The 2017 AccelerateHER Awards, open to entrepreneurial women-led businesses based in Scotland, provides a fantastic opportunity for growth aspiring businesswomen to showcase their companies before an audience, which includes angel investors, commercial advisers and fellow entrepreneurs. The competition gives participants an ideal platform for attracting business angel investment with at least two finalists securing a trip to California next April.
Based on the unprecedented success of the inaugural AccelerateHER Awards, staged earlier in 2016, this is the second year the Scottish-based business angel group Investing Women have run the initiative.
The Award’s winners also benefit through access to US and wider international market opportunities and will be directly connected with potential financiers from across the globe who are gathering at a summit of investors in San Francisco. The winners will also work with Susan Preston, a global business figure who was a keynote speaker at Investing Women’s 2016 Ambition & Growth Conference, and Gwen Edwards a key player in Silicon Valley.
Entrants will initially be asked to submit a video pitch via the Investing Women’s website outlining their business, its ambitions, growth plans and investor potential. All those who register will access free professional pitch advice and webinar training, with the finalists also accessing 1:1 coaching to harness their creativity and improve their presentation style.
A panel of highly experienced judges will then review the submissions and draw up a shortlist of 12 entrants who will present to a panel at the end of February 2017. From there six participants will be invited to the Investing Women Ambition and Growth conference in Edinburgh on 9 March, 2017 where they will make their pitch to an audience comprised of some of the country’s most successful business leaders.
The Awards will also recognise early stage and new start entrepreneurs with ambition by awarding free conference and awards dinner tickets to multiple winners.
Further information on the 2017 AccelerateHER Awards is available at: www.investingwomen.co.uk/2017entries
The deadline for entries is 31 January, 2017.
