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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Accelerateher UK, 2nd Floor, Elder House, Multrees Walk, Edinburgh (2026)

05/03/2026

International Women’s Day takes place on the 8th March, this coming Sunday, and this year’s global theme is “Give to Gain”.

The theme highlights the power of generosity, collaboration and support in advancing gender equality.

When individuals, organisations and communities actively contribute, through mentoring, sharing knowledge, providing opportunities, funding businesses, or advocating for change, opportunities for women grow.

When women thrive in business, the benefits extend across communities, industries and the wider economy.

At AccelerateHER, we see this every day through the founders, mentors, partners and investors who contribute their time, experience and support to help women build and scale businesses.

When we give, we all gain.

04/03/2026

Thank you to the 160+ of you who came along to cheer on female founders and celebrate the next wave of leadership and economic growth at our AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase yesterday.

As Kate Forbes MSP said yesterday:
“Women-led businesses are growing faster in Scotland than any other region in the UK and increasing their turnover at a faster rate than male-led companies. The talent pool – demonstrated by the founders at this week’s AccelerateHER Female Founders Showcase – is clear.

“Despite this, women currently lead only around one in five businesses and continue to receive a disproportionately small share of equity investment. The Scottish Government is resolutely committed to addressing this gap. We will continue to work with partners across the public and private sectors, to continue driving what must be a collective mission to continue breaking down barriers for women, strengthening the pipeline of investable women-led businesses and increasing their visibility to investors.”

Investors, founders and ecosystem leaders packed out The Ladies Baths at Dovecot Studios for our flagship showcase event.

20 founders took to the stage to pitch. Some had 60 seconds. Some had 3 minutes. All came with bold plans and businesses built to scale.

We were proud to welcome Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP and Chief Entrepreneur Ana Stewart alongside the investors and partners backing the next wave of women-led growth in Scotland.

As our CEO Elizabeth Pirrie put it: “This showcase isn’t just about visibility, it’s about capital, growth and long-term economic impact.”

Read the full round-up and meet the founders 👇

Thanks to our partners of this event The Scottish National Investment Bank, The Scottish Government, Burness Paull LLP and Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers.

Well done to our pitchers: Natalie Garry, Chantalle Cummings, Lesley Thomson, Arabella Harvey, Gillian Murray, Karen Robinson, PhD, Eloho Efemuai, Dr Esma M Benssassi, PhD, JJ Stenhouse, Keira Hodge, Glaire Anderson, PhD, Moira Bennett, Ineta Joksaite, Lucinda Wiley, Emma Charlton, Kristiina Isabelle N., Aleksandra Czech-Seklecka, Lee Walls 🔥, Mhairi Burnett, Emily Youngs.

And thanks to the school pupils from Lasswade Academy and Knox Academy who attending via Future Asset 💜

03/03/2026

And we are off to a great start! Today is our Female Founder Showcase at the Ladies Baths (Dovecot Studies).
We’ve travelled, set up, we’ve fed our pitchers and guests, and we are delighted to be joined by 7 female school pupils and now we’ve been officially welcomed by our CEO Elizabeth Pirrie and enjoyed a wonderful keynote from Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP. We are so looking forward to cheering on our 20 female founders pitching today!

27/02/2026

Meet Our 3-Minute Pitchers at the AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase:

Lesley Thomson, CEO at Nudge Innovations

About the company:

Nudge Innovations is building the reuse infrastructure that organisations and governments need to replace disposable cup systems.

Nudge Innovations has designed infrastructure that makes reuse scalable in workplaces and public buildings. Their NuWash system is a rapid 35-second cleaning station for reusable cups and bottles that removes manual handling and staff involvement. The patent-protected technology delivers 360-degree hygienic cleaning (99% bacteria reduction at 70°C) and accommodates a wide variety of cups, bottles, and lids.

Nudge makes reuse practical for organisations and creates the conditions for responsible policy implementation.

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On Tuesday, 3rd March 2026, 160 investors, founders and ecosystem leaders will gather for our flagship AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase in Edinburgh.

The event is now fully booked, a powerful signal of the appetite for women-led innovation.

Taking to the stage for a 3-minute pitch is Lesley Thomson, one of the outstanding founders selected to present to a room full of active investors and decision-makers.

