Four female founders will pitch live to investors at SCALE Manchester on 25 November, competing for a package of scaleup support worth almost £13,000, organisers SCALE have announced.
The finalists are building businesses aimed at falls among lower limb amputees, infections associated with period products, respiratory infections in people with cystic fibrosis and menopause support in the workplace.
Each will pitch at Freight Island, Manchester, to an audience of investors, founders and business leaders. SCALE describes itself as a platform for growth-stage businesses.
Gergana Ivanova, founder and chief executive of GA Innovations, is developing Feelimb, a wearable device that gives lower limb amputees real-time sensory feedback intended to improve gait, stability and confidence. According to SCALE, the business is testing its second prototype and raising a seed round.
Lucy Hope, founder and chief executive of The Daughters of Mars, is developing a patent-protected bioactive tampon designed to support the vaginal microbiome and help prevent bacterial vaginosis. The business has won an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award and is working with an established period-care brand, SCALE said.
Rachel Shelmerdine, chief executive of MiDx, is developing a non-invasive urine test for the early detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in people with cystic fibrosis and other complex respiratory conditions. The technology is being evaluated in a UK clinical study.
Shirley Sarker, founder and chief executive of Summ Base, has created a personalised menopause support service that connects employees with relevant workplace policies, occupational health services and adjustments while protecting individual privacy.
The judging panel will be led by SCALE chairman Andrew B Morris. He will be joined by Xavier Ballester, director of brokerage at Angel Investment Network; Stephanie Birch, founder of Birch Strategic Services; founder-turned-investor Andy Gray; and Sim Singh-Landa, investment director at PXN.
The winner’s package includes an MVP Sprint from Smile IT Solutions, executive coaching from SCALE Ventures and six months’ coworking membership at Bruntwood SciTech’s Manchester Tech Hub. It also includes investor support from Angel Investment Network and YFM Equity Partners, and further support from Growth Debunked and Sweqlink.
The runner-up will also receive an MVP Sprint, alongside support from Angel Investment Network, Bruntwood SciTech, Sweqlink and JournoLink.
Mr Ballester said: “Reading through the application decks, the quality of talent and business fundamentals among these female founders is seriously impressive. I can’t wait to see them pitch live and help select the overall winner.”
Mr Morris said: “What stood out about these four finalists is that each has created proprietary technology to address a real-world problem. They have early validation and are exactly the kind of businesses investors should be backing.”
He added: “Female founders still face significant barriers when raising investment, so I’m pleased SCALE and our partners can provide practical support that helps these businesses take their next step.”
The competition comes as the British Business Bank’s Diverse Angel Syndicate programme is open for applications. The government’s economic development bank says the scheme is designed to address evidenced disparities in angel investing, with a focus on women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds, increasing investment into diverse founders and supporting syndicates outside London. Participating syndicates can receive up to £400,000 in grant funding over a four-year programme period, according to the bank.
The bank has also committed an initial £1m to co-invest with Angel Academe in female-led businesses, Business Matters reported in May. Entries for the Business Matters Female Founders Awards 2027, open to female founders and co-founders of independent UK businesses that have traded for at least two years, close on 12 March 2027.
SCALE Manchester will run as a day of panels, roundtables, networking and introductions for founders, investors and business leaders, focused on what the organisers describe as the practical challenges of growing a business.
