A new investment is aiming to bridge a funding gap for high-growth female-led startups in UK tech and healthcare.
The British Business Bank has committed an initial £1 million to co-invest with Angel Academe, who are a founding signatory of the Investing in Women Code.
The British Business Bank's capital will be deployed alongside Angel Academe’s private investors and EIS fund into startups at seed to Series A stages. The first investments from this commitment are expected to begin in Q2 2026.
The funds, managed by SyndicateRoom in partnership with Angel Academe, invest exclusively in high-growth companies with at least one female founder. The funds have already invested in companies including Béa Fertility, a digital fertility platform; Provenance, which provides supply chain transparency technology; and Data Wøllet, a consumer data privacy platform.
Graham Schwikkard, CEO of SyndicateRoom, said:
“It's not a lack of talent, it's a lack of access. This £1 million isn't just capital, it's a signal to the market that female-led businesses are some of the most undervalued assets in the UK right now. We're looking for the next sector-defining companies that others are simply missing.”
Sarah Turner, CEO of Angel Academe, said:
“We don't have a pipeline problem; we have a funding problem. By partnering with the British Business Bank, we're able to put more capital into the hands of women who are building the future of healthcare, data, and commerce.”
Nancy Liu, Senior Investment Manager at British Business Bank Investments, said:
“The gender investment gap isn’t just a matter of equality – it’s also a barrier to potential growth and innovation in the UK. Female founders remain significantly underfunded and the British Business Bank aims to unlock potential across the UK by ensuring diverse entrepreneurs have access to finance, including female founders. The partnership with Angel Academe will help address this disparity whilst supporting the development of high growth smaller businesses across the UK.”
The Angel Academe EIS Funds operate as part of SyndicateRoom's portfolio of tax-efficient investment vehicles. This includes the Carbon13 SEIS Fund, the Access EIS Fund, and the SR Carry Back EIS Fund. SyndicateRoom has deployed capital into over 200 UK businesses.
