Closing the Gap: Female Founders and the UK’s Growth Ambition
Schedule
Thu May 28 2026 at 03:00 pm to 07:30 pm
UTC+01:00Location
BT Tower | London, EN
About this Event
Closing the Gap: Female Founders and the UK’s Growth Ambition
Part of the Rail Innovation Group 10th Anniversary Programme – hosted in partnership with BT
Register your interest to join us at the iconic BT Tower for an event bringing together female founders, senior industry leaders, investors, and decision-makers to share experiences of building and scaling businesses, and to explore how closing the funding gap can help the UK realise its growth ambitions.
Despite the UK's strong innovation ecosystem, female founders receive only around 2% of total venture capital investment, while women represent a significant and growing proportion of business founders. This gap is not just an issue of fairness, it is a missed economic opportunity at scale, and one that must be addressed if the UK is to fully deliver on its growth potential.
Hosted in partnership with BT, this event forms part of the Rail Innovation Group's 10th anniversary programme. We are fortunate to have secured the BT Tower as our venue - one of the final events to be held in the Tower before it closes its doors, adding a special sense of occasion.
The session will feature a panel of female founders and industry leaders, alongside pop-up pitches from female-led start-ups showcasing emerging technologies and solutions.
Speakers include:
- Shamit Gaiger OBE, Managing Director, West Coast Partnership Development & Non-Executive Director, Women in Rail
- Dr Nicola Millard, Principal Innovation Partner, BT Group
- Johannah Randall, Rail Innovation Group
- Holly Clarke, CMO & Co-founder, Byway
- Sara Nozkova, CEO & Co-founder, Flox Intelligence
- Liz Davidson, CMO & Co-founder, Esoterix
- Please register your interest and we will be in touch to confirm attendance -
Agenda
15:00 – Arrival and security check
15:30 – Welcome and introduction
15:45 – Keynote presentation
16:00 – Case study: a founder's journey
16:10 - Panel discussion
17:00 – Transfer up to the Tower
17:30 - Networking reception (refreshments provided)
19:30 - Close
Venue and access
The event will take place at the BT Tower, London. Pre-registration is required, and all attendees must bring valid photo ID. Full joining instructions will be shared in advance with confirmed guests.
Would you like to sponsor this event? to discuss options.
About the Rail Innovation Group
The Rail Innovation Group is an independent community of professionals working across the rail and technology sectors to promote innovation, collaboration and scale-up opportunities for start-ups and SMEs. www.railinnovationgroup.com
Where is it happening?
BT Tower, 60 Cleveland Street, London, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
