Belfast entrepreneur wins UK Award for Innovation

An Ulster entrepreneur is among 40 of the UK’s leading female innovators being backed to scale up their innovations to help the UK recover from Covid-19 and tackle global challenges.
Becca Hume from BelfastBecca Hume from Belfast
Becca Hume from Belfast

Backed by government, Becca Hume from Belfast, will drive forward her novel innovation and business ideas to help the UK build back better from the pandemic and meet its climate change ambitions.

Announced by Science Minister Amanda Solloway to mark International Women’s Day, the Women in Innovation Award winners will receive a cash injection of £50,000 each to scale up and bring to market their disruptive business ideas, many of which have been born out in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Becca’s mission is to ensure the emergency services are more accessible and inclusive. Through an innovative app, she has developed TapSOS to support deaf people and those hard of hearing when calling 999.

UK Science Minister, Amanda Sollowa,y said: “As we build back better from Covid, it’s a priority of mine to continue equipping our brightest female innovators with the tools they need to succeed, while encouraging a new generation of women to come forward and pursue their ambitions.

“Today we are supporting Belfast’s own Becca Hume to develop her innovative app that will help ensure our vital emergency services are more accessible and inclusive than ever before, as the UK build back safer from the pandemic.”

Becca Hume praised the support and mentoring from ‘strong female cohort and coaches’. “I am absolutely delighted to be chosen for a Women in Innovation Award, and can’t wait to begin,” she said.

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“Working in an industry which is male dominated, I appreciate knowing I am supported and mentored by a strong female cohort and coaches.”

The new funding is part of the government’s flagship Women in Innovation Awards, delivered by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which seeks to boost the number of UK female entrepreneurs, which could deliver £180 billion to the economy. It forms a key part of the government’s ambitious R&D Roadmap, published in July 2020, which committed to supporting the UK’s innovators and risk-takers by backing entrepreneurs and start-ups with the funding needed to scale up their innovations.

Emily Nott, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Innovate UK, said: “With 2020 proving to be an incredibly difficult year for everyone, and particularly women, continuing to support female entrepreneurs in 2021 has been a real priority for Innovate UK.

“We have had an enormous response and we can see some positives from the pandemic, with some of our shortlist inspired to start up a business in response to some of the challenges it has brought.

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“Working alongside the winners, Innovate UK will help them grow further.

“We can’t wait to see what else these inspiring women achieve and how they can be an example to inspire the next generation and to encourage more women-led businesses in this country as we rebuild and recover.”

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