Despite systemic barriers that continue to challenge the tech sector, women founders in the UK and Ireland are forging new paths and propelling some of Europe’s most exciting companies to new heights. This year, 20 of the companies featured on the Sifted 100 leaderboard – showcasing the fastest‑growing startups by revenue figures – were founded by women. While female‐led startups in Europe raised only 12% of all VC funding last year (a 12% drop from 2023) and some of the nation’s major scaleups still face gender pay gap challenges, these trailblazers stand as a testament to perseverance, innovation, and leadership.
Below, we highlight the inspiring journeys and achievements of several women founders who are not only breaking glass ceilings but also reshaping their industries:
Murvah Iqbal – Hived
Sector: B2B SaaS (Supply Chain and Logistics) 2025 Rank: 9 Role: Co‑Founder and CEO
Murvah Iqbal co‑launched Hived in 2021 alongside Mathias Krieger, establishing a fully electric parcel delivery network that is rapidly gaining traction. Leading a team of 67 employees, Iqbal has helped secure €36.1 million in funding. Before Hived, she honed her marketing expertise in the food sector at Archie’s and later pioneered an advertising‑enabled van startup, Vanvas. Her vision continues to drive innovation in sustainable logistics.
Polina Priebe, together with her husband Chris Priebe, founded the HR tech platform Zelt in 2021. As CPO, she leads the development of a comprehensive suite of HR services – including onboarding, payroll, and expense management – and has guided the startup to secure €9.3 million in funding. Polina’s prior experience in product management at consumer intelligence firm Gfk and social listening platform Talkworker further reinforces her adeptness in shaping innovative HR solutions.
With over 14 years of experience in finance and consultancy, Michelle He is a serial entrepreneur who launched two fintech ventures in 2020: the loan intelligence platform Render and the digital lending platform Abound. As COO of Abound, she has played a pivotal role in helping the company secure £250 million in debt funding from Deutsche Bank, demonstrating her ability to scale fintech operations in challenging market conditions.
Lourdes Agapito co‑founded the AI‑video communications platform Synthesia in 2017 along with Victor Riparbelli, Steffen Tjerrild, and Matthias Niessner. Backed by cutting‑edge generative AI technology, Synthesia is valued at $2.1 billion and has grown to employ 198 people. With an academic background and a professorship at University College London, Agapito continues to bridge the gap between deeptech research and market‑ready innovations.
Amy Rushby – Carmoola
Sector: Fintech (Lending) 2025 Rank: 23 Role: Co‑Founder and Director of Product and Operations
Amy Rushby co‑founded car loan platform Carmoola in 2021 alongside a diverse team, and now serves as its director of product and operations. Having previously founded a children’s entertainment company in 2015 and led product at rental marketplace Movebubble, she recently contributed to Carmoola’s achievement of securing £100 million in debt funding from NatWest. Her entrepreneurial spirit and operational expertise continue to drive growth in the fintech lending space.
Yingyan Hu co‑founded the e‑SIM provider Holafly in 2018 with Pedro Máiquez. Under her leadership, the company has grown exponentially to a workforce of over 520 employees. Hu’s prior management roles in adtech and online media have equipped her with the skills to scale Holafly rapidly and meet growing global demand for innovative telecom solutions.
Mikela Druckman – Greyparrot.AI
Sector: Climate Tech (Waste Management) 2025 Rank: 40 Role: Co‑Founder and CEO
Mikela Druckman co‑founded waste intelligence platform Greyparrot.AI in 2019 alongside Marco Paladini, Ambarish Mitra, and Nikola Sivacki. With a career that spans consultancy and augmented reality at Blippar – where she served as Chief Commercial Officer – Druckman now leads Greyparrot.AI as CEO. The company has raised over €32.2 million and is redefining waste management through intelligent, technology‑driven solutions.
Electra Coutsoftides – Xworks AI
Sector: Climate Tech (Waste Management) 2025 Ranking: 41 Role: Co‑Founder and CEO
Electra Coutsoftides co‑founded Xworks AI in 2020 with Alexander Hall. Xworks AI is innovating how recyclable commodities are tracked, verified, and valued. With prior experience in waste management and recycling commodities, Coutsoftides leverages industry expertise to secure early-stage funding of just under €300,000, laying the groundwork for future growth.
