A fast-growing movement created to raise the visibility of female-founded businesses across Britain is launching in Newcastle this month (September 2026), bringing together founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the North East.
Female Founder UK – the trademarked brand for female founders in the UK – was launched in Teesside and is rapidly expanding nationwide. Following its successful inaugural event held in London on Friday 11 September, the first Newcastle event will be held at NatWest Accelerator Newcastle, Saint James’ Boulevard, Floor 4, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5BZ, on Friday 18 September from 9.30am to 11.30am, marking the next stage in its mission to create a recognised identity for Britain’s female founders.
Led by founder and CEO Max Freer and supported by communications partner SASS media and social media partner Social Allies, Female Founder UK is positioning itself as more than a networking organisation.
Instead, it is building a national brand and movement designed to raise the profile of women who are creating businesses, generating employment, driving innovation and contributing significantly to the UK economy.
The Newcastle launch comes as growing questions are being asked about whether Britain’s female founder economy is becoming too London-centric and whether opportunities available to entrepreneurs can still depend too heavily on geography.
Max Freer said: “Forget North versus South. Britain’s female founders need one shared identity.
“It shouldn’t matter whether a woman builds her business in Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Manchester or London. Her ambition deserves the same visibility, recognition and opportunity.
“Britain doesn’t have a shortage of female founders. It has a visibility problem.
“We don’t want Newcastle founders to have to become London founders to become visible. Female Founder UK was created to ensure talented women can build successful businesses wherever they are based and still have access to recognition, opportunities and influential networks.”
Female Founder UK believes one of the biggest challenges facing women in business is visibility.
While thousands of women are building successful companies across Britain, many remain unseen outside their immediate networks, limiting opportunities for growth, partnerships, investment and influence.
The organisation argues that the next generation of female founders is not being built solely in London. Regions such as the North East are home to ambitious women launching and scaling businesses, yet access to capital, networks, visibility and influential rooms can still feel geographically concentrated.
Recent evidence suggests these concerns are already being felt across the North East.
A recent FFUK roundtable involving North East female business leaders highlighted a fragmented support ecosystem, gender imbalance in funding and a lack of awareness around the investment landscape, reinforcing calls for stronger support and visibility for women-led businesses across the region.
Max added: “For decades, women have built remarkable businesses across Britain, yet there has never been a single, recognisable brand that represents them collectively.
“There are networks. There are memberships. There are business support organisations. But there has never been a national identity created specifically for female founders.
“We’re building something much bigger. We’re creating a movement that celebrates women building businesses, creates opportunities for collaboration and ensures female founders are recognised as a major force in the British economy.
“Opportunity should not depend on your postcode. We want women in Newcastle and across the North to have a bigger seat at the table when it comes to entrepreneurship, investment and business growth.
“Britain needs to get better at recognising and commercially backing the businesses women are already building. Founder visibility is commercial currency.”
The Newcastle event follows a series of successful Female Founder UK events across Teesside and in London that have brought together women from a wide range of industries, creating open discussions around entrepreneurship, leadership, confidence, growth, funding, work-life balance and visibility.
At recent founder events, participants heard from SASS media directors Sarah Dale and Sarah Walker on the importance of storytelling, authentic communication and raising personal and business profiles, alongside powerful discussions about the realities of building and growing a business.
SASS director Sarah Dale said: “One of the recurring themes we see when working with entrepreneurs is that many women are doing incredible things but are often reluctant to put themselves forward and share their stories.
“Visibility matters. People buy from people, invest in people and collaborate with people they know and trust.
“Female Founder UK is creating a platform where women can be seen, heard and recognised for the impact they are making.
“The North East is home to incredible female entrepreneurial talent. By bringing founders together and amplifying their voices, we can help ensure that opportunity is not limited by location.”
The move into Newcastle represents another important milestone for the organisation as it expands its reach while maintaining its commitment to creating an inclusive community for women at every stage of business.
“Female Founder UK was never created to become another networking club,” added Max.
“We are building Britain’s identity brand for female founders. A brand that represents ambition without apology. Success without compromise. Recognition without exclusivity.
“Whether you’re launching your first business, growing a scale-up or leading an established company, Female Founder UK is about making sure female founders are visible, valued and recognised.”
The first Female Founder UK Newcastle event will take place at NatWest Accelerator Newcastle, Saint James’ Boulevard, Floor 4, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5BZ, on Friday 18 September from 9.30am to 11.30am, bringing together founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders for a morning of connection, conversation and collaboration.
For more information about Female Founder UK, visit www.femalefounderuk.co.uk
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