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Kofo Mary Are describes London as "the best city in the world," but it was a stark reality about London that sparked her latest venture. While working on a product for a life insurance company, Kofo Mary discovered something shocking: location dictates longevity. Specifically, West Londoners have an 18-year advantage in healthy life expectancy compared to other parts of the city. "I wanted to understand how to close that gap," Kofo Mary says.   With over 20 years of experience as a Strategic Marketing Executive, Kofo Mary has led go-to-market strategies for startups and established enterprises, launching operations worth over £20M. But her transition to founder wasn't a leap of faith—it was data-driven. She personally conducted over 200 customer interviews to validate product-market fit for THIER, her digital health startup focused on lifestyle disease prevention. Her background gives her a unique perspective. With studies towards an EMBA from Bayes Business School, a degree in Chemistry, and a Masters in marketing, Kofo loves operating at the intersection of science and business. It's this combination that led her to spot an opportunity others might have missed.   Working with consumer food startup Pollen & Grace gave Kofo Mary insight into the wellness and 'free-from' markets. But the real breakthrough came during her time at FluxInsights, where she came across research showing two crucial things: the crippling cost of obesity for companies offering private healthcare, and the ability of Machine Learning to predict lifestyle diseases up to 5 years early.   "I realised I could combine these insights to build a preventative solution," she explains. That solution became THIER—an AI-enabled mobile platform focused on preventing obesity and type II diabetes. The platform provides tools to identify, track, monitor, and prevent lifestyle diseases in employee communities, using machine learning algorithms, community support, and personalized healthcare interventions.   Kofo Mary is particularly passionate about leveraging AI to accelerate development. She recently used tools like Perplexity to speed up prototype development, and relies on various AI research tools daily.   "I rely on tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to satisfy my curiosity," she says. "They act as my 'second brain' and help me process information at the speed of my thoughts."   When she's not building prototypes in Figma or scouting for partners and investors, Kofo Mary enjoys running, walking, going to concerts, watching documentaries, and meditating to keep herself grounded.   Now, Kofo Mary is looking for the bridge between 'validated concept' and 'funded company.' She has joined Breakthrough Labs to refine her investment case and technical roadmap. She's also building THIER's User Product Advisory Panel to ensure development remains deeply user-centric, and seeking partners for a major initiative focused on longevity and employee wellbeing.   For Kofo Mary, meaningful conversation is everything. "Whether it's customer discovery interviews or chatting with peers, I thrive on deep connections rather than small talk." Find her on LinkedIn to make a connection.   We're excited to have her in the Breakthrough Labs community and look forward to supporting her as she transforms workplace health.   Welcome to Breakthrough Labs, Kofo Mary!

Sarah Roberts has spent over a decade in product management, building platforms that connect people and solve practical problems within the tech-for-good sector. Leading product teams in the sharing-economy space, she became fascinated by how marketplaces can enable travel, community, and resource-sharing in smarter ways. But it was a 12-month sabbatical with her husband that sparked the idea for her latest venture. During their sabbatical, Sarah and her husband used traditional work-for-accommodation platforms. What they found was eye-opening: clunky interfaces, unvetted hosts, inconsistent reviews, and no structure to ensure fair exchanges. The user experience was broken. Yet simultaneously, Sarah stayed with hosts who genuinely relied on volunteers and had incredible properties sitting empty for much of the year. She realized the potential was huge, but the category had never been modernized. "I came home convinced that this niche deserved a safer, better-designed, and more trustworthy alternative," Sarah explains. "Something built for today's travellers, not the backpacking landscape of the early 2000s." That conviction became the foundation for Far From, a travel marketplace that enables meaningful, affordable travel through work-for-accommodation exchanges. The platform connects property owners who have spare private accommodation with travellers willing to contribute a few hours of help each day in exchange for a comfortable place to stay.   "The existing platforms are outdated, unsafe, and built for backpackers," Sarah says. "Far From is designed for a different audience entirely."   The purpose is to raise the quality bar for an underdeveloped but fast-growing niche, but even more, to make work-for-accommodation a recognised and trusted category within tourism. Based in Norwich, Norfolk, Sarah joined Breakthrough Labs at a pivotal moment - as Far From moves toward launch and prepares for its first investment round. She's looking for advice and strategic mentorship around education, positioning, marketplace dynamics, fundraising preparation, and investor storytelling.   "Far From is creating a new category of travel, and with that comes challenges," Sarah notes. "Breakthrough Labs feels like the right environment to refine our growth strategy, tighten our go-to-market approach, and stress-test the assumptions behind our early traction. I'm also looking to connect with founders and mentors who understand marketplace complexity, travel, and trust-based platforms." Sarah also organises the Norfolk Product Tank, bringing like-minded product development enthusiasts together. Outside of work, she's a true outdoors enthusiast who enjoys running, cycling, and general outdoorsy pursuits like camping, paddle-boarding, and hiking.   Welcome to Breakthrough Labs, Sarah! We're excited to support you as Far From transforms the work-for-accommodation landscape.

