New UK-wide initiative ‘Breakthrough Founders’ launched to support entrepreneurs from overlooked groups

A new, outcomes-focused initiative will support 150 startups led by entrepreneurs from traditionally overlooked groups across the UK to raise investment and scale. Launched by a consortium of award-winning organisations, the programme replaces fragmented efforts with a joined-up national solution designed to deliver real funding outcomes.

Funded by Innovate UK, Breakthrough Founders offers a 12-month, fully funded pathway to investment designed specifically for overlooked and underrepresented founders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Breakthrough Founders officially opens for applications on 16 September 2025.

The initiative, which has an objective to advance the fundraising of 150 founders, and secure funding for at least 45 startups over the next eighteen months, targets founders who identify as women, an ethnic minority, neuro-diverse, disabled, LGBTQIA+, primary caregivers and those from low-income or non-traditional backgrounds including both 18-30 and 55+ age brackets.

The programme’s mission is simple: to support underrepresented entrepreneurs by giving them the tools, network and strategy to build, scale and close investment.

Breakthrough Founders has been created by four organisations that specialise in providing entrepreneurial and funding support. It is led by The200BnClub and delivered with the expertise of Catalyst, Focused for Business and Mint Ventures.

Founders will be assessed using a uniquely designed inclusive application process and placed into the most suitable support journey including ideation and incubation tracks, accelerator programmes for PreSeed to Series A start-ups. Each journey is delivered in rolling cohorts throughout the year, lasting between two and six months.

Bridget Greenwood, from The200BnClub, Lead Partner said:

“This programme is about tackling the barriers in the system — it’s more than just helping founders to navigate them. We’ve built intentional assessment tools, created tailored investment journeys, and designed a programme to grow a national pipeline of diverse angel investors while engaging aligned VCs — all of which reflects what actually gets results. Our goal is real impact, with at least 45 founders successfully funded.”

Patrick McIlveen, Head of Entrepreneurship and Scaling at Catalyst said:

“Fostering inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship is at the heart of everything we do at Catalyst, and so we are proud to join our partners in launching Breakthrough Founders.

“This programme is designed to capture those business founders who can be missed due to their background or circumstances. It will create new sustainable investment pathways and grow the opportunities needed to sustain a diverse pipeline of founders and funders in the UK.”

Hatty Fawcett, Founder of Focused for Business said:

“Raising early-stage investment is tough for any founder, but the statistics show it’s even harder for those from underrepresented groups. This funding is an important step towards levelling the playing field and building real momentum for change.

“It will support places on Focused For Business’ Funding Accelerator and extend our pilots with Mint Ventures to bring more diverse angels into early-stage investing – because when investors are more diverse, the founders who secure funding are too.Together, these initiatives can truly move the needle on access to investment for underrepresented founders – and that’s worth celebrating.”

Gillian Fleming, Managing Director from Mint Ventures said:

“This multi-entry level programme supports diverse founders to easily access the resources they need to grow their companies. Mint Ventures will support access to funding and investment through different educational pathways and flip the script to connect underfunded founders to the right investors.”

Breakthrough Founders is an operator-led, investor-focused programme and part of a growing national effort to ensure the UK’s innovation economy reflects the full breadth of its entrepreneurial talent. With participation from founders, funders and ecosystem partners across all UK regions, Breakthrough Founders will serve as a blueprint for future national inclusive investment strategies.

To find out more and to apply: www.breakthroughfounders.co.uk/

For more information please contact:

Jamie Stinson
jamie.stinson@wearecatalyst.org

Author
Recent Posts

Hatty Fawcett

CEO & Founder at Focused For Business

Hatty is the founder of Focused For Business, and has a wealth of experience in growing startups and securing early-stage equity investment for startups. Hatty had a 15-year career in marketing before completing an MBA at Imperial College and working in a succession of startups. She raised over £250,000 for her own startup and also managing some of the investments former Dragon’s Den star Kelly Hoppen made when she appeared on the TV show. Hatty’s dual perspective, both as a founder who has secured investment and as a coach and advisor to startups raising investment, gives her a unique perspective which she uses to demystify the investment process and empower entrepreneurs. Her dedication to levelling the playing field in equity investment caused her to create the Funding Accelerator programme and has earned her the title of Adviser of the Year twice in 2022 and 2024 from Enterprise Nation. She was also a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2023.

