Why Women in Innovation still matters for UK biotech

^{Celebrating trailblazing biotech founders}

The Women in Innovation programme exists because talent has never been the problem – access has.

Since launching in 2016, the programme has seen over £15 million in grants awarded, more than 260 winners supported and a 100% plus increase in women applying for Innovate UK funding, with the proportion of successful women-led applications across all Innovate UK competitions rising from one in seven to one in three.

We know that access to funding is the biggest barrier to success. A lack of visible role models and access to the right networks are also obstacles.

Some have argued that Women in Innovation doesn’t go far enough, whilst others question the rationale for a (relatively small) dedicated fund for women. But there is no doubt that the programme has benefitted the founders it has supported and provided a great platform and network for innovators.

The 2025/26 Awards saw women founders or co-founders of late-stage start-ups applying for grants of up to £75,000 and bespoke business support to further their ambitious growth plans.

BIA’s latest Women in biotech leadership report found the dial on female CEO representation has moved just 0.4% in 12 months, stalling at 18.7%, identifying that barriers in later-stage companies continue to be very significant. It is crucial that the pool of early-stage female entrepreneurs continues to grow.

This year’s innovators show exactly what is at stake. Congratulations to the following BIA member founders!

Nomaly/OutSee: Chang Lu

Nomaly uses functional genomics to reveal disease-driving biology and identify new treatment opportunities for rare and complex diseases.

Chang Lu is Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of BIA member OutSee.

After years studying genetic variation and biological function, she founded Nomaly to address one of drug discovery’s biggest challenges: identifying targets that change patient outcomes.

As a woman leading deep technology in drug discovery, she is determined to show that technical founders can build companies tackling the field’s hardest problems.

Valaya Bio: Kiren Baines-Mortimore

BIA member Valaya Bio, founded by Extracellular co-founder Kiren Baines-Mortimore, tackles neurodegeneration at its root, using precision Ribonucleic Acid Interference (RNAi) to switch off the master regulators that drive diseases like Parkinson’s.

Its lead indication is Parkinson’s, with a pipeline spanning further CNS and ophthalmic diseases.

Co-founded through Deep Science Ventures and Parkinson’s UK, Valaya is advancing toward first-in-class precision medicines and scaling its platform across multiple high-need, high-value indications.

Demeter Bio: Adelya Khayrova

Dr Adelya Khayrova founded Demeter Bio after more than eight years of research in biopolymers. The company develops bio-based, PFAS-free coatings that help textile manufacturers replace forever chemicals.

As a scientist and entrepreneur, Adelya is committed to translating research into commercially viable solutions that tackle one of the industry’s most pressing environmental challenges – replacing PFAS.

HERlab: Deimena Drasutyte

HERlab, founded by Deimena Drasutyte, helps animal-pharma manufacture advanced therapeutics affordably, so treatments once too expensive to produce can finally reach the market.

A mathematician who built and sold her first company, Deimena Drasutyte entered biotech as an outsider, questioning the status quo and seeing a real opportunity in AI x microbial diversity.

What this programme proves

Women in Innovation should be celebrated because it does two things at once: backing individual founders and changing what the innovation system can see.

Chang Lu, Kiren Baines-Mortimore, Adelya Khayrova and Deimena Drasutyte are evidence of abundance, of the commercially ambitious, technically sophisticated, mission-led innovation already happening across the UK.

Getting to a place where a women-specific initiatives are no longer necessary requires more than good intentions. It requires visible role models, fairer access to finance, stronger networks and consistent sector commitment. Until then, Women in Innovation remains worth defending – not as an exception to the innovation system, but as a reminder of what the system becomes when it opens up.

Driving change across the BIA community

Building an equitable ecosystem requires year-round action. Discover how BIA supports women across life sciences:

• Women in Biotech (WIB): Connect with our national network empowering women leaders across the sector.
• She Steers Mentorship Programme: Explore our peer-mentoring initiative designed for executive and non-executive career growth.
• Women in biotech leadership: one year on: The 2026 update providing a critical reality check on the UK biotech sector.
• Diversity and Inclusion in UK Biotech: The first of its kind sector report on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across innovative life sciences and biotech in the UK.
• Invest in Equity: Expanding opportunities for women working in life science investment, supported by BIA.