Five East Midlands founders are taking the stage at HER Pitch 2026
Leicester, UK – Five female founders have been selected to pitch their businesses at HER Pitch 2026, a new pitching competition hosted by TechEM and Leicester Startups.
HER Pitch is designed to give female founders and female-founded businesses an opportunity to put their businesses in front of investors, business leaders and the wider regional startup and technology community, while providing practical support beyond the event itself.
Following applications from businesses across the East Midlands, five founders have been selected to compete at HER Pitch on 19 November at Canopy, Leicester.
The five finalists are Elizabeth Sergeant, CEO of FLAIR FOX Ltd; Akanksha Valiveti, Founder and CEO of Lumi; Borislava Ivanova, Founder and CEO of SignLink BSL; Charlotte Brown, Founder and CEO of Bloombuddy; and Sana Fatima Sayyed, Founder of Techare Ltd.
The finalists represent a range of businesses spanning leadership technology, digital health, British Sign Language learning, personalised healthcare and smart-device solutions.
Each finalist will have five minutes to pitch, followed by questions from the judging panel and audience. The finalists will also receive business support packages covering areas such as marketing, accountancy and strategic advice.
While the main competition is now set, Open Mic slots remain available for founders who want to share their business with the room without entering the competition.
Each founder will have two minutes to pitch, with no judging or Q&A.
The event is free to attend and is open to founders, investors, business owners and anyone interested in the region’s startup and technology community.
Event details: 19 November 2026 | 6pm - 9pm | Canopy, 41 King Street, Leicester.
Register to attend:
