TLDR:
- Less than 2% of venture capital funding in the UK goes to women
- Female founders are overcoming funding biases to build successful businesses in various industries
Around International Women’s Day, Good Housekeeping highlights the stories of five female founders who have defied the odds to build successful brands in the face of funding bias. Despite the challenges they’ve faced, these women are making a mark in the beauty, fashion, food, home, and health industries, inspiring inclusivity and progress in their respective fields.
Dr. Ateh Jewel, founder of Ateh Jewel Beauty, shares her journey of creating an inclusive beauty brand and the struggles she faced in securing funding. Tessa Clarke, co-founder of Olio, discusses the mission of her app to end food waste and the challenges of fundraising. Shiza Shahi, founder of Our Place, talks about designing kitchenware products that inspire connection and the difficulties of obtaining investment. Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder of By Rotation, shares her experience creating a peer-to-peer fashion sharing app and the barriers women face in securing venture capital. Ruby Raut, founder of WUKA, explains how her period pants brand is breaking taboos and promoting sustainability.
Despite the funding biases and challenges, these female founders are pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and creating positive change in their industries. Their stories serve as inspiration for other women looking to build successful businesses despite the odds stacked against them.
