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.
Accelerating FemTech utilises funding from Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst. Accelerating FemTech cohort 2 was delivered with funding from Innovate UK in collaboration with the Medical Research Council.
Looking for other support? Find out more about our DigitalHealth.London programmes.
Accelerating FemTech is delivered in collaboration with partners and supporters from across the UK.
What our alumni say
In 2023, we launched a new initiative called Accelerating FemTech. Through the programme, our alumni have achieved commercial and funding success, from securing a share of over £1 million of closed-call funding from the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst to growing professional networks and learning more about potential markets for innovations.
- 100% of companies in cohort 1 would repeat the programme and said that conversations with experts helped provide insights to develop their project and business, as well as expand their network, ultimately feeling that the programme equipped them for the BMC application. In cohort 2, 94.7% of companies said they would
repeat the programme. This change in satisfaction is attributed to the wider spread of innovation maturity due to the size of cohort 2.
- 100% of companies in cohort 1 would repeat the programme and said that conversations with experts helped provide insights to develop their project and business, as well as expand their network, ultimately feeling that the programme equipped them for the BMC application. In cohort 2, 94.7% of companies said they would
- 97.4% of companies felt expert guidance will help business development. Across the two cohorts, residential events were well received across both cohorts (4.4/5 from cohort 1 and 4.6/5 from cohort 2) with the chance to network with peers and experts cited as a highlight.
Great NPS category for both cohorts were in the Great category (66.7 and 53 respectively).
