Five women-led startups selected for Imperial pre-accelerator

Five women-led startups will compete for a share of a £30,000 prize fund in Imperial’s WE Innovate final on Monday 15 June 2026.

The finalists are building businesses to tackle challenges in areas including vaccine technology, epilepsy care and the destruction of “forever chemicals”.

The WE Innovate programme, run by Imperial Enterprise Lab, is a targeted pre-accelerator open to teams led by students, recent alumni and early career researchers who identify as women.

The programme supports 25 women-led teams through six months of masterclasses, business coaching, one-to-one expert support and peer mentoring.

The top five teams will compete to win a share of the £30,000 prize fund at the WE Innovate Grand Final Showcase at Imperial on Monday 15 June 2026 from 18:00 to 21:00.

Tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

This year’s final also marks the second year of WE Innovate National, a growing UK-wide programme that has expanded the WE Innovate model built at Imperial to other parts of the country.

Alongside Imperial, Queen’s University Belfast, Swansea University and Loughborough University are each hosting their own grand final showcases on their campuses.

The four showcases are collectively contributing to a shared national ecosystem focused on supporting women-led innovation.

WE Innovate National is set to expand to seven universities next year, supporting 175 women-led startup teams across the UK.

AlphaVectors Biotech is developing a lipid nanoparticle platform to enhance the stability of RNA vaccines at room temperatures.

Lipid nanoparticles are tiny fat-based particles used to deliver genetic medicines into the body. RNA vaccines use genetic instructions to help the immune system recognise a disease target.

Current RNA-based therapeutics rely on lipid nanoparticles that need storage at between -20°C and -80°C and high dosing. This increases distribution costs and leads to significant wastage, limiting scalability, deployment and accessibility in lower-resource markets.

AlphaVectors Biotech says its technology can lower the need for temperature-controlled supply chains, reduce costs and improve the scalability of RNA vaccines for wider deployment.

The startup is led by Dr Apanpreet Kaur, an Imperial alumnus with a PhD in chemical engineering.

Epile-X, by NeuraVance Labs, is working on a platform that could provide continuous, real-world brain monitoring for people with epilepsy.

More than 630,000 people in the UK live with epilepsy, according to the charity Epilepsy Action.

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that can cause recurring seizures. EEG, or electroencephalography, is a test that records electrical activity in the brain.

Current diagnosis relies on EEG recordings in clinical settings and patient-reported diaries, which may miss seizures that happen during daily life.

The startup says its technology combines a wearable EEG with AI-driven analysis to capture daily brain activity and support improved diagnosis and more personalised treatment decisions.

Epile-X is led by Ester D’Alterio, an innovation, entrepreneurship and management MSc graduate from Imperial.

FluoroCycle is developing technology for low-energy chemical destruction of PFAS, breaking down “forever chemicals” at 10 times lower temperatures than current incineration methods.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals found in air, water and soil. Some studies have linked exposure to them to health risks including thyroid disease, reproductive illness and cancer.

The startup aims to make PFAS destruction more affordable by providing its technology as an onsite engineered unit, allowing customers to save on energy and transport costs while cutting their carbon footprint.

FluoroCycle is led by Amanda Fogh, a research associate in Imperial’s department of chemistry.

Waypoint is building a video game controller for visually impaired players to hear and feel popular games, including Super Mario and Minecraft.

At least 2.2 billion people globally have some form of vision impairment, according to the World Health Organisation, while estimates show around 43 million people have complete blindness.

Waypoint says only 0.001 per cent of video games are fully playable for blind gamers.

The startup’s technology uses computer vision and AI to read the game screen and translate key information into sound, vibration and touch for a fully immersive experience.

The founders say it is the first game controller designed to make video games fully playable for blind players.

Waypoint is led by Bana Quronfuleh, an innovation design engineering MSc student at Imperial.

Snitch is developing an accountability-based app that allows friends to cut down their screen time together.

UK adults spend an average of 4.5 hours a day online on personal smartphones, tablets and computers, according to Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report.

Young adults spend more than six hours online on average. Some research suggests excessive screen use may have a negative impact on mental and physical health.

The app allows users to join accountability groups and set shared limits across their most used apps.

When one person scrolls, the group’s combined timer counts down. The founders say this helps build awareness, encourage reflection and create small behavioural shifts by making screen use a shared responsibility.

Snitch is led by Asha Bakhai, a design engineering MEng graduate from Imperial.