Amanda Bell spent most of her career as a divorce lawyer at one of London's leading family law firms. She saw firsthand how emotionally, financially, and practically complicated divorce can be - and how expensive legal support has become.   But it wasn't just her professional experience that opened her eyes to the access-to-justice crisis facing separating families. Amanda also witnessed people close to her navigate divorce without proper legal support, and the reality was grim.   "Lawyers are expensive and divorce is complicated: emotionally, financially and practically," Amanda explains. "The reality for someone navigating the process without a lawyer by their side is pretty horrifying."   This dual perspective - as both an insider to the legal system and someone who'd seen loved ones struggle outside of it - sparked the creation of SeparateSpace.   The statistics paint a stark picture. Separating families can't get timely, affordable legal guidance. The family justice system is overwhelmed, with delays in overloaded courts compounding stress, draining finances, and increasing conflict. Research shows that early access to the right guidance leads to better, safer outcomes for children and fairer financial futures.   Yet traditional legal advice is expensive, and the cost-of-living crisis has made the situation worse. Despite government policy encouraging out-of-court resolution, too many families still end up litigating simply to get direction, while others walk away from rightful financial claims because they can't access help.   Amanda created SeparateSpace as the affordable online divorce platform that families desperately need - providing expert legal, emotional, financial and practical support from only £25 a month.   "SeparateSpace delivers exactly that: practical, affordable guidance that helps families make safe, sustainable decisions out of court, focus on supporting their children and protect their financial wellbeing," she says.    Amanda joined Breakthrough Labs to connect with other founders in the same boat. "Being a founder is a rollercoaster," Amanda admits. "I wear so many hats every day and there's always so much to learn. Some days it feels pretty overwhelming."   Speaking of overwhelming, Amanda is also a mum of three girls: twins aged 8 and a 6-year-old. When she's not working or chasing around after kids, she's often in a gym class, listening to podcasts, and trying to stick to a new one-cup-a-day coffee ritual (challenging for sleep-deprived founders)!   Ahead of their next fundraise, Amanda and her team are on the lookout for purpose-driven angels who want to be part of something that is changing the lives of thousands of people. Reach out if this is you.   Welcome to Breakthrough Labs, Amanda!

Breakthrough Labs is a global community for female founders of technology start-ups. We are a founders network of ambitious, driven women entreprenuers and offer networking events, coaching and access to investors for start-ups seeking funding... Community - Expertise - Opportunities For Female Tech Founders Breakthrough Labs is an empowering community for female founders in technology, fostering connections and support through business and learning-focused events. For too long, great ideas invented by women have been wasted - allowed to die because female founders were denied access to opportunities, expertise, finance and unbiased consideration. Barriers into business for women are, unfortunately, no thing of the past. In 2023, women accounted for just 13.2% of all startup founders. Women-led tech start-ups also receive significantly less funding than their male counterparts. Our mission is to create a future where female-led businesses have equal opportunities to thrive. At the heart of our work is a vibrant, uplifting community of ambitious women who empower one another, share their expertise, and drive each other forward. Furthermore, we connect female founders seeking funding with engaged investors, ensuring they have the support they need to succeed. Join us and you'll never have more fun taking yourself seriously! Our Community Bringing together ambitious women Our Events Learning and growing together Our Expertise Providing founders what they need Who We're For Our community welcomes female founders right at the beginning of their business journey as well as those further along. Some members are working towards an MVP whereas others have revenue and are looking to scale. There are no rules for where you need to be in your venture and this enriches our membership. Whilst some women are drawn to Breakthrough Labs because of our ability to introduce them to investors and assist with access to funding opportunities, others value the community and the learning and development programmes, as well as access to our founder Dr Kristen Weatherby . We offer FREE monthly learning events and networking opportunities , all of which can be accessed online, from whereever you happen to be. We understand how busy women founder are, so all events are recorded and can be accessed when it's convenient for you with our Learning Library Pass . Our Community Breakthrough Labs launched in 2023 as an accelerator supporting female tech founders pitching for pre-seed funding. It became a global online membership community in 2025, supporting women anywhere in the world. Now, we offer free learning and networking to women founders in any industry and any location. Our Events Our Founder Dr Kristen Weatherby Kristen is a mother, a teacher, a researcher, an angel investor and venture partner, and an edtech industry expert. She has spent most of her career in the edtech sector in the US, UK and France, including 14 years at one of the largest global software companies in the industry. She has developed and run four accelerators for start-up founders and has consulted with start-ups throughout Europe and the Americas. She believes strongly in social equality and breaking down the barriers that women entrepreneurs face in bringing their great ideas to market. Work with Kristen FREE Funding For Female Founders Our 22-page guide, created by Breakthrough Labs, includes advice from a panel of investment experts and is ideal for any founder