The startup ecosystem has undergone a radical transformation in recent years. While the narrative of technology and innovation was once dominated by male-founded companies, that landscape is rapidly shifting. By 2025, women-founded and led startups are not only solving critical social issues but are also rewriting the rules in multi-billion dollar markets.
The following ten startups are more than just successful companies; they are pioneers bringing forth new approaches, untapped markets, and a fresh corporate culture.
Top women-founded startups:
1. Glossier – Emily Weiss
- Industry: Beauty and Cosmetics
- Founded: 2014
- Valuation: $1.2B (2019)
Glossier began as an online-first beauty brand, born out of Emily Weiss’s popular beauty blog, “Into the Gloss.” The company distributes its products through its website, select retail showrooms, and major partnerships with Sephora, SpaceNK, and Mecca. Their product line includes skincare, makeup, fragrance, and branded accessories.
2. Rent the runway – Jennifer Hyman & Jennifer Fleiss
- Industry: Fashion Rental
- Founded: 2009
Rent the Runway is an American e-commerce platform that revolutionized the fashion industry by allowing users to rent or buy designer apparel and accessories. Based in New York City, it transformed the concept of “ownership” into “access.”
3. Away – Jen Rubio & Stef Korey
- Industry: Travel Gear
- Founded: 2015
Away is a lifestyle travel brand known for its high-quality luggage and travel accessories. The company successfully raised $216 million in venture capital, making Stef Korey one of the most well-funded female founders in the industry.
4. Airwallex – Lucy Liu
- Industry: Fintech and Global Financial Infrastructure
- Founded: 2015
- Valuation: $6.2B (May 2025)
Airwallex is a multinational fintech company providing financial services and global payment infrastructure. Utilizing a proprietary API-driven platform, it enables businesses to handle international payments seamlessly. By 2025, it stood as Australia’s third tech “unicorn,” having raised a total of $1.2 billion in capital.
5. Mammoth Biosciences – Janice Chen
- Industry: Biotechnology and CRISPR
- Founded: 2017
- Valuation: $1B+ (2021)
Mammoth Biosciences focuses on the discovery and development of CRISPR-based diagnostic tests and therapeutic tools. By discovering ultra-small CRISPR systems like Cas14 and Casφ through their metagenomics platform, they have opened new potential for in vivo gene therapy.
6. Canva – Melanie Perkins
- Industry: Graphic Design and Visual Communication
- Founded: 2013
- Valuation: $50B (2024)
Canva has “democratized” design by providing a drag-and-drop interface that anyone can use to create presentations, social media graphics, and websites. Operating on a freemium model, it has grown from a simple design tool into a comprehensive visual suite including video editing and print services.
7. Bumble – Whitney Wolfe Herd
- Industry: Social Networking and Dating
- Founded: 2014
- Valuation: $13B (2021)
Bumble is a social networking app where women make the first move, challenging traditional dating dynamics. With over 2.8 million paying users, Bumble Inc. (which also owns Badoo) has become one of the most prominent players in the digital relationship market.
8. Partiful – Shreya Murthy
- Industry: Event Planning and Management
- Founded: 2020
- Valuation: ~$400M (2024)
Partiful is a next-generation event management platform that simplifies the process of creating events and inviting guests via SMS. In 2024, it was recognized by Google as the “Best App of the Year,” highlighting its superior user experience in the social planning space.
9. Little Otter – Dr. Helen Egger & Rebecca Egger
- Industry: Digital Mental Health
- Founded: 2020
Little Otter is a virtual mental health clinic specializing in pediatric care for children aged 0–18 and their families. Founded by a child psychiatrist, the platform emphasizes evidence-based, personalized care including therapy and psychiatry.
10. Blueland – Sarah Paiji Yoo
- Industry: Sustainable Cleaning Products
- Founded: 2019
Blueland is on a mission to eliminate single-use plastics in the cleaning industry. By providing “Forever Bottles” and concentrated tablets that users mix with water at home, the company has prevented over one billion plastic bottles from entering landfills. As of 2024, it continues its rapid expansion with $20 million in new growth investment.
Prepared by Gulzoda Abduhalilova
