Female founders urged to apply for £2m accelerator fund

A new accelerator programme in the West Midlands is offering female-led ventures a chance to secure a share of £2m in investment.

The Fortuna Fellowship, founded by Birmingham-based venture capital firm Midven in partnership with The 51% Club, aims to support the next wave of female-led startups in the region.

With £1m from the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund already secured, the programme will provide funding to female-founded or female-led businesses in the early stages of development, with the potential to generate £100k in revenue before the program ends.

The programme is open to businesses based in Birmingham, the Black Country, and Coventry and is designed to help founders scale by offering four key phases of support.

This includes understanding founder psychology, identifying market opportunities, building scaling skills, and ongoing guidance in pitching and securing investment.

Rupert Lyle, fund principal for the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund at Midven said:  “The Fortuna Fellowship represents a unique opportunity for talented female founders to gain the support and resources they need. We encourage all eligible female founders to apply and take advantage of this program designed to accelerate the growth of their businesses and help them reach their full potential. The Fortuna Fellowship is unlike anything previously offered in the region, and we’re keen to see the next generation of female-led businesses thrive.”

The programme is made up of four phases to help female founders.

Phase 1, “Who You Are As A Founder,” focuses on understanding skills, goals, and resilience, phase 2, “Identifying Your Strategic Priorities,” helps match the founder’s personality to the business, discover market opportunities, and create a growth model, phase 3, “The Building Blocks,” works on scaling skills, team gaps, mentorship, and financial planning for investment. and phase 4, “Execution,” offers ongoing support with office hours, workshops, co-working days, and guidance on pitching for investment.

Lyle said: “If you’re a woman founder ready to take your business to the next level, I urge you to apply to the Fortuna Fellowship. We’re looking for the next generation of groundbreaking female-led businesses, and we can’t wait to see what you bring. Join us in shifting the odds and building a more equitable future for female founders.”