15 Amazing Female Founded Companies to Watch in 2018

The startup world does not seem to favor women.

A study by Crunchbase, early this year found that women started only 17% of startup companies in the United States in 2016.

However, there have been outliers.

Here are some of the top female founded companies to watch in the coming year. These companies and founders will help inspire you if you are a woman with a business idea.

Katrina Lake | Stitch Fix

Five years ago, Katrina had a desire to participate in the fashion industry. She went ahead to create Stitch Fix, a company that provides personal styles to all people.

This year, the company listed in the NASDAQ raising $120 million giving it a total valuation of more than $2 billion.

The company has more than 4000 employees and double-digit revenue growth since inception.

Shivani Siroya | Tala

A few years ago, Shivani Siroya traveled to Africa. There, she saw the tremendous potential in the financial industry.

She went ahead to start a company called Tala that provides loans to people through the mobile phone. Today, the company serves customers in Kenya and Tanzania.

It has raised more than $44 million from the likes of Lowercase Capital, Aslanoba Capital, and Data Collective.

Arianna Huffington | Thrive Global

Years ago, Arianna Huffington started a website called Huffington Post. Today, this has become one of the biggest left-leaning platforms.

She sold the company to AOL, part of Verizon, for more than $300 million.

Recently, she started a health and wellness company called Thrive Global that provides its services to individuals and corporations.
So far, the company employs more than 20 people. It has received more than $30 million in venture funding.

Prominently, Arianna serves on the board of Uber.

Leah Busque | TaskRabbit

In 2008, Leah Busque, a then-employee at IBM started a company called TaskRabbit.

The company went ahead to revolutionize the errand industry. It raised more than $38 million in venture funding before being acquired by IKEA, the giant furniture company.

Before the acquisition, the company had about 50 employees and thousands of contractors who provided their services to more than 5 million people each year.

Katherine Ryder | Maven Clinic

In 2014, Katherine Ryder noticed a problem in the country. There was no reliable online platform specializing in women issues.

She went ahead to start a company called Maven Clinic that connects women with certified doctors, nutritionists, and dietitians.

So far, the company has received more than $15 million in funding. It employs more than 20 employees and serves thousands of customers every month.

Liz Wessel | WayUp

For students and fresh graduates, a common challenge when applying for a job is the experience part. As a new graduate, you do not have the experience required by the employers.

Liz Wessel started WayUp in 2014 to connect students and fresh graduates with companies in need of interns.

So far, the company has raised more than $27 million from venture funds. It employs more than 30 employees.

It has scooped customers like Facebook, Twitter, and Google.

Shan Lyn Ma | Zola

Weddings are awesome.

But, getting the right gift to couples is always tricky.

Shan Lyn Ma wanted to solve this problem by creating Zola, a wedding registry. Today, the company lists thousands of gifts ideal for wedding couples.

The company has raised more than $40 million from venture firms and has seen double digits growth since its founding in 2013.
The company employs more than 20 people and expects to expand in other wedding areas like service provider listings.

Ann Wojcicki | 23andMe

Traditionally, the DNA analysis industry used to be a complex and expensive one. To get data, you had to go to a hospital or DNA facility and wait for several days.

In 2006, Ann Wojcicki started 23andMe to solve this problem and help people study their ancestry, genealogy, and inherited traits.
To get data, all the customers need to do is register and send a sample. The data is sent back within a few days.

In all this, they pay just $99.

The company has so far raised more than $400 million. It employs more than 500 employees.

Fun fact. Ann is married to Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin.

Jen Rubio and Steph Korey | Away

The world is becoming a more connected place.

Jen Rubio and Steph Korey wanted to solve a complex yet ignored problem. Luggage bags are all the same.

They started Away Travel to provide what they call the ‘perfect’ luggage bag, which is made from the best materials.

The company has raised more than $30 million from venture firms. It employs more than 50 employees.

Amy Chang | Accompany

For companies, getting the right candidate is always difficult.
Many times, companies have employed the wrong people based on the data captured in their resumes.

Amy Chang, through her company, wants to change this.

Accompany will use Artificial Intelligence to match companies with the right employees. It will also use AI to help marketers get their message to the right people.

The company has already raised more than $40 million from VCs.
Before starting the company, Amy worked at Google and eBay.

Sallie Krawcheck | Ellevest

The finance industry is one of the largest in the country. It employs millions of people.

The challenge is, most people in finance are all men.

As a result, there is a need for financial services tailored for women. This is the problem Sallie Krawcheck wanted to solve with Ellevest.

Ellevest is an online investment company that provides women with investment solutions.

The company, which was started in 2014, has raised more than $40 million. It employs more than 20 financial advisors and serves more than a million women.

Rachel Rodin | Viyet

Buying quality high-end furniture is not only expensive but also challenging.

Rachel Rodin and her team wanted to make furniture and furnishings consigning easy. They started Viyet in 2012.
To date, the company has become an ideal destination for people who want to buy unique and beautiful pre-owned furniture pieces.
The company has attracted more than $7.2 million in venture funding.

Alexandra Friedman and Jordana Kier | Lola

Each month, most women experience their periods. No one loves it.

Alexandra Friedman and her friend Jordana Kier wanted to make the period a bit better. They started a company called Lola that provides tampons, liners, and pads. The company has also created cramp care supplements.

Of course, this is a highly competitive industry controlled by oligopolies like P&G and Kimberly Clark. Lola’s strategy is to use social media and delivery technology to build a community.

So far, the company has raised more than $11 million. It has less than 10 employees.

Georgina Gooley | Billie

One of the most successful startups in the country is the Dollar Shaving Club, which was acquired by more than Unilever for $1 billion.

Georgina Gooley’s new company Billie is similar to DSC with the difference being that it is targeted towards women.

The company was founded a few months ago and has already scooped more than $1.5 million in funding.

Kathryn Minshew, Melissa McCreery, and Alexandra Cavoulacos | The Muse

There are many job sites out.

In 2011, Kathryn Minschew, Alexandra Cavoulacos, and Melissa McCreery wanted to start a company in this space that differentiates itself from the hundreds of job boards in the market.

They started The Muse, a company that lists jobs for companies like Facebook and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Its differentiating characteristic is that it provides applicants with the inner-workings of the company.

The company has so far raised more than $28 million from VCs.

We can learn several things from these women. First, they all started and succeeded companies that appear to have very simple products. Second, their starting was not easy, especially when they went to raise capital. Third, most of them had to make sacrifices to succeed. For example, Leah Busque had to quit a high-paying job at IBM to start her company.