FCC trustee among top female entrepreneurs to win government backing

Future Care Capital Trustee Lise Pape is among 40 of the UK’s leading women innovators to receive government backing for their business ideas.

On International Women’s Day Science Minister Amanda Solloway announced that the 40 top business women will be awarded a cash injection of £50,000 each.

They will also receive bespoke mentoring to scale up and bring their business ideas to market. 

Ms Solloway said: “As we build back better from COVID, it is 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 40 of our most trailblazing female entrepreneurs, helping them to turn their innovative ideas and aspirations into a reality, creating the products and services that will help improve our lives and boost our economy”.

Among the entrepreneurs to receive support is Lise Pape, FCC trustee and founder and CEO of Walk With Path – an organisation that designs and manufactures assistive technology for people with mobility problems. 

Improving mobility for older people

Lise is being backed to develop a first of its kind medical device – Path Feel – a smart insole which aims to improve mobility for older people suffering from chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s. 

The insole responds directly to pressure applied and vibrates to help the user feel the floor and balance, removing the reliance on canes and frames

Lise came up with the idea for her company after seeing her father struggle to walk due to his Parkinson’s.

“I set out on a mission to create simple solutions to have a positive impact…That was the beginning of Path Finder LasterShoes for people with Parkinson’s and why I founded Walk With Path.”

The funding is part of the government’s flagship Women in Innovation Awards, delivered by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Boosting the economy

The initiative aims to boost the number of UK female entrepreneurs, which could deliver £180 billion to the economy. 

Emily Nott, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Innovate UK said supporting female entrepreneurs was an ongoing priority.

“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.” 

The awards scheme is a key part of the government’s 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 funding.