Northern Ireland’s leading tech talent has been unveiled today, as Women in Business has announced the 2026 finalist shortlist for its annual Women in Tech Awards.
The Awards on 19th June will welcome over 300 industry leaders, innovators and emerging talent for a night celebrating the people driving progress, innovation and growth across a thriving tech sector.
Now in its fifth year, the Women in Tech Awards has cemented its place as a key date in Northern Ireland’s business calendar, shining a spotlight on the individuals and teams helping to shape a fast-growing sector spanning areas such as AI, cybersecurity and life and health sciences.
This year’s finalists showcase the depth and diversity of talent across the industry, with finalists spanning global tech firms, scaling businesses, start-ups and public sector organisations. The introduction of a new Software Engineer of the Year category also reflects both, the increasing demand for engineering talent and the continued evolution of Northern Ireland’s tech landscape.
This year’s judging panel included Roseann Kelly WiB Group; Barbara McKiernan, Vanrath; Louis Kingston, Sync NI; Joanne English, NI Cyber; Caroline Van Der Feltz, Danske Bank; John Healy, Invest NI; Stephen McCabe, Momentum One Zero and Neil Hutchinson, Software NI.
Commenting on this year’s finalists, Caroline Coyle, Managing Director of Women in Business said, “Each year, the Women in Tech Awards shines a spotlight on the exceptional talent driving Northern Ireland’s growing tech sector, and this year’s shortlist is no exception. The calibre of finalists reflects not only the strength of the industry locally, but also the vital part visible role models play in inspiring more women to pursue and progress in tech careers.
“We know that representation matters and by celebrating these women and their achievements, we hope to encourage the next generation to see what’s possible and feel empowered to follow in their footsteps. We would like to extend our thanks to our judging panel for the time and expertise they brought to what was, once again, an extremely competitive process and look forward to celebrating all of our finalists and their achievements in June.”
The 2026 Women in Tech Award finalists are:
C Level Woman of the Year
Sponsored by IQ&Co
Entrepreneur of the Year
Sponsored by Allstate NI
Male Advocate of the Year
Sponsored by GRAHAM
One to Watch in the Future
Sponsored by BT
Outstanding Apprentice
Sponsored by Version 1
Digital Transformation Leader of the Year
Sponsored by Openreach
Software Engineer of the Year
Sponsored by TP ICAP
Tech Advocate of the Year
Sponsored by Pytilia
Tech Team of the Year
Sponsored by Vyta
Outstanding Woman in Tech (sponsored by VANRATH)
With support from a strong network of category sponsors and headline sponsor VANRATH, the awards continue to shine a spotlight on the leading individuals and companies, shaping the future of the technology sector in Northern Ireland.
VANRATH Managing Director Barbara McKiernan added: "VANRATH is proud to continually support the Women in Tech Awards and celebrate the talent shaping Northern Ireland’s thriving technology sector. The calibre of this year’s finalists reflects the strength of innovation across the industry and the growing impact women are having at every level of tech. The achievements of this year’s finalists are helping to inspire the next generation of tech talent across Northern Ireland which is fantastic for the future of Northern Ireland.”
All finalists will join the Women in Tech Award Finalist Alumna, a growing network designed to support collaboration, connection and continued professional development across the industry. Alongside VANRATH, supporting sponsors of this year’s showcase include Version 1, Pytilia, IQ&Co., and Allstate NI, Openreach, TP ICAP, Vyta, BT, Graham
The winners will be announced on Friday 19th June at the Europa Hotel, Belfast. For more details on entry or to book a ticket for the 2026 Women in Tech Awards, visit: https://www.womeninbusinessni.com/events/women-in-tech-awards
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