What AccelerateHER does

AccelerateHER is an Edinburgh-based, privately held female-founders support organisation founded in 2013 by Jackie Waring FRSE and currently led by CEO Elizabeth Pirrie. It operates a portfolio of interconnected accelerator and learning programmes — most notably the 9-week Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Accelerator (co-delivered with Barclays Eagle Labs, 100 spots per cohort), the Women to Women (W2W) peer-powered investment accelerator (co-delivered with sister organisation Investing Women Angels), and the Ready to Raise investment-readiness programme — supplemented by 1-to-1 and group mentoring, an always-on free online learning hub, regional showcase events, hackathons, international trade missions, and the AccelerateHER Podcast.

The organisation does not build proprietary technology; its platform is the community itself, comprising 7,000+ supported female founders across the UK who have collectively raised over £70m in investment and created 550+ high-value jobs. Its value proposition is operational and relational rather than technical: cohort-based curriculum, mentor matching, peer accountability groups, investor showcases, and direct pathways into Investing Women Angels (whose members have invested over 90% of capital into female-founded companies).

AccelerateHER's revenue model is sponsorship- and grant-driven rather than participant-paid. The W2W Programme is free to founders and underwritten by the Scottish Government, Burness Paull LLP, and Johnston Carmichael; flagship events are headlined by the Scottish National Investment Bank (since 2024); and the broader ecosystem is supported by partners including Barclays Eagle Labs, CodeBase/Techscaler, Scottish Enterprise, British Business Bank, and US-based Golden Seeds. The organisation's customer base therefore splits between free-of-charge founder participants (the "demand" side) and a concentrated set of corporate, governmental, and financial institutional partners (the "payer" side), making partner concentration the defining commercial risk.

Name

AccelerateHER

Legal name

AccelerateHER

Website

https://accelerateher.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AccelerateHER is an Edinburgh-based, privately held female-founders accelerator and network founded in 2013. It runs the Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Accelerator, the Women to Women (W2W) investment accelerator with sister organisation Investing Women Angels, mentoring, showcases, and free online learning for UK women entrepreneurs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Support Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

Keywords

• Female founder accelerator
• Entrepreneurship mentoring programmes
• Angel investing network
• Startup investment readiness
• Women business community

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Programme Delivery Partnerships: AccelerateHER delivers accelerator programmes in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs, with support from the Scottish Government, Scottish National Investment Bank, Burness Paull LLP, Johnston Carmichael, and other partners. The W2W Programme is free to participants, underwritten by partner funding. The organisation's revenue is derived from partnership fees, sponsorships, and government/economic development funding rather than direct customer payments.
2. Event and Sponsorship Revenue: The organisation generates revenue through event sponsorship, showcase events, and branded partnerships. Sponsors such as the Scottish National Investment Bank, Burness Paull, Johnston Carmichael, and the Scottish Government sponsor showcase events and learning programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

AccelerateHER operates a female founders network and accelerator organisation in the UK, delivering curated programmes (Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Accelerator, Women to Women / W2W, Ready to Raise), mentoring, showcase events, hackathons, and free online business courses. It connects female founders with angel investors, mentors, and strategic partners (Barclays Eagle Labs, Scottish Government, Scottish National Investment Bank, Investing Women Angels) to help them scale and raise investment.

Product overview

AccelerateHER is a female founders network and accelerator organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programmes and services. The core offerings include the Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Accelerator (a 9-week programme), the Women to Women (W2W) peer-powered investment accelerator, and the Ready to Raise Programme. These are supported by Online Learning (free always-on business courses), Mentoring services (1-to-1, group, and angel investor mentoring), Events (showcases, networking, hackathons), and the AccelerateHER Podcast. Together, these services form an ecosystem approach from early-stage entrepreneurship through to investment readiness and scaling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Accelerator: A 9-week accelerator programme designed for UK-based female founders scaling ambitious ventures and preparing for the next stage of growth.
• Women to Women (W2W) Programme
• Ready to Raise Programme
• AccelerateHER Podcast

