South Yorkshire Launches Women in Tech Taskforce

A new Women in Tech & Investment Taskforce has been launched in South Yorkshire after research found women held just 18% of technology roles and received only 10% of tech investment in the region.

The taskforce, established by TechSY and regional partners, has been backed by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the British Business Bank and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, via Barnsley Council’s Tech Town programme.

Its focus is practical: increasing the number of female tech founders, encouraging more women to become angel investors, supporting progression into leadership and improving access to technology careers for girls and young women.

South Yorkshire Tied the Taskforce to Growth

South Yorkshire’s tech ecosystem has grown to a value of £3.7 billion ($4.9 million), representing fourfold growth since 2019.

“South Yorkshire’s tech sector is growing fast, creating jobs, attracting investment and helping drive our economy forward,” said Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire. “But we won’t unlock its full potential unless more women are able to build careers, start businesses and access the investment they need to grow, right here.”

Mayor Oliver Coppard said that talented women face barriers that “simply shouldn’t exist”.

“That’s not just unfair, it’s bad for South Yorkshire,” he added.

That links access to talent and capital with the region’s broader tech growth ambitions.

Four Priorities Set the Agenda

The taskforce has identified four areas of activity.

It aims to increase the number of women starting and scaling technology businesses, encourage more women to become angel investors, support women already working in the sector to move into leadership roles, and inspire more girls and young women to pursue careers in technology.

“This isn’t simply a diversity issue; it’s an economic opportunity and one we must address if we’re to unlock future tech growth,” said Tracey Johnson, Programme Director at TechSY.

She also pointed to the Government’s latest Investing in Women Code Annual Report, which concluded that increasing investment into female and ethnic minority-led businesses could increase the size of the UK equity market by around 13%.

Founder and Investor Pipelines Are Part of the Response

The taskforce will bring together several existing and new support strands.

These include The FoundHERy, which supports female founders looking to start and scale technology businesses, and a new education programme with Lifted Ventures designed to encourage more women to become angel investors.

The programme will also include research into women’s experiences in the sector and support for women already working in technology, including those running meetups and community groups across South Yorkshire.

That gives the initiative a remit that extends beyond founder support alone, reaching into investment, leadership progression, and early careers.

The Response is Already Being Framed Around Solutions

Taskforce Chair Helen Milner OBE said that too often discussions around women in technology only focus on the problem. According to her, this taskforce, however, is focused on solutions.

“By bringing together employers, educators, investors and founders, we have an opportunity to create meaningful change and ensure more women can build successful careers and businesses in technology,” added Helen Milner OBE.

The taskforce’s significance lies in how South Yorkshire is trying to respond to a gap that is already measurable.

As the region’s technology economy continues to expand, access to careers, leadership, and early-stage capital will shape how much of that growth South Yorkshire can retain.