In a week where global venture capital remained cautious, female-founded startups across Europe stood out, securing over £23 million in fresh funding from April 14 to 21, 2025. This momentum comes despite the persistent challenges women entrepreneurs face in accessing venture capital. A recent report revealed that female-led startups still receive a disproportionately small share of VC investment. Yet, they continue to push boundaries, especially in deep tech, raising an impressive €5.76 billion in 2024.
From AI and healthtech to sustainability and marine innovation, these founders are not only building impactful solutions but also shaping a more inclusive and resilient startup ecosystem. The past week saw a wave of new funding rounds across verticals.
Below, we spotlight 10 female-led companies that secured fresh capital, a testament to the growing force of women innovators across Europe and the diverse technologies they’re bringing to market.
Wsense (Italy) – €7.2M
Founder/s: Chiara Petrioli
Founded year: 2012
Recent funding: €7.2M
Rome-based Wsense brings the Internet of Things underwater. Originating as a spin-off from Sapienza University of Rome, it has developed patented technologies enabling wireless communication and real-time data exchange at depths up to 3,000 meters. Utilising acoustic and optical signals, Wsense’s platform supports a range of applications, including environmental monitoring, aquaculture, energy, and cultural heritage preservation. Their interoperable systems integrate various underwater sensors and autonomous vehicles, facilitating extensive surveillance and data collection in marine environments.
Last week, the company announced a €7.2 million funding round led by CDP Venture Capital and joined by Defcom and Progress Tech Transfer. The capital will help scale their underwater monitoring platform, expand their R&D team, and position Wsense as a key player in the global blue economy.
Portia AI (UK) – £4.4M
Founder/s: Emma Burrows, Mounir Mouawad
Founded year: 2024
Total funding: £4.4M
Portia AI is a UK-based startup developing a platform that enables businesses to deploy AI agents with human oversight. Their system allows companies to build and manage AI agents that can automate tasks while ensuring that humans remain in control. This approach aims to bridge the gap between AI automation and human decision-making, providing a balance between efficiency and accountability. The platform is designed to be accessible to non-technical users, allowing them to create and manage AI agents without extensive programming knowledge. Portia AI’s goal is to make AI more usable and trustworthy for businesses by combining automation with human governance.
Recently, the company raised £4.4 million in a pre-seed funding round co-led by Firstminute Capital and General Catalyst. The investment will be used to expand the team and further develop their platform, which enables businesses to deploy AI agents with human oversight, ensuring a balance between automation and human control.
Vizzy (UK) – £3.65M
Founder/s: Jess Woodward-Jones, Chris Woodward-Jones, Joe Woodward
Founded year: 2020
Total funding: £3.65M
Recruitment platform Vizzy aims to replace traditional CVs with personalised profile pages. The platform addresses concerns around AI-generated CVs, which often misrepresent candidates’ true strengths and personalities, and enables job seekers to showcase achievements and personality traits, including through psychometric tests and multimedia content like GIFs. The company has been adopted by major firms like Burberry, Virgin Group, and Louis Vuitton.
Recently, Vizzy snapped £3.65 million in a funding round led by British investment syndicate Adjuvo. The investment will support further product development and global expansion. Already present in the US, Asia, Europe, and the UK, the company is set to launch in 62 languages by May. While popular among Gen Z, it is increasingly used for senior roles as well.
beSirius (Netherlands) – €3M
Founder/s: Anastasia Kuskova, Sergey Tyan, Seva Martynov
Founded year: 2022
Total funding: €3M
Dutch cleantech startup beSirius is revolutionising sustainability management in the metals and mining industry with its AI-powered ‘sustainability twin. This platform streamlines the collection, analysis, and sharing of sustainability data, aiming to reduce the time spent on data management by up to 80%. It addresses the unique challenges faced by sustainability teams in complex industrial sectors, providing tailored tools to enhance efficiency and drive impactful change.
