• NEL Fund Managers hosted around 40 attendees at its Female Founders Fireside in Middlesbrough, focusing on business growth and financing.
• Held with Barclays Eagle Labs and support from Alt Labs, the event explored founders' experiences accessing funding and building support networks.
• Female-led businesses accounted for 25% of investments in 2025/26, versus around one in seven businesses seeking debt finance nationally.
• Research found female-led businesses were equally likely to secure debt finance when applying, but fewer sought funding.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. NEL Fund Managers Ltd published the original content used to generate this news brief on October 21, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.