Female founders are again being offered an opportunity to raise their company’s profile and benefit from a package aimed at driving business growth, with the launch of the AccelerateHER Awards 2023.
This year’s programme has now opened for applications from women behind companies focused on being a ‘force for good’, with four new entry categories: technology, health, environment and culture.
A Rising Star award for the female founder with the best early-stage business idea will also be presented.
Winners will be selected for each category at the awards final held at the new Barclays campus in Glasgow on 16 March.
Now in their eighth year, the AccelerateHER Awards aim to provide a springboard to growth for participants by opening doors to new opportunities and connections through the organisation’s global network.
The awards, supported by the Scottish Government, are open to women who are founders or co-founders of companies which are Scottish-based or actively trading in Scotland. The prize package is potentially worth thousands of pounds and includes a six-month mentoring programme from Investing Women Angels, Scotland’s first all-female business angel group.
Many former awards participants have also secured places on AccelerateHER trade missions to Europe, North America and the Middle East, to showcase their business to industry contacts. Three of last year’s winners will attend next month’s mission to California, connecting with investors from a range of global industries. To date, more than 5,500 female founders have joined the AccelerateHER community.
Last year’s Scotland-based AccelerateHER Award winners were Ishani Malhotra, founder and chief executive of cancer treatment firm Carcinotech; Lynne Darcey Quigley, founder and chief executive of fintech start-up Know-it Global; Xiaoyan Ma, chief executive of waste technology company Danu Robotics; and Danae Shell, chief executive of employment law platform Valla.
AccelerateHER chief executive Elizabeth Pirrie said: “Over the last seven years, the AccelerateHER Awards has helped inspire and support hundreds of female-led companies across Scotland and beyond.
“The financial impact has also been significant, with the companies involved in the AccelerateHER programme securing more than £45m in external investment.
“I would encourage women behind growth-focused companies that aim to be a force for good to come forward and apply.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney added: “The AccelerateHER Awards are a fantastic way of recognising and celebrating the achievements and contributions of women in Scotland’s entrepreneurial landscape.
“The Scottish Government is working to identify and support additional ways to unlock the full potential of Scotland’s entrepreneurs and at the same time address the existing entrepreneurial gender gap.
“Gender equality in business is essential for Scotland to achieve its vision of becoming the most entrepreneurial and innovative society in the world.”
This year's deadline for entries is 9 December. Shortlisted companies will be announced in early January.
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