Last week, this AI-powered sustainability intelligence platform for metals, mining, and heavy industries raised €3 million in a seed funding round led by NAP (formerly Cavalry Ventures), with participation from Fund F, Techstars, Blackwood, WEPA Ventures, and Golden Egg Check. This funding will accelerate product development and deepen integrations with supply chains, auditors, and financial institutions, replacing static sustainability reporting with real-time intelligence that informs deals, procurement, and strategic decisions.
Inicio AI (UK) – £2.6M
Founder/s: Andy Smy, Rachel Curtis
Founded year: 2020
Total funding: £2.6M
Inicio AI, a UK-based startup leverages AI to streamline and enhance the mortgage application process. By automating complex administrative tasks, the company aims to make home financing more accessible and efficient for both lenders and borrowers. Their platform integrates seamlessly with existing systems, reducing manual workloads and improving decision-making accuracy. This innovation addresses longstanding inefficiencies in the mortgage industry, offering a modern solution to traditional challenges.
Recently, Inicio AI secured £2.6 million in seed funding led by Midven, Haatch and Rigby Group. The funds will be utilised to enhance the platform’s capabilities, grow the team, and accelerate partnerships with financial institutions, positioning Inicio AI as a key player in the digital transformation of mortgage services.
Habitual (UK) – £1M
Founder/s: Napala Pratini
Founded year: 2019
Total funding: £1M
Habitual is a London-based healthcare company focused on sustainable weight loss and long-term habit change. It offers a holistic program combining GLP-1 weight-loss medication, meal replacement shakes and soups, and personalised support to help individuals reverse type 2 diabetes and address other weight-related issues. As a partner of the NHS, Habitual provides tailored weight management solutions aimed at delivering lasting results.
A few days back, Habitual secured £1 million in funding from Lexham Partners. The investment will be used to accelerate the expansion of its products and services, enhancing its offerings for individuals on their weight loss journeys.
Klaimy (France) – €1.2M
Founder/s: Amira Nakouri, Yazid Hadni, Juan Barragan
Founded year: 2023
Total funding: €1.2M
French AI SaaS platform Klaimy revolutionises medical data processing for health and life insurers. It acts as an AI copilot, transforming complex medical documents into structured insights. Its proprietary models, trained on over 18,000 medical datapoints, identify risk factors, flag inconsistencies, and summarise medical histories, enabling insurers to make faster and more accurate underwriting and claims decisions.
Last week, Klaimy secured €1.2 million in pre-seed funding to expand its engineering and data science teams, enhance product capabilities, and accelerate its commercial rollout across Europe. The round was led by Insurtech Gateway, with participation from U-Investors, Tenity, and strategic angel investors with insurance expertise.
H’ability (France) – €1.2M
Founder/s: Bérengère Henrion, Marie-Odile Mckeeney
Founded year: 2021
Total funding: €1.2M
Revolutionising neuro-rehabilitation through immersive virtual reality, H’ability’s portable, controller-free VR system offers gamified therapy sessions designed to improve motor and cognitive functions in patients recovering from strokes, trauma, or neurological disorders. By integrating hand-tracking technology and customisable exercises, H’ability enhances patient engagement, reduces pain perception, and fosters autonomy in rehabilitation, both in clinical settings and at home.
H’ability secured €1.2 million in funding from private investors and financial institutions, including Bpifrance, Banque Populaire, and CIC. This capital infusion will enable the company to expand its presence in healthcare facilities across France, prepare for international market entry, and advance technical developments to make rehabilitation more motivating and accessible.
Finch 3D (Sweden) – €1M
Founder/s: Pamela Nunez Wallgren, Jesper Wallgren
Founded year: 2019
Total funding: €1M
Finch 3D is a Stockholm-based startup digitising the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Its platform uses AI to automate and optimise building design workflows, enabling architects to generate layout options based on site constraints, regulations, and user needs. By simplifying complex design processes, Finch helps reduce time, errors, and costs in early-stage planning, aiming to revolutionise a traditionally slow-moving trillion-dollar industry with smarter, faster tools.
