From bedtime routines to breakthrough tech, five women from Northern Ireland are among the UK’s top ten innovators competing for £30,000 in London

Five inspiring women-led businesses from Northern Ireland are making waves on the UK stage as finalists in the prestigious WE Innovate competition, with the final taking place tomorrow (Thursday) in London.

The competition, delivered by Imperial College London and Queen’s University Belfast, offers a coveted £30,000 prize fund to the winning innovators.

Each of the 10 finalists is combining personal experience with professional expertise to tackle real-world challenges, showcasing Northern Ireland’s dynamic and diverse entrepreneurial spirit.

One standout finalist is RoutineRoo based in Antrim and founded by Pauline Timoney, who is turning bedtime battles into empowering routines for children. A tech leader and mother of three, Pauline developed the idea after struggling to settle her toddler at bedtime. By using visual storyboards to guide her daughter through daily routines, she saw an immediate positive change. Teaming up with former colleague Kristina, Pauline built RoutineRoo — an AI-powered tool that blends behavioural science with personalised avatars to make daily routines fun, structured, and stress-free for families.

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Also representing Northern Ireland on the UK-wide stage is Iaso Solutions by Ciara Reynolds in Belfast. By merging music, innovation, and emerging psychedelic therapies, Iaso is revolutionising mental health recovery with a cutting-edge digital healthtech platform.

Meanwhile INNOVAscope founded by Rachel Small and developed by nursing experts at Queen’s, this pioneering endoscopy training simulator aims to improve patient safety and reduce NHS training costs.

From Londonderry, Mary Blake’s SeeMe is helping users create secure, story-rich personal histories by transforming family scrapbooks into AI-driven digital archives.

Based in Antrim, Dainty Grace founded by Sarah Greer is a body-positive lingerie brand offering well-fitting bras for small-chested women, filling a much-needed gap in the market for hard-to-find sizes.

With their innovative approaches and powerful personal stories, these women entrepreneurs are not only shining a spotlight on Northern Ireland’s talent but also driving meaningful change across a range of sectors.

The winners will be announced at tomorrow’s final in London — a momentous occasion celebrating innovation, resilience, and women-led entrepreneurship.