Female-founded businesses may only get a fraction of all the investment of offer but 78 companies – or 31 per cent – of the Founders 250 list feature have at least one female founder.
The UK-wide list celebrates 250 of the country’s best founder-led and founder-influenced businesses.
To qualify, companies must have a significant UK presence, be cash-generative and have been founded no later than 2024.
RSM UK is the headline sponsor of the Founder 250, alongside law firm CG, property specialist OBI and investor Mercia Ventures.
One of the names on the list is Kate Prince, founder of mission-driven wellness brand Ancient + Brave.
As well as being a B Corp, Ancient + Brave is a member of 1% for the Planet, contributing more than 1% of all revenue to environmental and social causes and making additional donations through its Made By Brave Foundation.
Although not essential, the Founder 250 judges were looking for businesses with a clear purpose, including B Corp status, ESG strategies or a commitment to charity or social impact.
One of the most successful founders on the list is Mia Drennan.
She founded London FinTech GLAS in 2011 with £6k of capital and secured strategic investment from Oakley Capital and La Caisse earlier this year in a £1bn+ deal.
Ruth Percival founded environmental consultancy Contollo Group in 2024 and has grown it to £37m turnover and 230 staff on the back of five acquisitions.
Percival enjoyed a 20-year career in M&A before becoming a first-time founder in her 50s.
Humble Crumble
Kim Innes is the founder of Humble Crumble, a bakery dedicated to Britain’s most-loved dessert, with locations in Old Spitalfields Market, Camden Market, Borough Market, Covent Garden and Bicester Village.
She came up with the idea while standing outside a normally busy ice cream parlour and trying to work out what would attract customers when the sun’s not out.
Helen Cannon is the founder and CEO of ISON Group, one of Europe’s fastest-growing travel management businesses.
A mother of five, she founded ISON in 2013 and has grown it to 130 staff and £68.2m turnover.
Led by husband-and-wife co-founders Olivia Ferdi and Daniel Khoury, TRIP started with an idea around the dining table and has grown into the No. 1 calming brand in the world, with a range of drinks, oils and gummies.
Amy Knight is one of the co-founders of family-run Must Have Ideas, one of the fastest-growing e-commerce retailers in the UK, serving more than 10 million customers.
The business started with just three staff, all packing orders around a kitchen table, but now employs 200 people and has grown turnover to £80m – and it’s been completely bootstrapped.
Note: Every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the information on the list. However, if you spot any errors, please email us here.
| Founder name(s) | Company | Sector | Founded | Location | Region | Full profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail Reid | Merwave | Health & beauty | 2021 | Whitley Bay | North East | Full profile |
| Adam & Kirsty Golder | K9 Jets | Transport | 2022 | Birmingham | Midlands | Full profile |
| Alexa & Richard Sutcliffe | Passenger | Fashion | 2012 | New Milton | South East | Full profile |
| Alice Sagnier & Bridget Chance | EverySkin | Health & beauty | 2021 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Amelia Christie-Miller & Ed Whelpton | Bold Bean Co | Food & drink | 2021 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Amy Moring & Jeff Webster | Hunter & Gather | Food & drink | 2017 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Aneisha Soobroyen & Jack Walker | Scrumbles | Food & drink | 2018 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Anne Louise Dempsey | Anne Louise Boutique | Fashion | 2020 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Bethan Higson | Mother Root | Food & drink | 2019 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Cally Russell, James Sutherland & Hilde Frydnes | This is Unfolded | Fashion | 2021 | Edinburgh | Scotland | Full profile |
| Caroline Grey & Jonathan Horn | Treefera | AI | 2012 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Carrie Rose | Rise at Seven | Agency | 2019 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Charlotte & Sean Ali | Rheal | Health & beauty | 2017 | Sunderland | North East | Full profile |
| Charlotte Figg, Purdy, Charlie & Jack Rubin | Purdy & Figg | Other | 2018 | Chesham | South East | Full profile |
| Chris Finch, Amy & Rob Knight | Must Have Ideas | Retail | 2018 | Aylesford | South East | Full profile |
| Clare Roberts OBE | Kids Planet | Education | 2008 | Lymm | North West | Full profile |
| Dr Peter Leek & Dr Ilana Wisby | Oxford Quantum Circuits | AI | 2017 | Reading | South East | Full profile |
| Dr Somayeh Taheri | UrbanChain | Energy | 2017 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Dr Sonia Szamocki | 01Health | Health & beauty | 2022 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Dr. Megan Rossi & Jon Walsh | Bio & Me | Health & beauty | 2019 | Chester | North West | Full profile |
| Ed Reeves & Rachel Clacher | Moneypenny | Other | 2000 | Wrexham | Wales | Full profile |
| Franky Rousell | Jolie | Other | 2017 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Hayley Roberts | Distology | Cybersecurity | 2014 | Stockport | North West | Full profile |
| Heather & Tom Staff | Street Group | Digital | 2015 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Helen Cannon | ISON Travel | Travel | 2013 | Woking | South East | Full profile |
| Helen Tonks MBE | Hydraulics Online | Engineering | 2004 | Nantwich | North West | Full profile |
