South Yorkshire Mayor Backs Female Tech Founders

Why It Matters

Closing the gender funding gap unlocks untapped innovation potential and drives broader economic growth in the UK tech sector. The programme provides the targeted resources women need to compete for capital and scale their businesses.

Key Takeaways

• FoundHERy offers eight‑week intensive support for female tech founders.
• Female‑led firms in South Yorkshire now valued at $253 million.
• Women secured only 10% of regional tech investment since 2014.
• Program funded by SYMCA, DSIT, and British Business Bank.
• Barnsley aims to become AI leader through tech‑town status.

Pulse Analysis

Gender disparity in tech financing remains a structural challenge in the UK, with women‑led companies historically receiving a fraction of venture capital. In South Yorkshire, the gap is stark: despite a collective valuation of $253 million for female‑founder firms, they attracted just $16.8 million in 2025 and only 10% of all regional tech investment since 2014. This under‑investment not only limits individual growth but also curtails the region’s overall innovation capacity, especially as AI and digital transformation accelerate.

The FoundHERy programme directly addresses these shortcomings by delivering a curated, eight‑week curriculum that blends one‑on‑one mentorship, problem‑solving workshops, and high‑visibility investor engagements, including a showcase at London Tech Week. Funding from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and the British Business Bank underscores a multi‑layered commitment to gender equity. Barnsley’s tech‑town designation adds strategic weight, positioning the town as a future AI hub and providing a fertile ecosystem for the programme’s participants to test and scale AI‑driven solutions.

If successful, FoundHERy could become a replicable model for other UK regions seeking to bridge the gender gap in tech. Investors stand to benefit from a more diverse pipeline of high‑potential startups, while policymakers gain evidence on the ROI of targeted support. The initiative also signals to talent pipelines that South Yorkshire is actively fostering inclusive innovation, potentially attracting skilled female entrepreneurs and reinforcing the region’s competitive edge in the national and global tech landscape.