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Innovators & Disruptors: Female Founders Defining 2025

Katerina Spranger, Founder of Oxford Heartbeat

It’s well known that securing investment as a female founder is challenging. Raising awareness is crucial to shifting this narrative within both the start-up and investment ecosystems and I think that one of the most powerful ways to drive this change is by highlighting female success stories, proving to other women that they, too, can break barriers and build thriving businesses.

This is the mission of Off the Record, to spotlight the women rewriting the playbook, launching ground-breaking ventures, and leading exceptional teams from idea to exit.


In 2024, several UK-based female entrepreneurs and leaders made significant strides in the start-up ecosystem. Let’s take a look at their incredible businesses that are bringing life changing technology and innovation to the UK and beyond.

 

1.Professor Charlotte Williams – Founder of Econic

 

In 2011, Professor Charlotte Williams founded Econic, a company that’s working to make everyday products like mattresses and insulation more eco-friendly. They’ve developed a way for manufacturers to turn waste carbon dioxide (CO₂) into useful materials, which helps reduce the carbon footprint of these products by about 30%. Since starting, Econic has raised £50 million in funding (crazy.. I know!) and continues to shake up the plastics and materials industry. 


By turning CO₂ into valuable materials, they’re helping companies produce sustainable plastics, foams, and coatings without relying on fossil fuels. This innovative approach is pushing the industry toward more environmentally-friendly manufacturing practices.

 
2.Professor Esther Rodriguez-Villegas – Founder and CEO of Acurable



Acurable, founded in 2016 by Professor Esther Rodriguez-Villegas, is revolutionising the way sleep apnoea is diagnosed and managed. The company developed the AcuPebble, a small, wearable device that monitors sleep apnoea from the comfort of your home, providing a non-invasive and convenient alternative to traditional sleep studies. 


The device gained clinical validation from the NHS in 2019, cementing its credibility in the healthcare industry, and later received FDA clearance in 2021, allowing it to be used in the U.S. market. Acurable has secured £12 million in funding to date, which is enabling the company to expand its impact and bring this life-changing technology to even more patients and is improving the way people with sleep apnoea are diagnosed and treated.


3. Sarah Ellerby – CEO of Nova Pangaea Technologies


Under Sarah Ellerby’s leadership, Nova Pangaea Technologies is transforming waste into a solution for cleaner air travel. The company takes agricultural and forestry waste and turns it into bioethanol and biochar, two important materials used to create sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This fuel helps reduce the carbon footprint of flying, making air travel more environmentally friendly. 


Nova Pangaea is working with British Airways and LanzaJet to build a new plant that will produce 102 million litres of SAF each year, a huge step toward cleaner skies. Since launching in 2014, the company has raised around £16 million to support its work. With this funding, Nova Pangaea is scaling up its operations and pushing forward with technology that could help make aviation more sustainable for the future.


4. Eleanor Lightbody – CEO of Luminance



Eleanor Lightbody leads  Luminance, a company that's using cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) to help businesses create and review legal contracts faster and more accurately. Luminance's technology is already being used by major companies like Tesco and AB InBev, making the process of managing contracts more efficient and less time-consuming. 

Instead of lawyers spending hours sifting through lengthy documents, Luminance’s AI tools can quickly analyse and highlight key points, saving time and reducing human error. In 2023, Luminance raised £32 million, bringing its total funding to £75 million. This investment will help the company continue to expand its services and reach more businesses around the world.

 
5. Alexandra French – CEO of Xampla



Alexandra French is the CEO of Xampla, a company on a mission to tackle the environmental impact of single-use plastics. Xampla creates plant-based materials that can replace traditional plastics in products like food packaging and dishwasher tablets. Their innovative approach is a step forward in reducing plastic waste and its harmful effects on the planet. 


With growing concern over the environmental damage caused by plastics, Xampla’s sustainable materials offer a cleaner, greener alternative for industries that rely heavily on plastic packaging. As CEO, Alexandra is leading the charge in developing and scaling up these environmentally-friendly materials, helping reduce our reliance on harmful plastic products – something we all need to try harder with! 

 

6. Dr. Fiona Withey – Co-founder and CEO of TrakCel


Dr. Fiona Withey co-founded TrakCel in 2012 to solve a critical challenge in the world of cell and gene therapy treatments. TrakCel develops software that helps track and manage these highly personalized therapies, ensuring that patient-specific treatments are accurately delivered. 


This is crucial because gene and cell therapies are often tailored to individual patients, and any mistakes in handling or tracking can have serious consequences. Thanks to Dr. Withey’s leadership, TrakCel has raised £7 million to grow its innovative solutions. The company’s technology is helping streamline the complex logistics of these advanced treatments, making personalised medicine more reliable and accessible.

 
7. Katerina Spranger – Founder and CEO of Oxford Heartbeat


Katerina Spranger founded Oxford Heartbeat, a medical technology company focused on improving the safety and precision of brain surgeries. Their flagship product, PreSize Neurovascular, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help doctors plan and perform complex brain implant surgeries with greater accuracy. 


This is particularly important in neurovascular procedures, where precision can make the difference between success and complications. Katerina’s groundbreaking work in medical AI earned her the Princess Royal Silver Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2024. As a leader in the field of medical innovation, Katerina is helping to shape the future of brain surgery, making procedures safer and more effective for patients.


8. Emma Obanye – Founder and CEO of OneTech



Emma Obanye is the founder and CEO of OneTech, a program dedicated to helping entrepreneurs from underserved communities

succeed in the tech world. OneTech provides mentorship, training, and resources to entrepreneurs who might not otherwise have access to the networks and funding needed to grow their businesses. Emma’s passion for diversity in tech also led her to co-found BuddyBounce, a platform that connected fans with their favourite celebrities, which was successfully acquired in 2016. In 2019, Emma was recognized as one of the 100 BAME leaders shaping the tech sector. Through her work with OneTech, Emma continues to support and empower underrepresented entrepreneurs, making the tech industry more inclusive and accessible to all.

 

These leaders highlight the dynamic contributions of female entrepreneurs in the UK's start-up landscape, driving innovation and fostering diversity across several sectors. Definitely ones to watch in 2025!

 

 

Author – Ella Bramhall 

 

 

Please note that these views are entirely my own and do not reflect any endorsements or affiliations.

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