Top 7 Female-Founded Unicorns

Starting a business as a woman is no easy feat. There are many challenges, from securing funding to balancing personal and professional life, not to mention the pesky “imposter syndrome” that seems to affect them more. 

Looks pretty exhausting, huh? But good news! More and more women are breaking barriers and creating successful startups.

‍

‍

Between 2020 and 2021, the number of female-founded unicorns quadrupled! In just one year, the number went from 18 to 83 of the 595 new unicorns. And since 2022, there have already been 124 companies created by women valued at over a billion dollars. Impressive!

Where are these entrepreneurs shining the most? In technology mostly, but also health, addressing issues that affect half the population and that, for years, were ignored. Menopause, reproductive challenges, and pelvic inflammatory disease are finally taken seriously thanks to these leaders who decided to take these issues into their own hands.

Fun fact: Sweden and Eastern Europe are home to many of these unicorns. It’s not at all crazy to think that the work-life balance policies of the Nordic countries have something to do with it.

‍

‍

So what do these incredible women have in common?

• Resilience and unwavering confidence: They have overcome gender biases and believe in their power to overcome any obstacle.
• Diverse backgrounds: Though many have STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degrees, especially in health and technology.
• Diverse origins: A significant percentage are immigrants, which could be due to their ability to overcome difficulties in challenging environments. 
• Leadership and vision: They have become role models, drawing attention to important issues, and setting the agenda in an industry still dominated by men.

‍

7 Female-Founded Unicorns

‍

Are you ready to meet these entrepreneurs and their unicorns? 

‍

1. Coursera: Founded by Daphne Koller in 2012, Coursera is an online learning platform offering courses, certificates, and degree programs from top universities and companies worldwide. Market capitalization: $2.7 billion (Sept. 5, 2023). Daphne Koller was inspired to co-found Coursera in 2012 by her desire to share the educational resources she created at Stanford University with the rest of the world, providing universal access to the world's best education.

‍

2. Athelas: Co-founded by Deepika Bodapati in 2016, Athelas develops AI-driven tools for remote monitoring of chronically ill patients. Valuation: $1.5 billion (January 2022). Bodapati emphasized the importance of listening to patients and understanding their needs. She read every support ticket and engaged with patients to improve the product and service, which helped Athelas build a strong reputation and loyal customer base

‍

3. Bumble: Founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014, Bumble is a dating app that emphasizes women making the first move. Market capitalization: $33.2 billion (Sept. 5, 2023). Wolfe Herd led the company’s IPO, becoming the youngest woman to take a company public and the youngest woman to become a billionaire. Herd was named as one of 2017’s and 2018’s Forbes 30 Under 30 and one of America’s Self-Made Women.

‍

4. Nubank: Co-founded by Cristina Junqueira in 2013, Nubank is a digital financial platform aiming to simplify banking. Market capitalization: $33.2 billion (Sept. 5, 2023). Cristina is the first Latin American woman to have become a self-made multimillionaire and the first Brazilian executive to be acknowledged by Fortune in their 40 Under 40 list.

‍

5. Houzz: Co-founded by Adi Tatarko, an Israeli inmigrant in 2009, Houzz is a home design and remodeling platform. Valuation: $4 billion (June 2017).  Houzz is the highest-valued business in the United States run by a female founder.

‍

6. Maven Clinic: Founded by Kate Ryder, Maven Clinic is a healthcare platform focused on women's and family health. Valuation: Over $1 billion. Ryder has been recognized for her entrepreneurial achievements, including being named to Fast Company's list of Most Creative People in Business, TIME Magazine's The Boss series, Inc's Female Founder's 100 list, Fortune's 40 under 40 for Healthcare, and Fierce Healthcare's Women of Influence.

‍

7. Canva: Founded by Melanie Perkins in 2013, Canva is an intuitive online design platform that offers easy-to-use tools and templates to create stunning visuals without prior design experience. Its valuation is $25 billion (March 2023). At one point, when trying to fundraise for Canva, she got rejected by 100 VCs. In 2022, Fortune magazine wrote Canva was “the world’s most valuable startup founded and led by a woman.”

‍