Products and services

• Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Accelerator A 9-week intensive accelerator programme for UK-based female founders scaling ambitious ventures, featuring weekly online masterclasses, 1:1 mentoring, peer accountability groups, and a showcase opportunity to present to investors and ecosystem leaders.
• Women to Women (W2W) Programme A peer-powered investment accelerator delivered through five in-person sessions across five weeks in Central Edinburgh, bridging female founders seeking investment and women exploring angel investing.
• Ready to Raise Programme Investment readiness support programme designed to help female founders prepare for and secure investment.
• Mentoring Mentorship programmes connecting female founders with experienced mentors including angel investors and successful entrepreneurs, including 1-to-1 mentoring, group mentoring, and angel investor mentoring.
• Online Learning Always-on learning hub with free online business courses covering financial literacy, pitch perfect skills, and marketing strategies accessible on founders' own schedules.
• AccelerateHER Events Live events and networking opportunities including investor showcases and ecosystem connections, both online and in-person across UK locations.
• Female Founder Hackathon Innovation-focused hackathon events for female and non-binary founders focused on demystifying technology options and helping participants determine the best route for developing and commercialising business ideas.
• AccelerateHER Podcast Podcast series featuring interviews with founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders sharing insights and stories from the female entrepreneurship community.
• AccelerateHER Awards Annual awards series celebrating and accelerating female entrepreneurship, recognising outstanding achievements among female founders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000+ female founders supported over 13 years
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers39 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CodeBase / TechscalercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024AccelerateHER partners with CodeBase (delivery partner for the Scottish Government's Techscaler programme) to deliver hackathon events for female founders. Techscaler membership (mentorship, education, workspaces, community) is offered to eligible founders who participate in hackathons. VP Partnerships Yasmin Sulaiman represents CodeBase in the Pathways Pledge.
• Pathways Forward (Pathways Pledge)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024AccelerateHER is a founding signatory of the Pathways Pledge initiative, launched February 2024. Other signatories include CivTech, CodeBase, Deloitte, Eos Advisory, Scottish EDGE, and Scottish National Investment Bank. The Pledge commits organisations to measurable actions improving outcomes for women in business.
• Barclays Eagle LabscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarclays Eagle Labs and AccelerateHER co-deliver the Barclays Eagle Labs Female Founder Accelerator, a 9-week programme for UK-based female founders. Barclays provides the Eagle Labs infrastructure and network while AccelerateHER designs and delivers the curriculum, mentoring, and community elements. The programme has 100 competitive spots per cohort and runs online masterclasses on Fridays.
• Investing Women AngelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvesting Women Angels (IWA) is AccelerateHER's sister organisation and Scotland's first all-female business angel syndicate. Together they co-deliver the Women to Women (W2W) Programme. IWA members have invested over 90% of their funds in female-founded companies. IWA is a co-founder pathway and pipeline for AccelerateHER programme alumni, and its founder Jackie Waring also founded AccelerateHER.
• Burness Paull LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerW2W legal partner providing pro bono legal support and expertise for the Women to Women Programme. Hosted W2W sessions at their Edinburgh offices. Supports AccelerateHER events and showcases.
• Johnston CarmichaelcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccounting and business advisory partner for the W2W Programme and AccelerateHER events. Provided financial expertise and hosted learning events. Supports the Financial Realities of Scaling programme element.
• Brightstar ScotlandminorOthersListed as part of AccelerateHER's executive team section. Nature of partnership not further specified in available source material.
• Golden Seeds (US)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based investment group with a Silicon Valley chapter. Gwen Edwards, Managing Director of Golden Seeds, is the W2W international partner. Golden Seeds has built close links with IWA and AccelerateHER and has supported high-growth female-founded Scottish companies including Carcinotech and Cytochroma.
• Springboard Programme (Washington, DC)minorOthersWashington DC-based programme that inspired the W2W model. Springboard contributed to a near 40% increase in women angel investors and corresponding rise in investment into female-led businesses in the US. W2W follows this model in Scotland.
• CivTechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPathways Pledge signatory working to increase applications from female founders to CivTech challenges.
• DeloitteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPathways Pledge signatory committed to actions supporting female entrepreneurship in Scotland.
• EOS (Equity Oak Advisory)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Pathways Pledge ecosystem, focused on bridging the equity investment gap for Scottish female-founded companies.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Code First Girls: UK-based organisation running coding and entrepreneurship programmes for women, with a similar mission to broaden female participation in tech and entrepreneurship — adjacent rather than directly competitive with AccelerateHER.

Direct peers

• Investing Women Angels: Scotland's first all-female business angel syndicate, founded by the same person (Jackie Waring) as AccelerateHER. Acts as the sister-organisation and direct capital pipeline for AccelerateHER programme alumni.
• Springboard Programme: Washington DC-based programme that inspired AccelerateHER's Women to Women (W2W) model, credited with a ~40% increase in US women angel investors. Operates a near-identical peer-powered angel-investment accelerator framework.
• Golden Seeds: US-based investment group with a Silicon Valley chapter, partnered with AccelerateHER and IWA on cross-Atlantic deal flow. Invests in female-founded high-growth companies and shares AccelerateHER's community-plus-capital model.
• Female Founders Fund: US early-stage venture fund investing exclusively in female-founded companies, providing both capital and an entrepreneur-support network — directly comparable to AccelerateHER's mission of closing the gender investment gap.
• All Raise: US non-profit focused on increasing the success rate of female founders and funders through community, visibility, and connections — closely aligned with AccelerateHER's community-led accelerator approach.

Broad incumbents

• Antler: Global early-stage VC and accelerator operating across multiple geographies with founder programmes that overlap with AccelerateHER's Barclays co-delivered accelerator format.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network running multi-week programmes for early-stage founders. Broader and more generalist than AccelerateHER, but competes for the same pool of female founders applying to accelerators worldwide.
• Mass Challenge: Global non-profit accelerator supporting early-stage founders across industries through cohort-based programmes and corporate partnerships — broader mission but directly comparable accelerator format to AccelerateHER.

Regional players

• CodeBase: Scotland's largest tech incubator and delivery partner for the Scottish Government's Techscaler programme; AccelerateHER co-delivers hackathons with CodeBase/Techscaler and both serve the Scottish founder ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkbrhz4ly7qze_qL2oZwGaA
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61583612580210
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accelerateher-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/accelerateher_uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AccelerateHER