Week 11 of 52 — Women in Tech Series
Welcome to our Women in Tech series. Over the next 52 weeks, we’ll spotlight inspiring women shaping the technology industry — sharing their stories, achievements, and insights.
From founders and engineers to designers, researchers, and community leaders, this series celebrates the diverse voices driving innovation and building the future of tech.
Jenny Bailey Cooper
CEO at Ferryx
How did you first get into tech/innovation?
I came into innovation through science. From a young age I was fascinated by biology and how the body works, which led me to study science and then complete a PhD in gut immunology. At that stage, I wasn’t working towards a specific commercial outcome, I was simply driven by curiosity and a desire to understand complex biological systems. I went on to do a postdoctoral role at the University of Bristol, continuing to work in gut health, so my early career was very firmly rooted in academic research. It was only later that I began to see how that deep scientific understanding could be translated into real world products and innovation, which ultimately drew me into entrepreneurship.
What did your career path look like before landing your current role?
After completing my PhD, I fully expected to remain in academia. I loved research and was equally drawn to teaching, and I had a very traditional academic trajectory in mind. I was working towards a lecturer position and assumed that would be my long term career path.
What does your role involve day-to-day?
My role is very varied, which reflects the nature of building a science led company. Science remains central to everything we do, so on any given day I might be overseeing new product development, shaping clinical or consumer trials, or working on grant applications to fund further R&D. At the same time, a significant part of my role is focused on growing the business. That can mean speaking with investors about how we reach our next inflection point, working with our sales and marketing team to drive sustainable growth, or making strategic decisions about where to focus our time and resources. It’s a balance between maintaining scientific rigour and ensuring the company is commercially focused, and my role sits right at the intersection of those two worlds.
What challenges have you faced working in tech, and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was realising that great technology isn’t enough on its own. Coming from a research background, I was very focused on building something scientifically rigorous and elegant, but investors, partners, and customers don’t engage with elegance, they engage with outcomes. I had to learn how to translate complex science into clear, human value: what problem does this solve, why does it matter now, and can it sustain a business? Over time, I became far more disciplined about putting the customer and the commercial model at the centre of product decisions. That shift didn’t dilute the science, it strengthened it, because it forced us to develop technology that genuinely works in the real world.
Was there a moment or opportunity that helped you break into the industry?
During my academic research, a colleague and I began investigating the relationship between stress, inflammation, and the gut microbiome. We were particularly interested in why so little evidence existed for probiotics being effective during periods of acute gut distress. This wasn’t just an academic question for me. I’ve lived with IBS myself and, like many patients, had tried numerous so called solutions with little success. That combination of personal experience and scientific curiosity motivated us to look more closely at whether there might be specific bacterial strains capable of supporting the gut during flare ups rather than in steady state health.
Through that work, we identified a strain of Streptococcus thermophilus, FX856, that showed remarkably strong effects. For the first time, we had something that could genuinely alleviate symptoms when they were at their worst. At that point, it became clear this shouldn’t remain an academic finding.
In 2018, I joined the ICURe programme through SETsquared, which gave me the opportunity to step out of academia for three months to explore market need, routes to market, and whether there was a viable business behind the science. That experience was pivotal, it shifted my mindset from ‘interesting research’ to ‘real world impact’.
As a direct result of that process, we spun Ferryx out of the University of Bristol in 2019 to commercialise FX856. That ultimately led to the launch of Ferrocalm, our first product, designed specifically to help people manage gut symptoms during IBS flare ups.
What advice would you give to women who want to work in tech or innovation?
For women at the start of their careers, my biggest advice is not to feel you have to wait until you’re ‘ready’ before stepping into tech or innovation. Most people are figuring things out as they go, even if it doesn’t always look that way. Curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to learn will take you much further than trying to be perfect from the outset.
I’d also encourage early career women to actively seek out their people. Building companies can be lonely at times, particularly in the early stages when there’s a lot of uncertainty. Having a community around you, whether that’s peers, mentors, founders at a similar stage, or supportive networks, makes an enormous difference. It gives you perspective, confidence, and reassurance that the challenges you’re facing are normal.
Finally, stay focused on impact. Technology is noisy, fast moving, and sometimes intimidating, but at its core it’s about solving real problems. If you keep sight of why your work matters and who it’s for, it becomes much easier to navigate setbacks, make decisions, and build momentum as your career develops.
What do you love about working in the South West tech ecosystem?
One of the things I love most about working in the South West is the strength and generosity of the ecosystem. It’s full of ambitious people doing genuinely innovative work, but without intense competitiveness. There’s a strong culture of collaboration, and people are very open with their time, experience, and advice.
The region also benefits from excellent support structures for new companies. Organisations such as SETsquared and Future Space provide mentoring, training, and access to a wide range of support services, helping founders navigate the challenges of building and scaling a business. Alongside this, there’s a vibrant programme of events that makes it easy to connect with peers, academics, investors, and industry partners.
Being based in Bristol also means close proximity to two outstanding universities, with world class research, facilities, and a strong pipeline of talented students. For science and technology led companies, that combination of academic excellence and a supportive founder community makes the South West a genuinely rewarding place to build a business.
Connect with Jenny!
Follow Jenny’s journey and connect with her on LinkedIn here
