WE Innovate

WE Innovate is Imperial’s female entrepreneurship programme and sits within Imperial Enterprise Lab at Imperial College London. It is an annual six-month accelerator for women founders, designed around early-stage venture development and a final pitch competition. The 2026 cycle moved through three phases: 25 teams began with masterclasses and coaching, 10 progressed into pitch coaching and investor networking, and 5 reached final pitch preparation. The programme carried a £30,000 equity-free prize fund, with special awards including the Engineers in Business Award and the Lauren Dennis in Memoriam Award. Applicants had to be legally recognised as female, tied to Imperial as a current student, postgraduate, Early Career Researcher, or recent alumna, and not have led WE Innovate or the Althea-Imperial Programme before. WE Innovate works best for founders who want a disciplined progression from idea refinement to investor-facing pitching. The programme rewards teams that can stay active through the full cycle, use coaching well, and present a venture that is early enough to benefit from the structure but developed enough to compete for the final awards.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.