The number of female-founded companies in the UK alone grows year on year. NatWest CEO Alison Rose’s Rose Review found that women created 151,603 companies in 2022 - 6,000 more than 2021 and more than double the number in 2018. So the gender gap in the business world, albeit slowly, is definitely closing. But there are still significant barriers holding this number down, like the access to funding for female-founded startups, with male-led companies receiving the majority of funding from investors.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, we want to celebrate the female founders who are making waves in their industry - not only for women today, but for the females of the future too. We’ve explored some of the most exciting female-owned businesses in the UK and beyond and hand picked eight that are doing it for the girls, and doing it in style. Keep reading to find out who they are.

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1. Bumble - Whitney Wolfe Herd

The epitome of ‘doing it for the girls’, Whitney Wolfe Herd started a buzz in the dating world when she founded Bumble - a dating app that puts the power in the hands of its female users.

Her career in the dating app industry didn’t start with Bumble though. Formerly vice president of marketing at Tinder, a company which she co-founded, 2014 saw her sue the dating giant for sexual harassment at the hands of her ex-boss and ex-boyfriend, as well as the company wrongly stripping her of the cofounder title. A $1 million settlement and a move to Texas later, Whitney turned her focus to developing a women-only social network with a focus on positivity.

It wasn’t long before she was reconnecting with an old acquaintance, the founder of dating network Badoo, which eventually led to the two of them creating Bumble. What was so special about this app? It put the first move in the hands of the women using it. It would be up to them to send the first message, and if they didn’t, the match would disappear after 24 hours.

Now, with over 45 million users, Bumble has taken the world of dating, often dominated by male advances, and created a safe space for women within it.

2. Peanut - Michelle Kennedy

From one female-founded app to another: Peanut is a social network strictly for females. A safe space for women to connect and share experiences, this digital community aims to bring together ladies at every life stage - from puberty and pregnancy through to motherhood and menopause.

When Michelle Kennedy had her first child, she had so many questions and felt a need to get the answers from other mums. After finding this need unfulfilled through online forums (with a stark lack of actual support and vulnerable stories), she decided to solve the need herself. She developed a new kind of social network that would let mums not only find each other, meet and share meaningful chats, but that would also provide them with resources like podcasts and expert advice, no matter what stage of womanhood they were in.

Through her social network, Michelle has enabled women across the world to conquer loneliness and isolation one new friendship at a time. The fact that engagement across Peanut rose by 30% when the COVID-19 outbreak hit, just goes to show how needed this sort of network is for people who are seeking that friendly-face of support. Michelle has empowered women to connect through positivity, support and relationship - a far cry from the plethora of negative vibes that are found on the most popular social networks of the moment.

3. Spanx - Sara Blakely

The shapewear industry has seen some successful newcomers in recent years, with the likes of Skims and Yummie often stealing the spotlight. But when someone mentions shapewear, there’s still one name that instantly comes to mind: Spanx. This just shows the roaring success that Spanx founder Sara Blakely has achieved through her illustrious brand which is now over 20 years old.

How did Sara create her brand? Frustrated with thin and breakable pantyhose that didn’t enable her the outfit confidence she wanted for her work, Sara saw a problem that needed fixing and worked hard to find a solution that would benefit women everywhere. She had no previous business or fashion experience, but she had purpose, and that was all she needed to break barriers in fashion confidence everywhere.

With a rise in body-positivity, some might say that shapewear has had its day, hindering women from embracing their true selves. But there are still women all over the world who find empowerment through it, allowing them to truly feel at their best, whatever they’re wearing. Achieving a smooth shape under their favourite dress, avoiding a VPL in that all important pant-suit - it’s these women that Sara has created Spanx for, and she’s made a way for them to express themselves with confidence and style.

4. My Little Coco - Rochelle Humes

You may recognise Rochelle as a singer with The Saturdays or as a popular presenter we see gracing our TV screens from time to time. But did you know that Rochelle Humes has also made a name for herself in the retail sector?

In 2020, after 9 years of hard work, Rochelle launched her children’s skin and hair care brand My Little Coco, and it has only grown in popularity and momentum since. The products she has developed are gentle, vegan-friendly and cruelty free. With curly-haired products like the Curling Custard, she has ensured inclusivity and goodness for the whole family.

The growth of My Little Coco has seen Rochelle branch out into baby weaning, products for expectant mothers and even the wellness sector. Their ‘Affirmation Cards’ were created to help boost self-esteem, confidence and contentment, encouraging mindfulness and positive thinking.

