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Top female founders revealed at Tide everywoman Entrepreneur Awards

Winners came from a range of industries and business stages, including start-ups, established firms and purpose-led businesses.

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Top female founders revealed at Tide everywoman Entrepreneur Awards
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A group of women have been named as the 2025 winners at the Tide everywoman Entrepreneur Awards in association with BGF. 

The event took place on 2nd December 2025 at the Londoner Hotel in Leicester Square, with more than 300 business leaders, investors and supporters of female entrepreneurs in attendance.

Winners came from a range of industries and business stages, including start-ups, established firms and purpose-led businesses.

Research from Tide and everywoman’s Female Business Owners Index 2025 found it had been a challenging year for women-led businesses, with falling consumer spending, inflation and political uncertainty among the most common setbacks. 

Despite this, 67% of female entrepreneurs expected their revenues to grow in the coming year.

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Nicole Goodwin and Sophie Catto, joint managing directors of AllBright everywoman, said: “Female entrepreneurs across the UK are demonstrating extraordinary perseverance, optimism and ambition in one of the toughest business climates in recent years. 

“Female founders are working longer hours and navigating multiple pressure points, yet their determination has never been stronger.

“By bringing together a powerful community of role models, investors, mentors and partners, these awards not only celebrate success stories but actively create them by opening doors to funding, commercial opportunities and strategic support.”

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They added: “This year’s finalists and winners are bold innovators, breaking down deep-rooted barriers for the next generation of female founders. 

“We are immensely proud to celebrate their achievements and champion the unstoppable women who are reshaping the UK’s entrepreneurial landscape.”

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The Woman of the Year award went to Toria Chan and Jules Shiel-Boulger, co-founders of STEPS Rehabilitation from Sheffield. 

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George Schmidt, Tide UK/Europe CEO, said: “This year’s winners and nominees capture exactly what makes female entrepreneurship such a powerful force in the UK. 

“Many women have been navigating tougher conditions, yet the founders recognised today have shown remarkable ambition and creativity in how they are building and growing their businesses.

“The Tide Everywoman Entrepreneur Awards do more than celebrate individual success stories.”

Schmidt added: “They help create the conditions for those successes by giving founders greater visibility, stronger networks and access to opportunities that too many women are still denied.

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“At Tide, we’re committed to helping women-led businesses start, scale and thrive, which is why our partnership with everywoman is so important to us. 

“The founders honoured this year are reshaping their sectors and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs. We’re proud to stand alongside them and support the momentum they are creating.”

The Tide £20,000 grant for an exceptional female-founded SME went to Zoe Williams, founder of Aegle’s from London. 

Gemma Hamilton, head of origination at BGF, said: “At BGF, we’re committed to championing the successes of female founders, which is why we are delighted to be associate sponsor of the 2025 Everywoman Entrepreneur Awards for the fourth year running. 

“It’s so important to recognise the outstanding contribution that talented female founders make to the wider economy. 

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“At BGF, we’re proud to have committed at least £300 million to support female entrepreneurship over the next five years, adding to our £540+ million capital deployment in some of the UK’s most exciting and ambitious female powered businesses to date.”

The Brand of the Future Award, sponsored by the White Company, went to Daisy Knatchbull, founder and CEO of Knatchbull from London. 

The Balance Award went to Rana Righton, managing director of the Gluten Free Bakery from London. 

The Entrepreneur for Good Award, sponsored by Specsavers, went to Ruby Raut, CEO of WUKA Ltd from Welwyn Garden City. 

The International Expansion Award, sponsored by Rathbone Financial Planning, went to Karen Hewitt, chief of retail at Character.com from Swansea. 

The Next Level Award, sponsored by Saffery, went to Charlotte Stagg and Jessica Lancaster, co-founders and CEOs of Coconut Lane UK and Cocopup London from Witney. 

The Scale Up Award, sponsored by BGF, went to Julie Collison, director of Clear Strategy Limited from Dublin. 

The Social Star Award went to Daisy Kelly, founder and CEO of Glow For It from Hammersmith. 

Katy Fridman, founder of Flexible Working People from London picked up the Solopreneur Award.

The Small Enterprise Award, sponsored by Tide, went to Rosie Skuse, founder and CEO of Molto Music Group from London. 

The Tech Innovator Award, sponsored by Farrer & Co, went to Emma O’Brien, founder and CEO of Embridge Consulting from Kent. 

The 2025 winners were chosen by a panel of women in business, VCS and investors, including Chrissie Rucker, Susan Allen, Kelli Aspland, Yvonne Nagawa, Sarah Anderson CBE and Nell Daly.

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