Recently, Finch 3D raised €1 million in funding led by new investor Ampli Ventures and supported by existing investors Inventure, Loop Capital, Loop Venture, and Emil Sjödin. It will fuel Finch’s mission to transform the architectural design process through advanced AI technologies.
Sakura (Sweden) – $270K
Founder/s: Elin Breitholtz, Lina Kantola
Founded year: 2022
Recent funding: $270K
Sakura is a Swedish platform dedicated to making emotional health resources accessible through a marketplace of online sessions. Users can book sessions on various topics with professional coaches, promoting a community focused on emotional well-being. Sakura’s goal is to ensure everyone has access to mental health support, helping individuals feel less isolated.
The startup has recently secured pre-seed funding of $270K from 8 Media Ventures to expand its operations and enhance its platform. This investment will enable Sakura to reach a broader audience, develop new features, and strengthen its network of professional coaches, furthering its mission to make emotional health support more accessible.
UNOMR (Switzerland) – CHF 150K
Founder/s: Julia Wagner, Julian Hengsteler, Til Schlotter
Founded year: 2023
Recent funding: CHF 150K
Swiss biotech startup UMOMR pioneers a novel approach to proteomics analysis. Its technology enables the study of proteins directly from tissue without the need for complex sample preparation. This innovation improves accuracy, reduces processing time, and enhances scalability for pharmaceutical research and diagnostics. UNOMR’s method opens new possibilities for understanding disease mechanisms and developing targeted therapies through high-resolution protein mapping.
The company has secured CHF 150K (nearly $185K) from the Venture Kick initiative. This funding will support the optimisation of its analytical platform, strengthen its intellectual property strategy, and accelerate go-to-market plans. With growing interest from pharmaceutical companies and research institutions, UNOMR is poised to advance the next generation of proteomics tools.
Esgrid (Estonia) – NA
Founder/s: Oksana Tolmatshova, Katrin Isotamm, Ott Ilves
Founded year: 2023
Total funding: NA
Esgrid offers AI-powered solutions for value chain sustainability management. Its platform assists medium-sized enterprises and financial institutions in collecting, analysing, and reporting ESG data, streamlining compliance with environmental, social, and governance standards. By automating supplier assessments and providing actionable insights, Esgrid enables businesses to enhance sustainability practices efficiently and cost-effectively.
The company secured additional funding to expand its offerings from ESG risk management to comprehensive supplier management. The round was led by 2C Ventures, with participation from existing investors Startup Wise Guys, Greenco Ventures, and Lemonade Stand. The capital will support the development of new features, such as an AI-based supplier evaluation template generator. It also aims to further streamline supply chain processes and promote sustainable business practices across Europe.
Synthesia (UK) – NA
Founder/s: Lourdes Agapito, Matthias Niessner, Steffen Tjerrild, Victor Riperbelli
Founded year: 2017
Total funding: NA
A gen AI company for enterprises Synthesia is a digital media platform that allows users to create professional AI-generated videos simply by typing text. The photo-realistic human faces and speech are indistinguishable from real video but without the need for cameras, actors, or expensive film studios. As per the company, users can make polished video presentations in-browser with no professional expertise required from just text. Its technology helps over 50,000 businesses, including Amazon in creating custom AI avatars used in instructional and corporate videos.
A few days back, Adobe made a strategic investment in Synthesia, aiming to integrate its AI video capabilities into Adobe’s suite of creative tools. While the exact amount was not disclosed, this partnership underscores Adobe’s commitment to enhancing its generative AI offerings. The collaboration is expected to accelerate product innovation and expand Synthesia’s reach in the creative industry.
The big picture
Despite ongoing challenges in the VC world, female-founded startups continue to rise, especially in sectors like healthtech, AI, and sustainability. With the UK leading the charge and promising activity in Sweden, Italy, and the Netherlands, the landscape is shifting in favour of more inclusive innovation. Investors would do well to keep a close eye on these high-potential ventures, and they’re not just growing fast, but also reshaping the future.