If our list of founders are making life better for women, Rochelle is certainly starting young. Aside from My Little Coco, she has also written children's books which celebrate diversity. We love what she’s doing, and the fact that she’s focussing on the generations of the future.

5. Fenty Beauty - Rihanna

Another Girl Boss who first made a name for herself in the entertainment industry is Rihanna. Her music career has taken a back seat as she has focussed solely on building her inclusive beauty brand, Fenty Beauty. Even her recent return to the music world in her 2023 Super Bowl halftime show gave a nod to Fenty, with the singer stopping mid-performance to give herself a touch up and triggering a flurry of social activity about the brand.

How does Fenty Beauty benefit women? Their makeup and beauty products aim to be accessible for people of all skin types and tones. Rather than simply focussing on ‘inclusivity’, Rihanna’s vision and mission is “Beauty for All”. The brand first launched with 40 shades of foundation; this has since risen to 50, enabling women all over the world to find themselves within the Fenty brand, and to feel confident and included.

With a lingerie line (Savage x Fenty) and fashion line (Fenty), Rihanna’s mission of “Beauty for all” is not slowing down anytime soon. She told US Vogue, “I want women to own their beauty” - she’s empowering and including all women, and she’s doing it in style.

6. The Honey Pot - Beatrice Dixon

In a sea of feminine hygiene brands, Beatrice Dixon’s stands out from the crowd. Her company, The Honey Pot, uses plant-derived formulas to create feminine care systems that promote health naturally. And it all started with a dream.

Having suffered with bacterial vaginosis for eight months, an ancestor came to her in a dream one night and gave her the ingredients to heal herself. Thus, she created the formula for a healthy, clean feminine wash. It wasn’t long before Beatrice had taken this formula and created a brand that would provide women with healthy alternatives to feminine care that are free of chemicals, parabens and other unfriendly irritants.

Their slogan “Made by humans with vaginas, for humans with vaginas” just goes to show their mission, and it goes further than just the people buying their products. The Honey Pot also donates 2% of their sales to charitable organisations that share their intention to provide access, connection and education to women and girls across the globe.

7. AllBright - Anna Jones & Debbie Wosskow

Female entrepreneurs creating a space to empower other female entrepreneurs? We’re here for it. That’s exactly what our next founders did when they founded AllBright Collective. Anna Jones & Debbie Wosskow, after a chance meeting at a party, instantly bonded over their shared passion for empowering women. It wasn’t long before they were leaving behind their high-flying jobs (they were both CEOs at their previous companies) to take a risk fueled by passion.

The risk paid off. AllBright Members Club has grown to be a successful professional community for women, helping them get the financing and support they need to grow. Offering a range of services -  from funding and mentorship to office space and networking events - their company has already helped so many female entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.

These inspiring women had a vision to make the UK a better place to be a female founder, and they built an ecosystem that is doing just that.

8. Rem3dy Health - Melissa Snover

An award winning entrepreneur and visionary, Melissa Snover is the founder and CEO of Rem3dy Group, a company that develops 3D-printed personalised health solutions in medicine and preventative health. Originally working in financial services, Melissa has since made a name for herself in the food tech industry one innovative step at a time.

Melissa founded Goody Good Stuff, which created the world’s first vegan, natural and allergen free confectionery, and since then has gone on to develop 3D printing technology for the food industry, eventually optimising it for health and wellness. One of Rem3dy’s arms, Nourished, creates personalised nutrient gummies that allows people to customise and consolidate their daily vitamins into one easy-to-consume sweet.

In 2019, Melissa was able to raise the highest-ever female founder seed round in UK history for Rem3dy. We had the pleasure of working with Melissa at this time, and were able witness first hand her work ethic, visionary personality, and dedication to the cause. It’s this dedication that is helping her inspire and motivate a new generation of female founders.

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After hundreds of years of waiting in the wings while the male population took centre stage, it seems only right that women are finally getting their time to shine. The last few decades have seen so many breakthroughs in the fight for equality and, even though there is still work to be done, International Women’s Day is just a small chance to recognise the females who are making a difference and making waves in the world today.

“Empowered women empower women” and we’ve certainly been inspired by the eight highlighted here. There are so many more amazing women flourishing in the business world and beyond - we encourage you to search them out, learn about them, be inspired by them and encourage the next generation to do the same.

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