Six social entrepreneurs chase six-figure fortunes at IGNITE final

Six entrepreneurs addressing some of the UK’s most widespread social challenges – affecting primary and secondary school children, female healthcare and people with dementia – have been chosen to pitch for funding at a live final in central London.

The Ford Family Foundation’s flagship event IGNITE, a national social venture competition now in its third year, will take place on the evening of 12 November next week at Barclays HQ in Canary Wharf, London.

Entries for this year’s contest quadrupled, and 16 semi-finalists took part in a six-week accelerator programme before the six finalists were selected.

Following the first two competitions, philanthropist and entrepreneur Tony Ford (pictured below) has offered six-figure follow-on investments to several previous finalists and winners – including EqualReach and AIBO – whose growing and sustainable businesses are transforming lives.

• LISTEN to our Good Leaders podcasts with AIBO founder Solène Declas, and with EqualReach founder Giselle Gonzales
• READ about last year's IGNITE finalists and winner

Opening IGNITE to ambitious first-time founders from all walks of life has brought us people who know these problems first-hand, whether as a teacher, a GP, a parent or a student.

IGNITE Finalists 2026

The IGNITE 2026 finalists are:

ORMI – London

Giving women in perimenopause the answers and support they often struggle to get. ORMI’s app turns daily check-ins, wearable data and an optional at-home hormone test into a personalised plan for hormones and mental health. It was co-founded by marketing specialist Anna Koutras and Dr Emma Whitehouse (pictured, left), a GP who specialises in menopause.

Early Signals by Learnella – Durham

Early Signals brings together the early signs that teachers, teaching assistants and parents notice about a child, helping children get the right support sooner. Founder Adam Petrie (pictured, right), a teacher for 16 years, developed the tool with more than 70 SENCOs [Special Educational Needs Coordinators], parents, teachers and clinicians with schools already signed up for the full launch.

Chirpy Mood Science – Hitchin and Birmingham

A mental wellbeing supplement brand with natural ingredients for children and young people, founded by Emma Grace (pictured, left). Its two products are a saffron-based gummy to support mood, emotional balance and focus, and a lavender and chamomile formula to help young minds wind down for sleep. Every ingredient and dosage is chosen for its clinical evidence by co-founder Sarah Pontefract, Professor of Medicine Safety at the University of Birmingham.

Chatterdillo – London

An online speech and language programme that helps primary schools support children with communication needs. Co-founders Amy Warner Allen (pictured, right), a speech and language therapist who writes all its evidence-based content, and Jamie Welsh, an engineer and data scientist, both have first-hand experience of communication challenges in the classroom. Across pilots with around 50 schools, Chatterdillo has saved an estimated 2,000 hours of staff time.

Vayla Health – London

A voice AI service that helps people living with dementia live more joyfully and independently at home. Vayla provides friendly, personalised phone calls that offer conversation and reminders and pick up on changes in wellbeing, giving families peace of mind, and is now in live trials with a home care provider. It’s built on more than 200 conversations and testing with 32 older adults. Led by CEO Julia Warszewski (pictured, left), Chief Medical Officer Dr Hazhee Rasoul and Chief Technology Officer Jesse Murrell, the team brings together expertise across tech start-ups, the NHS and AI.

Revizely.ai – Leeds

An all-in-one study platform for UK students with free core features, built by young founder Milson Neill (main photo above) while revising for his own GCSEs. It combines an AI tutor and quiz generator trained on the UK curriculum with tools to find work experience and extracurricular activities, helping students plan for future careers. Since launching earlier this year, it has attracted strong interest from students, and a trial with teachers is now under way.

Ford Family Foundation founder Tony Ford commented: “We have a particularly strong set of finalists this year. Opening IGNITE to ambitious first-time founders from all walks of life has brought us people who know these problems first-hand, whether as a teacher, a GP, a parent or a student. It’s a privilege to back them, and we look forward to hearing them pitch at the final and to seeing the impact they’ll make on countless lives in the years ahead.”

The finalists and 10 other semi-finalists will each be given a demonstration space at the IGNITE event to showcase their ventures to an influential audience of 150 investors, industry leaders and inspiring entrepreneurs.

The winner will be chosen by a panel of distinguished judges, including Ford Family Trustees, Alma Angels Founding Partner Roxanne Sanguetti, BBC 1 Morning Live GP Dr Oscar Duke, Cohera Advisory Founder Alya Randell Khan and Alvarez & Marsal’s Head of Corporate Finance, Jonathan Boyers.

Founded by philanthropist and serial entrepreneur Tony Ford, the Ford Family Foundation has invested almost £2.5m in social enterprises in just three years. The Foundation champions bold entrepreneurs tackling society’s toughest problems - proving that business can be the greatest force for social good and impact. For more information, please visit fordfamilyfoundation.co.uk.

Pioneers Post is a media partner for this year's awards. To find out more about IGNITE, visit ignitecomp.co.uk or email ignite@fordfamilyfoundation.org