The latest list of the UK’s 100 fastest growing businesses led by women has been announced by E2E and The Independent.
The list is designed to celebrate the businesses that have grown the fastest in the past 3 years, led by inspiring women.
The list comes after research revealed the number of women in UK business is on the rise. In fact, women-owned businesses contribute an impressive £105 billion to the UK’s Gross Value Added (GVA). Overall, businesses owned and managed by women now account for around 13.3% of the UK’s total GVA.
However, according to The Guardian, there are only 10 females FTSE 100 CEOs, making them still severely under-represented in the UK’s top companies.
The rise of women-led businesses worldwide
Internationally, women-led businesses are also growing.
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, female entrepreneurial activity worldwide has increased by 10% in the past year alone, with countries such as the US and Canada leading the way.
According to Wells Fargo, this could be a great thing for the economy, as the growth rate of women-owned businesses outpaced that of men from 2019 to 2023, showing the benefits of women-owned companies.
Top 100 fastest growing companies led by women
Here we look at E2E and The Independent’s top 10 fastest growing women-led businesses and what they’re up to:
1. Darina Garland – Ooni Limited
Changing the world of outdoor cooking with portable pizza ovens, Ooni, founded in 2012, has become a well-known brand promoting quality and innovation in cooking.
2. Alison Doherty – Sarah Raven’s Kitchen & Garden Limited
Since 1999, this brand has expanded from a modest list of seeds to a wide range of high quality gardening products. Known for never compromising on quality, the brand has earned a loyal following of gardening enthusiasts.
3. Fateha Begum – Dare International Ltd
This energy technology company improves liquidity and transparency in key energy markets with advanced trading and data technologies. It is a key player in driving innovation in the energy trading world.
4. Cheryl Williams – Wilderness of Yorkshire
Focused on the conservation and biodiversity of some of the UK’s most endangered animals, Yorkshire Wildlife, established in 2009, plays a major role in environmental education and local sustainability initiatives.
5. Caroline Fox – Twin Training International Limited
Providing English language training and work experience services since 1995, Twin Training is helping more people learn and develop their English skills.
6. Dr. Anji Ma – Faculty Science Limited
Starting in 2014, the Faculty has helped build custom AI solutions to help healthcare providers, retailers, energy providers and governments unlock and harness the power of AI.
7. Katie Wigdal – Speechmatics
Speechmatics has developed a speech recognition API that enables it to understand and translate human speech across a wide range of business demographics worldwide.
8. Esme Bianchi-Barry – Affinity Workforce Solutions Limited
Specializing in recruitment training, Affinity Workforce provides technology-focused staffing for schools, helping them attract and retain the best people.
9. Dominic Kent – Bluecrest Health Screening Limited
Established in 2012, Bluecrest offers affordable and convenient health screenings with a focus on preventative health care. The company has performed 560,000 health checks since its inception, making it a leading provider of health checks.
10. Lucy Hutchinson – Mous Products Ltd
Known for creating highly functional and trendy phone cases, Mous has been creating funky phone cases to help express identity since 2014.
Celebrating Women’s Entrepreneurship
The achievements of these ten leading businesses, among 90 others, show the importance and innovation demonstrated by women leaders across the UK.
These women are paving the way for future generations, showing that innovation, dedication and leadership are at the heart of some of the UK’s fastest growing businesses.
