Female-founded Welsh innovation hub Tramshed Tech has announced the launch of a Female Founder Investor Readiness Programme in partnership with British Business Bank. 

With a predominantly female senior leadership team and CEO Louise Harris at its helm, Tramshed Tech is making moves to better support female founders across Wales in collaboration with British Business Bank’s Senior Manager for Wales, Jess Phillips-Harris.

The new Female Founder Investor Readiness Programme supported by AberInnovation, Welsh Ice, AccelerateHER and M-SParc is designed to equip female technology founders across Wales with the skills and support needed to successfully raise capital in today's competitive market.

Louise Harris, CEO at Tramshed Tech, said:

“As a female founder myself I am passionate about supporting female-led businesses. We often see that Wales punches above its weight – according to The Gender Index, in 2023 12.1% of high turnover growth companies in Wales were female-led. This was the highest rate across all UK devolved nations and regions. I am eager to see this percentage grow year on year, so I’m thrilled to launch our new Female Founder Programme in partnership with British Business Bank and supporting partners across Wales with a focus on providing support around investor readiness specifically.”

This new tech innovation programme will cover a six-month period, providing participants with tailored support on investor readiness, skills development for investment opportunities as well as access to networks and mentorship. The programme culminates in a demo day where founders will have the opportunity to showcase their business to potential investors.

The programme is aimed at founders and co-founders who are eager to join a community of like-minded female entrepreneurs and has a hybrid format tailored for the busy schedules of female founders across Wales.

Jess Phillips, Senior Network Manager at British Business Bank, said:  

“We are proud to launch the Wales Female Founder Programme, aimed at empowering women tech entrepreneurs. Despite the disparity in external funding between female and male founder teams, research shows that women-led ventures often yield safer and higher returns for investors. This initiative goes beyond empowerment – it will help to foster a more diverse and prosperous entrepreneurial landscape in Wales.”

The programme curriculum will cover essential topics such as strategic funding, pitch decks, go-to-market strategy, managing investors and applying for SEIS. Participants will benefit from a structured curriculum including half-day hybrid workshops, monthly peer-to-peer sessions and bi-monthly female founder meetups/dinners.

With only 15 spots available, the application criteria are as follows: 

• Founders/Co-Founders must be based in Wales
• Founders/Co-Founders must have a minimal viable product (MVP)
• Founders/Co-Founders must be ready or looking to raise investment in the next 18 months
• Founders/Co-Founders must be operating within key technology and innovation sectors

Applications for the Female Founder Investor Readiness Programme are now open. Female founders interested in participating can visit www.tramshedtech.co.uk/programmes/female-founder-investor-readiness/.