By james art The competition, organized by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, is back for a second year, with partners NatWest and British Business Bank also supporting the initiative.
The four-strong list consists of Wolverhampton-based Eureka Inventions Limited, which aims to make surgery and childbirth safer, starting with an AI-enabled device to prevent the most common cause of avoidable harm .
It also includes Dudley-based Iron & Velvet, which makes sustainable plastic-free cleaning products, aims to reduce single-use plastic from its customers’ everyday lives, and Birmingham-based Econominds, which uses AI and gamification to create personalized and streamlined editing resources.
The latest business is Stourbridge-based MIXD Reality. which aim to revolutionize children’s storytelling by blending the magic of augmented reality (AR) with inclusive and interactive experiences.
The shortlist panel included Deb Leary OBE, director of business expansion at Innovate UK Business Growth, entrepreneur and past president of the GBCC, business leader Nigel Hall, NED and founder mentor Entrepreneurs in Technology and Innovation Start-ups and Scale-ups and Sharonjit Clare, Chair of the WMCA Race Equalities Taskforce.
Deb said: “Shortlisting was a tough gig. There were a large number of high-quality candidates in the competition. It’s a testament to the caliber of women-led businesses in the region that there was plenty of healthy debate amongst the panel.
“As an entrepreneur myself, I know how challenging it can be to access the right advice, peer support and investment at the right times to support the growth of your business. For those not shortlisted, I would encourage them to attend the competition event to network and learn from the judges, entrepreneurs and investors in the room as you take your business to the next level. I hope to see you there and apply again next year.”
Henrietta Braley, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, said: “We know there is a big gender gap when it comes to angel and venture investment. With the Women Entrepreneurs Competition we, together with our partners NatWest and British Business Bank, aim to help change this.
“All of our picks were identified for their high growth potential and taken from sectors as diverse as education technology, healthcare technology to plastic-free cleaning solutions.
“We can’t wait to see the submissions and announce the winners on November 13. If you or your organization can support the brilliant businesses in this region, please register your interest through the Chamber’s website.”