- Clare McGee, co-founder, Awaken Angels; core partner, Women TechEU
- Kanta Dihal, lecturer in science communication, Imperial College London
- Parven Kaur, founder, Kids N Clicks
- Rosemary Francis, founder and CTO, Stealth AI Startup
- Suzanne Ashman, managing partner, Sovereign AI Fund
- Tommie Edwards, CEO, PeopleXYZ; CEO and co-founder, Tech1M
- Veena Marr, consultant, Spencer Stuart
- Zehra Chatoo, founder, Code For Good Now
Beyond Computer Weekly’s list of the Most Influential Women in UK Tech, it is also important to recognise women who have not yet made it into the top 50 but are still making significant efforts to improve diversity and inclusion in the technology sector.
Alongside our list of the top 50 women in UK tech and Hall of Fame, these Women in Tech to Watch have been chosen by the team and our judges for their impact on the sector.
Previously called Rising Stars, this year, our group of expert judges felt WIT to Watch is a more appropriate title for those who may have already had long-standing careers in technology and are making efforts to shift the dial that may see them appear in our top 50 list in the future.
People across all levels in the tech sector need to be visible and accessible, so those looking in on the industry, hoping for a tech role, can see the next steps they need to take, rather than only seeing those at the top who, although amazing, may make a tech role seem unobtainable to anyone at the beginning of their career.
Many of our winners have been WIT to Watch in the past, before making their way into the top 50 and reaching the number one spot.
This year’s WIT to Watch are listed below.
Clare McGee, co-founder, Awaken Angels; core partner, Women TechEU
Clare McGee is co-founder and CEO at AwakenHub and AwakenAngels, each of which offers angel investment to women-led startups in Ireland.
She is also the co-founder and director of Innovate NI, a consulting firm that offers business and innovation advice to organisations across Northern Ireland.
Alongside these ventures, McGee is a core partner for Women TechEU, a board governor for North West Regional College, and a business mentor for Young Enterprise NI.
Kanta Dihal, lecturer in science communication, Imperial College London
Kanta Dihal has a long-standing background in academia, and currently holds roles as associate professor in science communication at Imperial College London and associate fellow of the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge.
Her research is focused on different narratives around science and technology across different cultures and how these can help us shape the future of technology.
Parven Kaur, founder, Kids N Clicks
Parven Kaur founded Kids N Clicks in 2025 to serve as a resource for parents and teachers to help them stay ahead of internet trends so they can better promote online safety and digital inclusion for children.
She is also a member of the board of advisers for Barnardo’s Scotland and, until recently, was a research expert advisory panel member for The Young Women’s Movement.
Rosemary Francis, founder and CTO, Stealth AI Startup
Rosemary Francis founded Stealth AI Startup earlier this year as a network for AI founders, where she is currently chief technology officer (CTO).
She is also CTO of CommonAI Compute, a fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering and a member of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Suzanne Ashman, managing partner, Sovereign AI Fund
Suzanne Ashman is managing partner for the £500m Sovereign AI Fund, whose aim is to give founders access to what they need to become global companies.
She has invested in several businesses, and was previously general partner at the early-stage venture capital firm for tech startups, LocalGlobe.
Tommie Edwards, CEO, PeopleXYZ; CEO and co-founder, Tech1M
As well as being CEO of workforce governance system PeopleXYZ, Tommie Edwards is co-founder and CEO of artificial intelligence (AI) training and mentorship platform Tech1M.AI.
She is also board chair of Tedbree, where she was previously founder and CEO, president of the UK delegation of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance, and president and chair of the UK Entrepreneurs Alliance.
Veena Marr, consultant, Spencer Stuart
Veena Marr is a consultant at business consulting services firm Spencer Stuart, where she acts as a leadership adviser in the consumer tech sector.
She is also a member of the firm’s UK board and CEO Practice, and leads its Digital and Technology Officer Practice across EMEA.
Zehra Chatoo, founder, Code For Good Now
As founder of Code For Good Now, Zehra Chatoo leads the charge on discussing responsible and inclusive AI adoption, also creating the AI Judgement Penalty to highlight how women are judged unfairly for using AI in a different manner to their male counterparts.
She is also a council member for Effie UK, and board director and trustee of UN Women UK.