Three minutes.
To share the vision.
To demonstrate traction.
To show why this business deserves backing.

AccelerateHER is dedicated to increasing the visibility and investment readiness of women-led businesses across the UK. Our 3-minute pitchers represent scalable innovation, bold leadership and serious investment potential.

With a keynote from Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP and a room designed for meaningful connection, this is where capital meets ambition, and where real backing begins.

We can’t wait to see these founders take the stage.

Delivered by AccelerateHER with support from:
The Scottish Government
The Scottish National Investment Bank
Burness Paull LLP
Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers

27/02/2026

Meet one of our 1-Minute Pitchers for the AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase:

Lucinda Wiley, CEO of Neurish (ExploreBuddy Ltd)

About the business:
Neurish is a new kind of social app designed to help neurodivergent people build meaningful connections through shared interests. Many autistic and otherwise neurodivergent adults and parents want community, but traditional social platforms can feel overwhelming, unsafe, or simply not built with their communication styles in mind. Neurish changes that by creating a calmer, interest‑led space where people can meet others who genuinely “get” them.

At its core, Neurish matches users based on the topics they love, from gaming and art to niche hobbies and deep‑dive passions. Instead of forcing small talk or fast‑paced interactions, the app offers low‑pressure ways to start conversations, explore shared interests, and join interest and support-based groups at a comfortable pace.

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On Tuesday, 3 March 2026, 160 investors, founders, mentors and ecosystem leaders will gather at The Ladies Baths, Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh for our flagship AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase.

And we’re officially fully booked.

Multiple exceptional female founders will take to the stage. Some will have just one minute.

One minute to capture attention.
One minute to spark investor interest.
One minute to open the door to serious backing.

We’re proud to spotlight Lucinda Wiley, who will be delivering a focused, high-impact 60-second pitch.

At AccelerateHER, we exist to accelerate the growth, visibility and backing of female founders across the UK. The 1-minute pitch is bold, disciplined and powerful. Because opportunity doesn’t wait.

Follow along as we champion the women stepping forward to scale and secure investment.

Delivered by AccelerateHER with support from:
The Scottish Government
The Scottish National Investment Bank
Burness Paull LLP
Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers

27/02/2026

Meet one of our 1-Minute Pitchers for the AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase:

Emily Youngs, CEO and Founder at WombWise

About the business:
WombWise is a femtech startup building an early-screening and chronic pain support platform for women with unclear, ongoing reproductive health symptoms, including suspected endometriosis and PCOS. Today, many women wait 8 to 10 years for answers because symptoms are non-specific, tracking is subjective, and clinicians often do not have consistent, longitudinal evidence to justify early investigation.

Early proof-of-concept testing suggests WombWise could reduce time to investigation and diagnosis from 8 to 10 years to under 1 year, an estimated 88% to 90% reduction. WombWise is now recruiting for a 1,000-user feasibility pilot to validate real-world performance and retention, and the team is currently raising £50,000 pre-seed to fund this pilot.

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On Tuesday, 3 March 2026, 160 investors, founders, mentors and ecosystem leaders will gather at The Ladies Baths, Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh for our flagship AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase.

Final places available to attend for free - book on our website.

Multiple exceptional female founders will take to the stage. Some will have just one minute.

One minute to capture attention.
One minute to spark investor interest.
One minute to open the door to serious backing.

At AccelerateHER, we exist to accelerate the growth, visibility and backing of female founders across the UK. The 1-minute pitch is bold, disciplined and powerful. Because opportunity doesn’t wait.

Follow along as we champion the women stepping forward to scale and secure investment.

Delivered by AccelerateHER with support from:
The Scottish Government
The Scottish National Investment Bank
Burness Paull LLP
Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers

26/02/2026

Meet one of our 1-Minute Pitchers for the AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase

Keira Hodge, Founder of Being Wineful Ltd

About the business:

Scotland's wine market is worth nearly £1 billion annually. Yet around 60% of that is purchased in supermarket aisles by people who grab the same bottle out of habit or fear. Meanwhile, Scotland's independent wine bars, shops, and restaurants, the venues that make our cities vibrant, struggle to reach new customers, accounting for just 35% of the market, with a further 5% online.

Being Wineful bridges that gap.

