AccelerateHER and its sister organisation, the all-female angel syndicate Investing Women Angels, have announced the return of the Women to Women (W2W) programme following a successful pilot late last year.

Applications are being encouraged from female founders in Scotland with innovative early-stage companies who have started, or are about to start, their investment journey, as well as new women angel investors or those interested in learning more about being an investor.

First trialled in December 2024, this latest iteration of the programme will be led by experienced female founders who have previously raised multiple investment rounds, alongside investors from IWA and other angel syndicates.

This year’s cohort will hear from angel investors and previous participants of AccelerateHER programmes who will share their knowledge and real-life experiences to promote awareness of the equity investment process. 

This will include a strong focus on pitch deck preparation, due diligence, pitching, and investor communications, with further support provided by W2W partners Burness Paull and Johnston Carmichael, as well as other entrepreneurship ecosystem partners.

“By supporting female founders on their growth journey and increasing the number of women angels in the marketplace, this programme has the potential to drive tangible positive change,” said Paul Scullion, head of corporate finance at Burness Paull.

W2W came about as a direct response to the 2023 Pathways Report authored by the Scottish Government’s chief entrepreneur, Ana Stewart, and Mark Logan, who formerly held the same post.

The report highlighted the massive equity gap in Scotland, where start-ups founded by women receive only 2% of overall investment capital despite one in five businesses here being female-led.

With women currently accounting for less than 15% of Scotland’s current business angel investors, W2W follows a similar model developed by the Springboard Programme set up in Washington, DC. 

Recommended reading

• Female Representation in Tech Increases by 1% in Four Years
• BCS: Half A Million Women Missing From IT Sector
• Nearly a Quarter of Women in Tech Experience Sexism at Work

That programme contributed to what became known as the ‘echo effect’, delivering a near 40% increase in the number of women angel investors and a corresponding rise in the level of investment going into US female-led businesses. It’s hoped that W2W could have a similar impact in Scotland.

“I am delighted that we are able to launch the W2W programme for the second time, to further our work to turn the dial for female founders and investment,” said Elizabeth Pirrie, CEO of AccelerateHER and board member of Investing Women Angels. 

“By connecting experienced voices with emerging talent, we want to ensure that female-led businesses across Scotland can thrive.”

The W2W programme will commence from the 29th September 2025  through to the end of October, with ongoing follow-up support for all its participant companies. Those interested in taking part can learn more here.