What would you do if someone gave you £10,000 worth of support for your business?
It's pretty rare that a company will reach $1 billion without listing themselves on the stock market, and that figure is the dream of any tech startup - it’s why we refer to them as Unicorn companies.
But what's even rarer than a Unicorn, is a female-founded Unicorn.
It’s why Bruntwood SciTech, one of Leeds’ most exciting tech hubs, is paving the way for female founders to access the support they deserve - and they’re offering a whopping giveaway worth over £50,000 to help you get your business off the ground with an accelerator-style support programme.
For women, it appears that one of the best ways to accelerate potential and growth is through a business accelerator.
Only 38% of all UK accelerator attendees have a female founder. / Image: Platform, Bruntwood SciTech
According to a recent review of female entrepreneurship, fully female-founded High Growth Enterprises are most likely to have grown through an accelerator, and this is the only method of growth to have more representation of women entrepreneurs.
It's all about support, innovation and growth amongst like-minded individuals and businesses, and it can do wonders for female-founded companies.
Women are also more likely to seek this support on their journey, just over a quarter of fully male-founded companies have attended an accelerator meeting whilst 56% of fully female-founded companies have attended an accelerator programme.
According to company insight platform Crunchbase, just 12% of Unicorns in 2021 had either female founders or co-founders.
Whilst we don't all need to be Unicorns, when there's endless opportunities for startups in the UK, it just doesn't make sense that women are under represented - especially when female-led businesses are proven time and time again to generate higher revenues, outperform their male counterparts, and have significantly lower failure rates, according to recent MIT research.
At the moment, eight of the top 10 accelerators for female entrepreneurs are headquartered in London, but there's no reason why Leeds' can't be a secondary business hub to the capital.
In recent years alone the city has flourished with fintech and business investment from international companies big and small, and we're sure that this is only the beginning for our beloved city.
But innovation needn't be limited by location nor gender, it should be about nurturing great ideas and business growth.
Platform is ‘the home of tech’ in Leeds. / Image: Bruntwood SciTech
Deb Hetherington, Head of Innovation Services at Bruntwood SciTech believes that it's a collective responsibility to bring powerful female figures to the front of the business, science and technology world:
"In order to support the next generation of female founders, leaders and entrepreneurs, we all have a part to play. From local councils, successful founders, large corporates, and educators."
"Investors argue there aren’t enough female founders to invest in, central government sings a similar tune, but all entities are looking for fully formed successful female founders. This is the problem; we need to go back several steps to design a pipeline, a defined pathway for female founders to try, and fail, and to try again."
“In order to support the next generation of female founders, leaders and entrepreneurs, we all have a part to play. From local councils, successful founders, large corporations, and educators. That’s why we have recently designed a Female Founders Incubator, launching during Leeds Digital Festival in September at the home of tech in Leeds, Platform.”
The Female Founders Incubator programme
To support the next generation, Bruntwood SciTech is looking to support five female business owners, entrepreneurs and founders through their The Female Founders Incubator programme.
This specially-designed programme has been built to provide female entrepreneurs across West Yorkshire with tailored, expert support to grow, expand and scale according to your own business and personal needs.
Bruntwood is offering the ultimate support package for Female-led businesses. / Image: Bruntwood SciTech
The five successful candidates will be given access to the following from Bruntwood free of charge:
1:1 mentoring with successful CEOs
Access to professional services experts across marketing, legal, accounting and funding support
Peer-2-peer sessions
6 months FREE desk space, plus 50% off for the following 6 months
To enter Bruntwood's Female Founders Incubator programme with support worth more than £10,000 per person,click here.
Spend six months at Leeds’ tech hub, Platform. / Image: Bruntwood SciTech
And that's just the beginning...
Bruntwood is a collaborative workspace that allows like minded individuals to come together at both formal networking events and informal coffee mornings. By working at Platform, you'll receive exclusive access to at least 24 events and dedicated 1:1 support from professional services experts and Bruntwood SciTech's extensive partner network.
The programme is supported by successful founders and CEOs who will mentor five early stage female founders throughout the six month incubation period including award winning CEOs Zandra Moore and Anna Sutton from local scaling tech companies.
Partners including Law Firm Berwin Digital, Marketing specialists Social, and female focussed funding specialists Fund Her North will provide bespoke advice and support, and Bruntwood SciTech will facilitate the programme, coordinating all activity and providing free desk space to the successful entrepreneurs.