Latest Blog & News

Customer profiling that drives customer acquisition

“Who exactly is your target customer?” It’s a question investors ask founders again and again. Not in a vague demographic sense, but in a

Startup support: What founders say matters most

There is no shortage of startup advice. Books, podcasts, accelerators, incubators, workshops, communities and mentors all promise to help founders succeed. But if you

Running Lean as a Founder: Why Time Management Is the Wrong Problem

Most founders don’t feel short on ideas.They feel short on energy. They’re busy all the time, but the business still feels fragile.Customer delivery is

Focused For Business ranked #13 in Europe for mentoring quality by the Financial Times

Focused For Business has been ranked #13 in Europe for mentoring quality in the Financial Times’ Leading Startup Hubs 2026 report. The ranking is

Grants vs Equity Funding: What Assessors and Investors Really Look For

For early-stage startups, it can be a toss-up whether to go for grant funding or to start reaching out to investors about equity funding.

Creating calm to bolster founder creativity: practical tools that work with Olivia Greenberg

There’s always more to do as a founder – whether it’s get more customers, launch new product, raise funds for growth – the list

AI startup funding, here to stay or about to go bust?

If you’re a founder, it’s hard to ignore the noise. AI is everywhere. Every other pitch deck has “AI-powered” on slide one. VCs talk

Bridge funding for startups: when, why, and how to run it well

Bridge funding is designed to buy time, not to fix fundamentals. Used well, it gives you enough runway to reach a clear value milestone

2025 roll-call, the founder funding articles you cannot afford to miss

This round-up collects the most useful guidance we published in 2025, grouped by four pillars. The aim is simple, to help you raise well

Preparing to Exit Your Startup: Essential Legal Advice for Startup Founders and Entrepreneurs

Exiting your business is a big moment. It usually marks the end of a long journey, building your startup from the early days to

Overcome The Impossible: How To Secure Investment For Your Startup

If you’re struggling to secure investment for your startup, you’re not alone. Many founders find the process overwhelming, especially when you are raising investment

This Is Why A Business Exit Strategy Actually Attracts Investors

Have you ever wondered why investors are so focused on exits? You’re pitching your vision, your passion, your drive, and they’re asking, “How do

How To Build Investor Relationships Before You Need Equity Investment

Build Investor Relationships Before Your Startup Needs Funding When it comes to securing investment for your business, timing is everything. But here’s the kicker,

How To Make A Pitch Deck That Attracts Investors

Let’s talk about your pitch deck. Every founder knows they need one if they want to raise equity investment. Most founders have probably created

Part 1 – Financial Forecasting For Startups: How Much Money Do I Need?

Financial Forecasting Part 1: How Much Funding Does Your Startup Need? One of the first questions you need to answer if you are raising

How To Value A Small Business To Get Investors Excited

Raising investment can be challenging. The preparation, pitching, and negotiation is a time-consuming process, and can distract founders from their primary goal: Growing their

Resilience training: 6 Proven Hacks to Boost Resilience When Fundraising

Jennifer Clamp, founder of Aata, and one of our trusted mentors on our Funding Accelerator programme, recently led a resilience training workshop on how

Exciting Funding Boost: Dorset LEP & Focused For Business Team Up

Dorset LEP & Focused for Business: Startup Funding Boost If you’re a startup or small business in Dorset looking to raise investment, help is

8 Practical And Eye-opening Tips For Actually Finding Investors

8 Practical Tips to Help Startups Find Investors Last month we tried something new in Funding Masterminds: an Idea Swap workshop, where our founders

Why Your Executive Summary Is So Important for Startups

How to Write a Startup Executive Summary That Wins Investors The Moment Founders Get Wrong You’ve spent weeks polishing your pitch deck. You send

Looking For Funding? Here’s Your Step-By-Step Guide to Finding Startup Investors

Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Investors for Your Startup Starting a business is exhilarating, but securing the startup funding to fuel your dreams can be

3 Essential Things to Include in Your Startup Financial Forecast

3 Essential Things to Include in Your Startup Financial Forecast Much like brewing a delicious cup of coffee, a compelling financial forecast for investors

3 Unit Metrics You Need To Build A Compelling Growth Story

3 Unit Metrics That Will Attract Investors to Your Startup Did the conversation with potential investors fizzle out at the financial stage? It’s not

Traction makes it quicker to raise funding for a startup

So you want to raise funding for a startup? To succeed, you’ll need to speak the language of investors. Investors will ask “how much

Early-stage funding: what founders don’t expect until it’s too late

Most founders start with the same question. How do I raise money? It sounds sensible. But it is often the wrong place to begin.

Funding Accelerator FAQs

Author Recent Posts Hatty Fawcett CEO & Founder at Focused For Business Hatty is the founder of Focused For Business, and has a wealth