A new initiative aimed at tackling the UK’s persistent funding gap for female founders has been launched in Milton Keynes, positioning the city within the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor as a hub for women-led tech innovation.
Female Techpreneur, a women-focused tech ecosystem founded in 2020, has unveiled a series of new platforms and programmes designed to connect founders with capital, corporate opportunities and talent.
The announcement was made at The Decision Room, the organisation’s inaugural programme, held at Milton Keynes College in March. The event brought together founders, corporates, investors and policymakers to focus on practical solutions for SMEs.
Milton Keynes sits at the centre of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, a region identified as a key driver of UK innovation and economic growth.
The initiative comes against a backdrop of ongoing disparities in access to funding, with female founders receiving a small proportion of UK equity investment, widely reported to be around 2%, despite strong performance outcomes.
As part of the programme, Female Techpreneur introduced the FeCircle app, a platform designed to connect women in tech with networks, funding opportunities and business support. It also launched Female Techpreneur Ventures, a new initiative focused on supporting the scaling of women-led businesses.
Supported by technology firm Aiimi, The Decision Room was designed to move beyond discussion and generate actionable outcomes.
Female Techpreneur founder Bukky Babajide said the programme was deliberately timed to follow International Women’s Day, with an emphasis on sustained impact.
“Women don’t need more inspiration, we need tangible help from policy makers and service providers,” she said. “There is already a strong pool of talent within small businesses, but access to opportunity remains a key barrier.”
Participants were organised into small groups to address four areas: start-up strategy, access to networks and opportunities, branding and communications, and talent and hiring. Among the key challenges identified were limited access to funding, fragmented support ecosystems and difficulty engaging with decision makers.
For many attendees, the value of the event lay in its openness and practical focus.
Rebecca Matthews said: “It was more than just a networking event. A big theme was allyship and community and it wasn’t just talk, it showed up in the room.”
Mariam Buari added: “The conversations were honest, the stories were powerful, and the atmosphere made it easy to connect, learn and reflect.”
There was also a strong focus on improving access to opportunity and sponsorship for founders.
Susan O’Connor said: “Sometimes what founders really need are sponsors, people who will open doors and invite you in.”
The discussions also highlighted growing interest from corporates seeking more flexible ways to access innovation and specialist skills through partnerships with SMEs.
The event brought together representatives from organisations including Nationwide, Santander, Cranfield University and HM Treasury. Following its launch in Milton Keynes, The Decision Room has already expanded internationally, with a second event held in Lagos, reflecting a broader ambition to build a globally connected ecosystem for women in tech. Further UK events planned across the region.
Female Techpreneur is now deploying its accelerator programme, with applications expected to open to new cohorts later this year, as the organisation continues to expand its footprint across the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.
Bukky added: “There is a clear opportunity to better connect founders, corporates and capital, particularly in high-growth regions like the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, to unlock the full potential of women-led businesses.”
Find out more about Female Techpreneur via the website.