Formerly a social media influencer and reality TV personality on “Made in Chelsea,” Eliza Batten co‑founded the secondhand women’s fashion marketplace The Cirkel in 2021. Batten’s vibrant personality and deep industry insights have been central to building a platform that uniquely caters to the growing trend of sustainable, pre‑loved fashion.
Dr. Mridula Pore – Peppy Health
Sector: Healthtech (Wellbeing) 2025 Ranking: 45 Role: Co‑Founder and Non‑Executive Director
Dr. Mridula Pore co‑founded Peppy Health in 2018 as an employee benefits platform focused on digital healthcare. With a strong background in consultancy and financial services, Pore helped launch gender‑specific healthcare offerings and continues to contribute as a non‑executive director while also engaging in angel investing to support new ventures in healthtech.
Shelley Copsey – Fyld
Sector: B2B SaaS (Construction Tech) 2025 Rank: 51 Role: Co‑Founder, CEO, and Director
Shelley Copsey founded construction site management platform Fyld in 2020 with Karl Simons. Previously involved with spinouts at PwC and Data61 (Australia’s CSIRO), Copsey now leads a team of 35 employees. Fyld has raised €41.7 million to date and is transforming construction management through innovative B2B SaaS solutions.
After beginning her career as a business analyst at Goldman Sachs, Megha Chaturvedi co‑founded travel platform Journee with Ed Tribe and James Gillard. As its CPO, she leverages her engineering background and MBA to drive product innovation. Journee’s unique approach to travel has attracted €4 million in funding and continues to disrupt the consumer travel space.
Shanshan Xu co‑founded MV.Health in 2014 alongside Dr. Soum Rakshit, Stephanie Alys, and Robert Weekly, developing FDA‑registered sexual health devices. Currently serving as CFO, Xu brings experience from previous ventures and helps steer MV.Health’s strategic financial planning as it expands its reach in the consumer health market.
Cat Jones – Byway
Sector: Consumer (Travel) 2025 Rank: 61 Role: Founder and CEO
Cat Jones is the visionary behind Byway, a travel platform offering flight‑free holiday experiences. With a career spanning international development and leadership roles at Unruly and Founders Factory, Jones has attracted a £5 million Series A investment led by notable backers such as Heartcore Capital, Eka Ventures, and Hermesa. Her dynamic leadership continues to redefine the travel industry.
Nina Briance – Cult Mia
Sector: Consumer (Retail) 2025 Rank: 62 Role: Founder and CEO
Nina Briance transitioned from a finance career to entrepreneurship during her MBA at London Business School, where she founded luxury fashion marketplace Cult Mia in 2019. Recognized with LBS’s startup award, Cult Mia has secured seed funding from investors including Fuel Ventures and H&M Group Ventures, catalyzing its impact on the high‑end retail segment.
Caroline Seton co‑founded Forest, an innovative e‑bike app, with Agustin Guilisasti and Michael Stewart in 2020. Starting as head of growth and strategy, she now serves as the company’s chief legal officer. Forest has raised €46.2 million to date, driving forward sustainable mobility solutions.
Ava Vaughan co‑founded Juro, a contract management system, alongside Richard Mabey. Now serving as COO, she plays a central role in managing operations and scaling the company, which has raised €40.1 million and grown to a robust team of 62 employees.
Leaders Who Have Moved On
Some remarkable women founders from previous editions of the Sifted 100 have since ventured into new roles:
Stephanie Alys (formerly at MV.Health) now directs entrepreneurship at climate tech accelerator Carbon13 and serves on advisory boards such as that of the Vagina Museum.
Sophie Adelman (Multiverse) helped build the UK’s first edtech unicorn before moving on to launch and exit her own venture, One Garden, and now advises emerging founders.
Aleksandra Woźniak (Cleo) was instrumental in the early growth of Cleo before joining Form3 as head of engineering, leveraging her technical expertise to drive digital banking innovation.
Stephanie Leung (Tiney) has diversified her portfolio as a venture partner at LocalGlobe and founded KareHero, a platform dedicated to supporting adult carers.
Celebrating Resilience and Innovation
The remarkable achievements of these women founders are a strong reminder that, despite systemic challenges such as lower VC funding shares and persistent gender pay gaps, determination and innovative thinking continue to drive success. As the landscape evolves, these leaders are not only building cutting‑edge companies but are also inspiring a more inclusive and dynamic European startup ecosystem.
If you’re a woman professional working in a startup, Sifted is currently conducting a survey to gain further insights into your experience. Participation is completely anonymous and only takes a few minutes.
