Women Who Scale Takes Female Founders Pitch Competition to Manchester

2026-11-25 · Manchester

Freight Island

Freight Island, Manchester

Held at Freight Island in Manchester, this pitch competition brings together North West women-led startups to present before an audience of 300 and compete for winner and runner-up honours.

Women Who Scale presents a live pitch competition at SCALE Manchester for female and non-binary founders headquartered in the North West of England. Shortlisted founders will present to investors and a live audience of 300 attendees. The event features a funding masterclass and a panel discussion on overcoming barriers to funding.

Founder brief

Who should attend

Female and non-binary founders of women-led businesses headquartered across the North West of England will find the session most relevant. It caters particularly to entrepreneurs currently raising investment or seeking practical guidance on scaling within the regional ecosystem. Standard tickets cost 35 GBP.

What happens

Programming kicks off with a funding masterclass tailored for founders raising capital, followed by a main-stage panel discussion addressing structural, psychological, and financial hurdles. Shortlisted founders then take the stage for a live pitch competition, culminating in the selection of a winner and runner-up.

Who's in the room

Around 300 attendees gather alongside hosts Amy Knight of Women Who Scale and Sam North of SCALE. The judging bench features angel investor Andy Gray and Xavier Ballester of Angel Investment Network, with Peripear founder Nina Van Schaick contributing to the speaking lineup.

How to prepare

Shortlisted participants should refine a concise, high-impact deck focused on clear business fundamentals, market traction, and funding requirements. Audience members should review the featured angel networks beforehand and formulate specific questions addressing fundraising hurdles for the masterclass and panel sessions.

Organizer: SCALE

Register

At a glance

Tickets
35 GBP
Format
Live pitch competition with a winner and runner-up, plus a funding masterclass and panel discussion.
Who can apply
Female and non-binary founders of women-led businesses headquartered in the North West of England.
Attendance
About 300 attendees expected
Sectors
Agnostic
Ticket options
  • Standard Ticket — 35 GBP (Price increasing to 95 soon)

Agenda

  1. Funding Masterclass — For women-led businesses raising investment
  2. Stats and Solutions — Main-stage panel discussion around tackling psychological, structural and financial blockers

Speakers, judges and hosts

  • Amy Knight — Co-founder, Women Who Scale (Host)
  • Sam North — Co-founder and CEO, SCALE (Host)
  • Andy Gray — Angel Investor and Advisor (Judge)
  • Xavier Ballester — Director AIN Brokerage Division, Angel Investment Network (Judge)
  • Nina Van Schaick — Founder, Peripear (Speaker)

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