Sarah Hex, Member of Fund her North said: "Fund Her North wants to improve access to funding for female-led businesses in the North of England through start-up, scale and exit. The Bruntwood SciTech Female Founders Incubator is exactly the kind of programme we want to support. In order to create a successful pipeline of investable female founders, we need an increase in this kind of activity."
How to apply for the Female Founders Incubator programme
In order to be in with the chance of being one of the five recipients of the support and mentoring from Bruntwood SciTech's Female Founder Incubator programme, all you need to do is head to the dedicated Female Founder Incubator website and fill in a few questions about your business and tell the judges why would you (and your business) be a good addition to the Tech Hub community at Bruntwood SciTech.
Applications will close on Thursday 8th September, so make sure you get your application in quickly for review.
To enter Bruntwood SciTech's Female Founders Incubator programme with support worth up to £10,000,click here.
Apply now to secure your entry for the Female Founders Incubator programme. / Image: Bruntwood SciTech
Bruntwood SciTech is asking that all applicants are available for a virtual interview on Monday 12 September in the afternoon and those that are successful in receiving one of the five spaces on the Female Founders Incubator will be invited to a launch event and lunch on Tuesday 27 September 2022.
The program and access to desk space will begin from Monday 3 October.
The full details on how to enter, including all of the small print, can be found on the here.
Feature Image- Bruntwood SciTech
Feature
The best places in Leeds to get pancakes on Pancake Day
One of the best days in the foodie calendar is hereand it's time to decide where you're going for the ultimate stack.
Whilst homemade pancakes hit the spot and attempting to flip them is definitely a laugh, it's always a treat to get out and about to celebrate the momentous occasion.
From thin crepes with lemon and sugar to pillowy, thick buttermilk stacks which are showered with a whole host of delicious toppings - there's a pancake dish for everyone to devour this Shrove Tuesday.
Keep reading for our top picks of cafes, restaurants and bars to visit this Pancake Day.
House of Koko
Chapel Allerton , Oakwood and Leeds city centre
Images: The Hoot Leeds
House of Koko are the absolute bees knees when it comes to brunch.
Their pancakes are fluffy, pillowy, light, perfectly formed and just down right delicious. The list of toppings is almost overwhelming and you can mix and match yours to your heart's content, we're talking bacon, biscoff, kinder bueno, toasted nuts, white choc chips, banana and even ice cream, the list really does go on but you'll be here all day.
Moose Coffee
Bond Court
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Given Canadian pancakes are a worldwide favourite, you'd expect the best pancakes to come from Moose Coffee. Made fresh to order, there's a stack of three dusted with icing sugar, dotted with blueberries and served with Canadian butter on offer as well as a Biscoff Stack made from three pancakes, biscoff sauce, vanilla ice cream, white choc shards, lotus biscuit.
Whatever your preference this Pancake Day, your combination of sweet and savoury is pretty much guaranteed to live up to the famous Canadian combination- maple syrup included.
Farmhouse
Lands Lane
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Farmhouse are basically famous in the city for their epic stacks of pancakes, fluffy and loaded with all the toppings it's just what you want this Pancake Day.
If Up North
Call Lane or York Place
Image: The Hoot Leeds
If you're a regular on the If Up North Instagram page, you'll know that these guys are big fans of pancakes. Given their obsession with posting their beautifully decorated variations online, we're confident that these pancakes will be lip-smacking, mouth-drooling good and packed with flavour.
Expect flavours like berry and Biscoff, fruits and cream, bacon and maple syrup as well as a whole host of different variations at any of their Leeds-based cafes.
North Star Coffee Shop
Leeds Dock
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Locally renowned for its coffee roast, North Star Coffee Shop is also a great contender for the best-looking pancakes around. Open from 8am this Shrove Tuesday, grab some fluffy pancakes topped with all the seasonal favourites they have on offer.
Galleria
Armley Road
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Running from Monday 16 February until Friday 20 February, you can bag yourself £1 pancakes with a huge range toppings like classic lemon and sugar, maple smoked bacon, fried egg and sausage, or singular toppings such as blueberries, avocado, IPA caramel and more.