We're building Scotland's first platform that connects wine consumers directly with the independent trade: through our recently launched podcast series, sommelier-built, AI-powered food-and-wine pairing, venue discovery, welcoming community events, and accessible, joyful wine education.

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On Tuesday, 3 March 2026, 160 investors, founders, mentors and ecosystem leaders will gather at The Ladies Baths, Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh for our flagship AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase.

There are 15 tickets now available for Founders, Investors and Eco-system partners - book your place here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/accelerateher/1984396

Multiple exceptional female founders will take to the stage. Some will have just one minute.

One minute to capture attention.
One minute to spark investor interest.
One minute to open the door to serious backing.

At AccelerateHER, we exist to accelerate the growth, visibility and backing of female founders across the UK. The 1-minute pitch is bold, disciplined and powerful. Because opportunity doesn’t wait.

Follow along as we champion the women stepping forward to scale and secure investment.

Delivered by AccelerateHER with support from:
The Scottish Government
The Scottish National Investment Bank
Burness Paull LLP
Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers

26/02/2026

We are hiring at AccelerateHER and are very grateful to the team at TMM Recruitment for helping us to find the very best...

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐄 & 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 – 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒

AccelerateHER is an impactful, vibrant organisation committed to accelerating the growth, visibility and backing of female founders. Through mentorship, tailored programmes, events and community, AccelerateHER's work is helping to build a stronger, more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem across the UK.

🌟 This role is special because:
- You’ll be at the heart of operations, enabling programmes, events, communications and systems that support female and non-binary founders on their business growth journeys.
- Your attention to detail and organisational flair will directly enable others to succeed.
- You’ll join a small, fast-paced team that thrives on purpose, clarity and action.
- This is a part-time, freelance position and flexible working around school hours or caregiving commitments is welcome.

🔍 Who we’re looking for:
- Someone who wants to be part of a mission that matters and loves systems, structure and streamlining.
- A strong communicator who is highly organised, detail-driven, accurate, can work autonomously and is super-efficient.
- A proactive team player who anticipates needs and keeps things moving.
- A digitally confident administrator experienced across Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Zoom, CRM tools like HubSpot, and Google Workspace.

This is an opportunity to apply your strengths within a team committed to supporting women-led businesses, closing investment gaps and building a more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem.

For a confidential conversation about this exceptional role, contact Abbie Johnson.

📩 [email protected] | 01224 327 021

More details on the tmmrecruitment.com website too

26/02/2026

Meet Our 3-Minute Pitchers at the AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase:

Karen Robinson, PhD, Founder at Three Robins

About the company:

Three Robins is a growing kids’ food and drink brand making healthier, everyday plant-based products for families. While the dairy alternatives aisles have seen significant innovation in recent years, the children’s category remains dominated by products that are high in sugar and full of artificial ingredients. As a result, parents are often left having to choose between convenience, taste and nutrition.

Three Robins removes this compromise for parents with their award-winning range of oat milks and on-the-go snacks that are designed for kids using simple ingredients, lower sugar and with a taste they will genuinely enjoy.

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On Tuesday 3 March 2026, 160 investors, founders and ecosystem leaders will gather for our flagship AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase in Edinburgh.

The event is now fully booked, a powerful signal of the appetite for women-led innovation.

Taking to the stage for a 3-minute pitch is Karen Robinson, one of the outstanding founders selected to present to a room full of active investors and decision-makers.

Three minutes.
To share the vision.
To demonstrate traction.
To show why this business deserves backing.

AccelerateHER is dedicated to increasing the visibility and investment readiness of women-led businesses across the UK. Our 3-minute pitchers represent scalable innovation, bold leadership and serious investment potential.

With a keynote from Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP and a room designed for meaningful connection, this is where capital meets ambition — and where real backing begins.

We can’t wait to see these founders take the stage.

Delivered by AccelerateHER with support from:
The Scottish Government
The Scottish National Investment Bank
Burness Paull LLP
Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers

26/02/2026

Meet one of our 1-Minute Pitchers for the AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase:

JJ Stenhouse, Co-Founder of Ascendrix Systems Limited/Ladder of Growth Systems

About the business:

UK employers lose £57 billion annually to work-related mental health issues yet have no early warning system to detect burnout risk before it's too late. Ascendrix Systems' Ladder of Growth (LOG) provides that missing infrastructure.