thinking about funding for their business. We explore various approaches, from bootstrapping to equity funding, and share with you all the pros and cons, as well as top tips for success. Download Breakthrough Labs has been a game changer for me on my journey as a founder. The network that Kristen has is deep and varied, making the resources, the experts and the seasoned founders she brings together really special and incredibly beneficial. I have learned how to think about my work through a business lens, with the right vocabulary and frames of thinking. From the coaching, to the pitch practice, to the conversations around financial awareness, legal structures and storytelling - my whole outlook on my value proposition has changed fundamentally. But above all, the community that Kristen has built and curated is on point, genuine, authentic and so incredibly generous. Anyone that is part of meaningful communities knows that these are not easy to build - I feel privileged to be part of it! Dr Hanaa Almoaibed Founder and CEO, Wonder Inc.; Managing Director, Prolegomena and co-host of The TWENTY30 Podcast Upcoming Events What do early-stage investors really want? Thu 18 Jun Webinar More info RSVP Latest Articles Featured Member - Kofo Mary Are Kofo Mary Are describes London as "the best city in the world," but it was a stark reality about London that sparked her latest venture. While working on a product for a life insurance company, Kofo Mary discovered something shocking: location dictates longevity. Specifically, West Londoners have an 18-year advantage in healthy life expectancy compared to other parts of the city. "I wanted to understand how to close that gap," Kofo Mary says. With over 20 years of experienc Jan 6 Welcome to the community, Sarah Roberts Sarah Roberts has spent over a decade in product management, building platforms that connect people and solve practical problems within the tech-for-good sector. Leading product teams in the sharing-economy space, she became fascinated by how marketplaces can enable travel, community, and resource-sharing in smarter ways. But it was a 12-month sabbatical with her husband that sparked the idea for her latest venture. During their sabbatical, Sarah and her husband used traditio Dec 7, 2025 Welcome to the community, Amanda Bell Amanda Bell spent most of her career as a divorce lawyer at one of London's leading family law firms. She saw firsthand how emotionally, financially, and practically complicated divorce can be - and how expensive legal support has become. But it wasn't just her professional experience that opened her eyes to the access-to-justice crisis facing separating families. Amanda also witnessed people close to her navigate divorce without proper legal support, and the reality was gr Nov 16, 2025 See more

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Funding for female founders is a priority of Breakthrough Labs. Our female founder membership community enjoy Meet The Investor Sessions as well as pitching masterclasses for entrepreneurs to assist in startup funding access... Funding For Female Founders Not only are there far fewer female-led startups than those founded by men, accounting for just 13.2% in 2023, but tech businesses founded by women also receive significantly less funding . Just 1.8% of capital invested in venture-backed startups in 2023 in Europe went to female-founded companies. Perhaps our male counterparts are better connected, perhaps they’re more likely to go down the investment route rather than opt to grow organically without capital, or maybe they’re more likely to be offered funding than female entrepreneurs. Whatever the reason, we have to even the playing field and the only way to do this is to open up more opportunities for female startup founders to raise investment. Breakthrough Labs attempts to address this issue in several ways - By building and nurturing our empowering community of female founders Offering regular masterclasses, workshops and pitching practice sessions to build upon skills and confidence Hosting regular ‘Meet the Investor’ and other networking events that connect female entrepreneurs with investors - Download our 22-page expert guide on accessing funding for your business - FREE FUNDING GUIDE FOR FEMALE FOUNDERS Download Guide Meet The Investor Our Meet The Investor sessions are extremely popular. Each month, we introduce founders to a different early-stage investor committed to investing in women. These small sessions not only provide members with practical insights into what different investors are looking for, but founders are able to make real connections with investors. These conversations have proven much more valuable to our members than brief introductions at in-person networking events or cold outreach emails on LinkedIn. Investors also share with our community all we need to know about types of investment and how raising capital works - from seed funding to scaling up. Furthermore, these sessions aid us in honing our pitching techniques and increasing both opportunities and chances of success in securing investment. The Accelerator Our four-month accelerator path is designed to equip female tech founders with the practical skills and confidence needed to secure pre-seed investment. Through expert-led workshops, mentorship, and strategic guidance, those on the accelerator programme will refine their pitch, strengthen their business model, and prepare to impress investors. The program culminates in a demo day, where participants will have the opportunity to showcase their startup’s progress to potential backers. If you're ready to take your startup to the next level, contact us to express your interest and we’ll be in touch to share start date options and further information. Investing In Female-Led Tech Startups Are you an investor seeking your next opportunity? Or perhaps you’d like to be a part of increasing access to investment for women in business? Breakthrough Labs is always looking for partners in our mission to support female tech founders. If you would like to join us as a guest speaker at an event or offer our members the opportunity to pitch to you or your company, then please get in touch today.