Toni Thorne

Innovate UK Business Connect is the new name for Innovate UK KTN. We connect innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking – accelerating ambitious ideas into real-world solutions.

The Invest in Women Taskforce, backed by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), continues the Government’s work to promote and grow the opportunities presented by female entrepreneurship. The Taskforce is industry-led and under the stewardship of two Co-Chairs: multi-exit entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow and Nationwide’s Hannah Bernard, Director of Business Banking. The Taskforce will have a laser focus on funding, with commitment to three core deliverables to drive real change: 1. Launch the world’s largest funding pot £250m for female-powered businesses 2. Increase angel investment for female-powered businesses and encourage more women to become Angel investors. 3. Boost micro-funding, to increase access to finance for women. The Taskforce will sit alongside a newly created Ecosystem Working Group, which will work tirelessly to improve the broader environment for female-powered businesses. If you are a potential investor, a female entrepreneur looking for funding, or would like to work with us on this, please get in touch via the website and follow us for more updates.

Innovate UK Business Connect is the new name for Innovate UK KTN. We connect innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking – accelerating ambitious ideas into real-world solutions.

Ankh Impact Ventures is an early-stage impact investment platform empowering women founders with catalytic capital and global networks to create lasting change. We back founders at the earliest stages — combining strategic capital with 6,000+ introductions, 75+ C-level global advisors, and a founder-first approach that unlocks growth, follow-on funding, and measurable impact. Our Three-Pillar Approach: 1. Take Global Action Now – We tackle pressing interlinked societal challenges across six strategic areas: Inclusive Digital Economy, Sustainable Consumption, Climate Tech & Smart Cities, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Arts & Culture Tech, and Quantum Technologies. 2. Empower Diverse Perspectives – Using a gender investment lens, we invest in women-led entrepreneurs & startups, emerging VC funds, incubators & accelerators, and academic/research institutions. 3. Leverage Science for Impact – We measure impact through concrete metrics including carbon footprint, inclusion & diversity, corporate policy, circular economy practices, cybersecurity & data governance, and staff wellbeing. Why Women Founders: Despite receiving just 2.3% of global VC capital, women-founded startups generate 10% more revenue over five years, are 25% more likely to outperform average EBIT margins, and build more inclusive cultures that hire 2.5 times more women employees. Beyond Capital: AIV provides more than funding — we activate a synergistic global ecosystem connecting 35+ portfolio companies with our International Advisory Council, strategic partners, and a dedicated founder community platform. Our track record includes enabling successful exits, strategic partnerships, and meaningful social impact across sectors from fashion technology to bioelectronic medicine. Founded in 2020 by Pierre N. Rolin, AIV operates with a philanthro-capitalist model that bridges venture returns with sustainable social impact, investing globally to ensure access to capital for all agents of change.

Newton Venture Program provides venture capital training and development for aspiring investors, practising investors, and others in the venture space. Our mission is to level the playing field for people from typically overlooked and underestimated backgrounds, ensuring that the next generation of investors represent the world we live in. Newton Alumni span the globe with more than 500 people from all backgrounds going on to secure positions in VC firms, accelerate their careers in VC, and become disruptors of the status quo. As of the start of 2024, 46% identify as female or non-binary, and 49% identify as the global majority. Newton is a joint venture between Phoenix Court and London Business School with founding partner, HSBC Innovation Banking. With our unique blend of faculty and practitioner teaching, we are training the investors of tomorrow to back the ventures of the future.