Built on 10+ years of tracking rapid transformation across hundreds of cases, Ascendrix identified consistent growth stages that predict capacity under pressure. This longitudinal data creates a defensible moat that AI cannot replicate without the company's proprietary measurement model.

Current applications serve three markets: corporates (duty-of-care risk intelligence and performance optimisation), practitioners (measurable outcomes to support coaches, therapists and their clients) and individuals (personal growth tracking). All share the same infrastructure but serve different use cases.

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On Tuesday, 3 March 2026, 160 investors, founders, mentors and ecosystem leaders will gather at The Ladies Baths, Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh for our flagship AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase.

And we’re officially fully booked.

Multiple exceptional female founders will take to the stage. Some will have just one minute.

One minute to capture attention.
One minute to spark investor interest.
One minute to open the door to serious backing.

We’re proud to spotlight JJ Stenhouse, who will be delivering a focused, high-impact 60-second pitch.

At AccelerateHER, we exist to accelerate the growth, visibility and backing of female founders across the UK. The 1-minute pitch is bold, disciplined and powerful. Because opportunity doesn’t wait.

Follow along as we champion the women stepping forward to scale and secure investment.

Delivered by AccelerateHER with support from:
The Scottish Government
The Scottish National Investment Bank
Burness Paull LLP
Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers

25/02/2026

Hey, you know the Female Founder Hackathon is open to founders across Scotland, right?

You might not be based in or near Dumfries, but isn’t a full day focused on advancing the tech behind your business worth a train ride or short road trip?

We are so excited about this event because we have seen firsthand the impact it has had on founders when we’ve run it previously:

Karen Forbes, Founder at Viddit said:

“I achieved in one day what would have taken me six months to do alone. As an early-stage founder, the Edinburgh Hackathon programme gave me access to facilitators and tech experts with a broad range of knowledge and experience. I could test ideas, visualise solutions, and make confident decisions quickly, without wasting valuable time and money. I left with clarity, momentum, and a clear path forward.”

Aleksandra Czech-Seklecka, Founder & CEO at VanFill Ltd said:

“Before the hackathon, I had a vision for my app, but I needed clearer direction on how to develop it further. By the end of the Edinburgh Hackathon, I had a clearer direction for my product and a better sense of how to take it forward. Seeing it come to life with the support of tech experts and facilitators gave me the clarity and confidence I needed to move forward. It was a game-changer for how I approach product development."

Closing date Wednesday, 9th of March

You can learn more about and apply here: https://bit.ly/DumfriesFFHackathon

Any questions - drop us a note

Thanks to our partners of the Hackathon, Techscaler, The Scottish Government and South of Scotland Enterprise

25/02/2026

Meet Our 3-Minute Pitchers at the AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase

Natalie Garry, Founder and CEO of danceSing Ltd

About the company:

danceSing is an evidence-based digital wellness platform for the care sector and senior living communities. Backed by research from the University of Stirling, it tackles inactivity, isolation, and cognitive decline by delivering daily music, movement, and mindfulness programmes that improve mood, mobility, and connection. The platform equips and trains care teams, carers, and family members with ready-to-use resources, embedding meaningful engagement into everyday practice while supporting wellbeing for those delivering care. The result is empowered teams and carers, and older adults living longer, healthier lives with dignity, purpose, and joy.

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On Tuesday, 3rd March 2026, 160 investors, founders and ecosystem leaders will gather for our flagship AccelerateHER Female Founder Showcase in Edinburgh.

The event is now fully booked, a powerful signal of the appetite for women-led innovation.

Taking to the stage for a 3-minute pitch is Natalie Garry, one of the outstanding founders selected to present to a room full of active investors and decision-makers.

Three minutes.
To share the vision.
To demonstrate traction.
To show why this business deserves backing.

AccelerateHER is dedicated to increasing the visibility and investment readiness of women-led businesses across the UK. Our 3-minute pitchers represent scalable innovation, bold leadership and serious investment potential.

With a keynote from Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP and a room designed for meaningful connection, this is where capital meets ambition, and where real backing begins.

We can’t wait to see these founders take the stage.

Delivered by AccelerateHER with support from:
The Scottish Government
The Scottish National Investment Bank
Burness Paull LLP
Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers

Accelerateher UK

05/03/2026

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Monday	9am - 5pm
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Friday	9am - 5pm