Imperial College London is launching the UK's first university network dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs, an initiative that addresses key challenges identified in Dame Alison Rose's influential Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship.
The WE Innovate National network expands Imperial's successful flagship program across five leading UK universities to support 150 women-led teams annually. Dame Alison Rose, who authored the UK Government's Rose Review, has endorsed the initiative: "The significant benefits that female entrepreneurs can contribute to the UK economy from the research conducted in the Rose Review underpins the high potential of female entrepreneurship. Providing the right support and access to networks and financing to drive growth at all stages of their journey can unlock and accelerate progress."
Addressing the £250 Billion Opportunity
The Rose Review, published in March 2019 under Dame Alison Rose's leadership, revealed that female entrepreneurs could contribute £250 billion to the UK economy if they started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men. However, the research uncovered significant barriers: women entrepreneurs face a lack of access to capital, limited role models, and insufficient risk awareness. Most strikingly, in 2021, UK companies with all-female founders received just 2% of venture capital funding.
These findings directly informed the design of the WE Innovate National network, which brings together Imperial College London, Queen's University Belfast, Swansea University, University of Glasgow, and Durham University. Rather than simply expanding access to funding, the program takes what Dame Alison Rose calls a "multifaceted approach" to intervention.
How the National Network Operates
The six-month WE Innovate programme supports 25 teams at each participating university, led by students, recent alumni, and Early Career Researchers. Participants receive masterclasses, business coaching, one-to-one expert support, and peer mentoring, with top teams competing for a share of a £30,000 prize fund at each institution.
Beyond individual university programs, the network introduces two key innovations. First, a national 'Demo Day' will rotate between universities annually, allowing winning teams to present to investors and industry representatives from across the UK. Second, the WE Network creates ongoing connections between participants, alumni, and mentors, addressing the Rose Review's finding that women are far less likely than men to know other entrepreneurs or access support networks.
Professor Mary Ryan, Imperial's Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise), explains the strategic thinking: "We've seen through WE Innovate how targeted support can accelerate the development of women-led ventures -- building confidence, strengthening capability, and enabling founders to translate their ideas into real-world impact. By collaborating with leading universities across the UK, we're extending access to critical support structures that are proven to enhance early-stage innovation."
Proven Results Drive Expansion
Imperial's decade-long experience with WE Innovate provides compelling evidence for the national expansion. Since 2014, the program has supported over 500 women across 250 teams, with more than 60 startups incorporating. These ventures have collectively raised over £40 million in funding.
The success stories demonstrate diverse innovation potential. Untap Health developed an early warning system for viruses using sewage data analysis, raising over £1 million and earning founder Dr Claire Trant recognition at the prestigious GREAT GBx Gala in San Francisco. Fluus created the world's first flushable period pads, with founder Dr Olivia Ahn winning the London Mayor's Entrepreneur Competition and the NatWest Chairman's Award. FA Bio raised over £5 million for biofungicides and biofertilisers, leading to CEO Angela de Manzanos' invitation to a Downing Street business showcase.
These outcomes align with broader trends identified since the Rose Review's publication. The number of businesses founded by women in the UK rose by 33% in 2022, creating 156,000 new ventures, with particularly strong growth among women aged 16-24.
Beyond University Walls
The WE Network component addresses a critical gap in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. While university programs provide initial support, sustainable entrepreneurship requires ongoing mentorship and professional networks. The national network will connect participants with WE Innovate alumni across all institutions, creating a peer-to-peer support system that extends beyond graduation.
This approach reflects Dame Alison Rose's experience in banking, where she observed that "banks are in service of the economy" and must identify "underrepresented areas where they can make the biggest difference." Universities, like financial institutions, play essential infrastructure roles in economic development.
Scaling Impact Through Collaboration
Each participating university will adapt the core WE Innovate model to their regional contexts and communities. This flexibility acknowledges that entrepreneurship challenges vary across different economic environments and industry clusters. Queen's University Belfast, for instance, operates within Northern Ireland's distinct business ecosystem, while Swansea University serves different industrial sectors than Imperial's London base.
The collaborative model also enables knowledge sharing between institutions. Universities can compare approaches, identify best practices, and collectively develop new support mechanisms. Annual coordination meetings will ensure the network evolves based on participant feedback and outcome data.
Dame Alison Rose now serves as senior partner at the private equity firm Charterhouse and advisor to law firm Mishcon de Reya (along with being a board advisor to various fintechs), following her appointment as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2023 for services to the financial sector. Her continued advocacy for female entrepreneurship through initiatives like the WE Innovate National network reflects ongoing commitment to systemic change rather than isolated interventions.
Future Implications
The WE Innovate National network represents a shift toward coordinated support for women entrepreneurs across higher education. If successful, the model could expand to additional universities, potentially creating a comprehensive national infrastructure for female-led innovation.
Professor Ryan emphasises the broader significance: "Expanding opportunities for women in entrepreneurship is not only a matter of equity -- it is essential to diversifying the innovation pipeline and driving inclusive, sustainable growth." This institutional commitment, combined with evidence-based program design informed by the Rose Review, positions the network to make measurable contributions toward closing the UK's entrepreneurship gender gap.
For current students and researchers interested in participating, WE Innovate programs at each university will begin accepting applications through their respective Enterprise Labs, with the first national Demo Day scheduled for 2025.
