The Fortuna Fellowship has revealed its first cohort of five female-led businesses in the West Midlands.
The 12-month accelerator programme offers these businesses a chance to pitch for a share of £2m in investment.
Businesses that have been chosen for the 2024 fellowship are Cubbi, an app designed to help new parents save money; Find Me A Solicitor, a free service connecting people to lawyers for personal or business needs; MyBliss, a brand focusing on sexual wellness for women; Visionary Farms, a sustainable indoor farming system for both businesses and consumers; and Homewrecker, the UK’s first pimento cheese brand.
The Fortuna Fellowship provides these companies with mentorship, guidance, and a chance to secure investment to accelerate their business expansion.
Created by The 51% Club in collaboration with venture capital firm Midven, part of Future Planet Capital, the Fellowship aims to address the challenge of securing investment for female-led businesses.
With just 1.8% of venture capital funding going to women entrepreneurs, the Fellowship seeks to increase access to capital in the West Midlands, where Midven manages the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO).
The WMCO, a £25m fund backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the West Midlands Pension Fund, provides equity investment to high-growth SMEs in the region, with matched private co-investment.
Rupert Lyle, fund principal for the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund at Midven said: “Our aim was to find founders with that spark of ‘onlyness’ – businesses with a unique edge. What’s equally vital is their willingness to absorb knowledge and adapt. The Fortuna Fellowship will take them on a structured journey, equipping them with the tools and expertise to not only attract investment but to scale and thrive.”
Melissa Snover, founder and CEO of Rem3dy Health, who sat on the judging panel said: “As someone who’s raised equity investment, I understand the realities of what it takes and the process. The women selected for the Fortuna Fellowship have exceptional potential to build meaningful, high-growth businesses, but potential alone is not enough. What they need is access to practical guidance, experienced mentors, and a supportive investor network. That’s precisely what the Fortuna Fellowship provides, and I’m proud to support a programme committed to equipping women with the tools they need to scale their businesses, based right here in the West Midlands.”