You'll need to pre-book to secure your offer and when you arrive, pick up an order form from your server so you can select how many £1 pancakes you want, alongside your chosen toppings. Yeah, it’s really that flipping easy.
Laynes Espresso
New Station Street
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Everything Laynes touch turns to gold, and their pancakes are of course no exception.
They of course go perfectly with a heavenly cup of coffee served inside their dazzling bright yellow, life-affirming coffee shop.
10 of the best new openings coming to Leeds in 2026
Clementine Hall
Allow us to get you excited about the next one with a list of new openings coming to the city.
If you're feeling a little bit down in the dumps about 2025 ending then do not fear, because we've got a feeling that the next year is about to be even bigger and better.
There's already a great selection of restaurants, bars and shops gearing up to open up in Leeds during, so let us fill you in.
Salon Madre and Madre
Wellington Street
Image: The Manc Eats
Are you ready for a fresh taste of Mexico Leeds? Well you better be – because Madre, the day-to-night eatery that has made waves over in Manchester and Liverpool, is setting up shop on Wellington Street in due course.
Not only that, but their lively sibling Salon Madre will be opening next door on Friday 20 February. Expect tequila-fuelled nights, pool tables, lively DJs and Lucha Libre on the big screens. Madre will open one month later.
Trinity Kitchen 2.0
Image: Supplied
Trinity Leeds is embarking on a major transformation with a £15 million expansion, introducing a second food court called ‘Freight Island’ The upgrade will add around 72,000 sq ft of new space, including a stunning rooftop terrace overlooking City Square the perfect spot to enjoy great food with skyline views.
Burgerism
Meanwood
Image: The Manc Eats
You may remember when Burgerism had a delivery kitchen in Leeds, and ever since it closed we’ve had a Burgerism-shaped hole in our hearts. Well not any longer, because the Manchester-based burger chain has been given the go ahead to open a takeaway on Meanwood Road - hallelujah.
Dishoom
Taking over the old Flannels Site on Vicar Lane
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The legendary Indian restaurant group is coming to Leeds, and we’re absolutely buzzing about it. Dishoom is inspired by the Irani cafes of 1960s Bombay, which were meeting places for people from all walks of life.
Famed for their Indian twist on a classic breakfast (seriously, their breakfast naans are out of this world), Dishoom offers an all-day dining approach so you can get your Bombay fix from morning to noon and noon to night.
Planning permission is up for the restaurant to take over the former Flannels site on Vicar Lane, so fingers crossed it won’t be too long until we can all get stuck in.
Just when you thought the wine scene in Headingley couldn’t get any better, Once Upon A Vine is popping the cork on their third site - right in the heart of Headingley.
Expect hundreds of wines, plenty of bottles of fizz, and of course, a carefully curated local beer selection.
Uniqlo
Briggate
Image: Uniqlo
It’s happening…Uniqlo has confirmed it’s opening up right here in Leeds next year and we must say it’s looking very nice indeed. The Leeds store will be 1,100 square metres and will be located on Briggate in the old House of Fraser site. It’s part of a new expansion across the UK alongside new stores in Birmingham and Bristol.
A new Japanese grill and BBQ restaurant is opening up from Fern, the absolute mastermind behind Fern Modern Sushi. Opening up in the heart of the city on Vicar Lane, we can't wait for this one.
Dough Club
Burley Road
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Dough Club, a Manchester-based Detroit-style pizzeria, is planning to open up in Leeds.
Famed for their chewy, thick, cheesy crusts that are loaded with all the toppings imaginable, they’ll be opening up a spot on Burley Road for all your pizza needs.
MADE Matcha
Lower Briggate
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Introducing MADE Matcha, a matcha and açaí bar that has created waves in the foodie scene over in Sheffield since opening back in September last year. And it's pretty clear they're doing very well indeed, to be opening a second site in another city less than six months after launching is no mean feat.
Made Matcha will be opening on Lower Briggate in the Nice Things site and this pastel green paradise specialise in seasonal matchas that (almost) look too pretty to drink.
Lane 7
Albion Street
Image: The Hoot leeds
The independent bowling brand is set to open at Trinity Leeds in late spring, spanning a whopping 23,000 sq ft.
As well as 12 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, Lane7 will be home to other games including darts, pool tables, beer pong, golf simulators, and even an interactive 'Playground'.
Sophie Smith -
25th August 2022 
