Women TechEU is one of Europe’s flagship programmes supporting women-led deep tech start-ups with funding, mentoring and community-building. A powerful sense of community and celebration filled the Residence Palace in Brussels on 4 March 2026, as founders, investors and policymakers gathered for the Women TechEU Final Event. The spotlight was firmly on the women entrepreneurs shaping Europe’s next wave of deep tech innovation, and for AwakenHub, being part of this journey as a core consortium partner was a moment of immense pride.

We are especially proud of the Women TechEU founders from across Ireland and Northern Ireland whose deep tech innovations are gaining European recognition.

Over the past two years, AwakenHub led the Programme of Services and Community Development for Women TechEU, ensuring that every founder received not only expert business support but also the connections, confidence and community they needed to thrive.

Empowering Women Deep Tech Founders Beyond Funding

Women TechEU, funded by the European Innovation Ecosystems under Horizon Europe, supported 160 women-led start-ups across Europe through non-dilutive funding, mentoring and tailored business development.

At AwakenHub, our focus was on the human side of scaling innovation: creating a trusted space where women founders could collaborate, learn and grow together. From interactive masterclasses on investor readiness and branding, to one-to-one mentoring and peer exchange sessions, the aim was to help founders strengthen both their ventures and their leadership networks.

As AwakenHub Co-founder Mary McKenna MBE reflected:

“What struck me most was the incredible resilience of the women who made it through such a highly competitive Women TechEU process. They weren’t just strong applications on paper; they were founders who refused to give up.”

Celebrating Innovation and Impact

Since 2024, Women TechEU start-ups have raised over €53.8 million in private investment, filed 230 patents and generated a six-times return on investment, clearly demonstrating the impact of targeted support for women founders in deep tech. Those achievements represent more than success; they show what happens when talented founders are supported by a strong, inclusive ecosystem.

During the Brussels event, it was inspiring to see many of the women founders AwakenHub had worked with take the stage and share how their journeys had evolved, from early ideas to internationally competitive deep tech ventures

Building a Pan-European Community of Women Deep Tech Founders

As the programme’s final event marked the end of this edition, it also signalled a new beginning for the Women TechEU community. AwakenHub’s ongoing mission is to continue connecting, amplifying and supporting women founders across Europe and beyond, ensuring that the networks built through initiatives like Women TechEU continue to flourish.

For AwakenHub, participating in Women TechEU has been more than a project; it has been a shared journey with 160 visionary women founders committed to shaping Europe’s deep tech future, and we are just getting started.

A European Consortium Backing Women-Led Deep Tech

Women TechEU was delivered by a multidisciplinary European consortium bringing together organisations with expertise in innovation, investment and entrepreneurship support. The partners included EIT Manufacturing, Sploro, AwakenHub, AcrossLimits, the European Business Angels Network (EBAN), Finance Innovation, AFAEMME, EIT Food, EIT Health and EIT Climate-KIC, combining their strengths to design and deliver a programme built on rigour, fairness and transparency.

Celebrating Irish and Northern Irish Women TechEU Winners

As an all-island community, AwakenHub was especially proud to see several founders from Ireland and Northern Ireland among the Women TechEU winners. Their companies span sportstech, biotech, medtech and digital innovation, and reflect the depth of talent emerging from this region.

Women TechEU awardees from the island of Ireland include:

- Naomi McGregor, Movetru Ltd (Northern Ireland) – transforming movement analysis and sports injury prevention through advanced wearable technology.

- Bridgeen Callan, KLAS Therapeutics Ltd (Northern Ireland) – developing innovative therapies to treat aggressive cancers such as malignant melanoma.

- Róisín Hyde, NoMAD (Northern Ireland) – using robotics and 3D printing to create sustainable modular concrete components and help decarbonise construction.

- Loretto Callaghan, Vzarii Therapeutics Ltd (Ireland) – leading a team translating cutting-edge research into new treatments in ocular and other diseases.

- Miriam Savage, Elevre Medical Limited (Ireland) – delivering novel wearable therapy to support people living with chronic breathlessness.

- Cristina Purtill, Plio Surgical Limited (Ireland) – advancing surgical innovation with next-generation anastomosis implants and digital health tools.

- Ellen Gunning, PR Training Academy (Ireland) – scaling digital-first communications and PR education for learners around the world.

These founders embody the resilience, ambition and creativity that Women TechEU set out to champion, and AwakenHub is honoured to support their journeys as part of a growing all-island and European deep tech community.

Explore the Women TechEU Data Hub

If you’d like to learn more about the women deep tech founders changing the world, we encourage you to explore the Women TechEU Data Hub. There you can meet the companies and women leaders behind breakthrough innovations in areas such as advanced computing and quantum, advanced manufacturing and materials, aerospace and remote sensing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, biotechnology and life sciences, communications and 5G/6G, cybersecurity, electronics and photonics, IoT and robotics, semiconductors, sustainable energy and climate-tech, virtual and augmented reality, Web 3.0, and much more. You can dive into the profiles of Women TechEU participants here.

Policy Recommendations for Inclusive Deep Tech

Beyond direct support to founders, Women TechEU is also shaping the policy conversation around women in deep tech. The consortium is publishing a series of policy papers aimed at local, regional, national and European decision-makers, highlighting what is working for women founders today and proposing concrete policy options for a more inclusive and competitive innovation ecosystem. You can explore the Women TechEU policy papers here.

Watch the Final Event

You can also revisit the energy of the Brussels gathering by watching the recording of the Women TechEU Final Event, exploring the presentation slides, and browsing the photo gallery from the day. All of these resources are available on the official event page.

Women TechEU: How AwakenHub Supports Women Deep Tech Founders in Europe