| Helena & Simon Hills | TrueStart Coffee | Food & drink | 2015 | Bristol | South West | Full profile |
| Hollie King | Sweet Bee Organics | Health & beauty | 2018 | Frome | South West | Full profile |
| Holly Bennett (nee Moore) | Make Events | Other | 2012 | Wilmslow | North West | Full profile |
| James & Michelle Laithwaite | FuelHub | Food & drink | 2019 | Warrington | North West | Full profile |
| James Mishreki, Phil Wilkinson, Horatio Cary, Mike Passey & Rachel Jones | Skin + Me | Health & beauty | 2018 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Jennifer Atkinson | Travel Seen | Travel | 2021 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Jennifer Davidson | Sleek Events | Other | 2013 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Jess Hunt & Jenna Meek | REFY | Health & beauty | 2020 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Karen Bexley & Anna Beaumont | Bexley Beaumont | Professional services | 2020 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Kate Prince | Ancient & Brave | Health & beauty | 2018 | Lewes | South East | Full profile |
| Kayleigh Atherton | Evolved Business Support | Consultancy | 2021 | Northwich | North West | Full profile |
| Kieran & Emily Harris | Senior Stairlifts | Other | 2019 | Leeds | Yorks & Humber | Full profile |
| Kim Innes | Humble Crumble | Food & drink | 2018 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Laura Earnshaw | myHappymind | Health & beauty | 2016 | Alderley Edge | North West | Full profile |
| Laura Waters & Kelli Aspland | Solar Buddies | Other | 2011 | Cwmbran | Wales | Full profile |
| Liam & Sarah Young | Harper | Fashion | 2016 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Lottie Whyte & Joe Gray | MyoMaster | Health & beauty | 2021 | East Molesey | South East | Full profile |
| Louise Doyle & Steph Scholes | needi | Other | 2021 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Lucie Macleod | Hair Syrup | Other | 2021 | Fishguard | Wales | Full profile |
| Lucy & Ross Menghini | Six Stories | Fashion | 2019 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Malissa & Scott Fraser | Angus & Oink | Food & drink | 2014 | Aberdeen | Scotland | Full profile |
| Marisa Poster, Levi & Teddie Levenfiche | PerfectTed | Food & drink | 2021 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Matt Bigland & Nina Patel-Bigland | Blend Family | Hospitality | 2017 | Sheffield | Yorks & Humber | Full profile |
| Melissa Snover | Get Nourish3d / REM3DY Health Group | Health & beauty | 2019 | Birmingham | Midlands | Full profile |
| Mia Drennan | GLAS | Finance | 2011 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Nadine Merabi | Nadine Merabi | Fashion | 2015 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Nisha Katona MBE | Mowgli Street Food | Food & drink | 2014 | Liverpool | North West | Full profile |
| Olivia Ferdi & Daniel Khoury | Trip | Food & drink | 2019 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Olivia Jenkins, Jack Zambakides & Oli Smithson | D Louise | Other | 2021 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Olivia Prince | Murci | Fashion | 2021 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Paige Louise Williams | P.Louise | Health & beauty | 2014 | Stockport | North West | Full profile |
| Philip Honer & Eleanor Warder | Atis | Hospitality | 2019 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Rachel Capell, Lucy Francis & Jade Howgrave-Graham | Lemon Lane | Other | 2020 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Rohini Sofat & Arjun Sofat | Free Soul | Health & beauty | 2018 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Ruth Percival | Contollo Group | Other | 2024 | Knutsford | North West | Full profile |
| Sam White | Stella Insurance | Professional services | 2020 | Cheadle | North West | Full profile |
| Samantha Faiers & John Bailey | Revive Collagen | Health & beauty | 2020 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Sarah Louise Fairburn | Imp & Maker | Food & drink | 2020 | Coningsby | Midlands | Full profile |
| Sarah Pawson | Fruition / Enablis | Recruitment | 2008 / 2019 | Leeds | Yorks & Humber | Full profile |
| Shelley Copsey & Karl Simons OBE | FYLD | AI | 2020 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Sherry Vaswani | Xalient | Cybersecurity | 2015 | Leeds | Yorks & Humber | Full profile |
| Susie Ma | Tropic Skincare | Health & beauty | 2004 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Suzanne Waring | The Helping Hands Group | Other | 1999 | Blackburn | North West | Full profile |
| Svetlana Tarnagurskaja & Tom Dibble-Burge | Dot Collective | Consultancy | 2021 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Thomas Keighley, Jayel Williams & Holly Hobbs | urfuture | Other | 2023 | Manchester | North West | Full profile |
| Tiffany Thorn | BiVictriX Therapeutics | BioTech | 2016 | Nether Alderley | North West | Full profile |
| Tilly Sveaas | Tilly Sveaas | Other | 2016 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Timothy & Helen Jameson | Express Merchants | Construction | 2017 | Portadown | Northern Ireland | Full profile |
| Tracy Mort MBE | Cole Beauty | Health & beauty | 2007 | Cheadle | North West | Full profile |
| Vicky Ellis & Anastasia Tozer | REHAB. | Health & beauty | 2022 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Victor Riparbelli, Steffen Tjerrild, Prof. Matthias Niessner & Prof. Lourdes Agapito | Synthesia | AI | 2017 | London | Greater London | Full profile |
| Will & Anna Brightman | UpCircle Beauty | Health & beauty | 2016 | London | Greater London | Full profile |