UK start-ups shortlisted in global challenge for female founders

Viva Technology has announced the shortlist for its seventh annual Female Founder Challenge, aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs and improving their access to international venture capital funding and networks.

The Female Founder Challenge, organised in partnership with Forvis Mazars, IRIS, Alibaba Group, JCDecaux, and the SISTA collective, seeks to address the funding gap faced by women-led start-ups. Female-founded companies received 20% of venture capital funding in 2024. For those founded exclusively by women, without male co-founders, the share dropped to only 1% of funding and 6% of total deals, according to the Inc. 2025 report.

This year's programme received 536 applications from 83 countries. France contributed the highest number, making up 36.9% of applications, followed by the United States (8.4%), United Kingdom (5.2%), Germany (4.3%) and Canada (3%).

After a selection process led by VivaTech, its partners, and an expert jury, five finalists were chosen to present their solutions at the Female Founder Challenge's grand finale.

Among the finalists is HORMONA from the United Kingdom, which offers an artificial intelligence-driven platform combining at-home testing to assess and manage hormonal health. The company aims to provide a comprehensive solution for women seeking to monitor and treat hormonal issues.

Karolina Löfqvist, Chief Executive Officer of Hormona, co-founded the company in 2020. Driven by her commitment to women's health, Löfqvist said, "The company's goal is to redefine the future of women's health and contribute to advances that mean better health for all women."

Parallel Carbon Ltd, also from the United Kingdom, has developed technology combining direct air capture with electrolysis to produce carbon-negative hydrogen while also isolating pure carbon dioxide. The approach is intended to offer decarbonisation options for industries where reducing emissions is particularly difficult, and to support carbon offsetting efforts.

Aranzazu Carmona Orbezo, founder and Chief Technical Officer of Parallel Carbon, earned a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Manchester. "She is developing an innovative technology that captures CO2 from the air while producing hydrogen, with the goal of eliminating emissions and reversing climate change. Passionate about learning and teaching, she is also a strong advocate for women's rights and actively fights against gender bias."

Radiant Matter, another UK finalist, focuses on environmental sustainability in the textiles sector. The company creates bio-inspired and structurally coloured materials that are non-toxic, biodegradable, and produced without plastics, metals, minerals, or pigments. Its main product, BioSequinTM, is a biodegradable alternative to conventional glitter and has been featured in designer fashion, including use by Stella McCartney in a piece worn by Cara Delevingne in US Vogue.

Founder Elissa Brunato is a materials designer and systems thinker. As described in the press information, "Elissa also co-founded AusBlau Studio, a research lab for material systems and urban ecosystems."

France's finalist, Verley, is a biotechnology firm focusing on alternative dairy proteins through precision fermentation. Its technology is intended to support the environmental transition in the dairy sector, enabling food producers to access functional, sustainable proteins without animal ingredients.

Hélène Briand, the founder of Verley, previously worked in Asia on sustainable agriculture. Briand co-founded the company, formerly known as Bon Vivant, in 2020 before rebranding as Verley in March 2025. "In March 2025, the company renamed itself Verley and launched a range of patented functional proteins, meeting the needs of food manufacturers in terms of nutrition and sustainability."

Completing the shortlist is Virtuosis AI from Switzerland. The start-up uses artificial intelligence to analyse voice during video calls for early signs of burnout, stress, anxiety, and communication issues. The company has developed speech biomarkers that can detect over 25 different mental, cognitive, respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders from 30 seconds of recorded audio.

Lara Gervaise, an AI engineer who co-founded Virtuosis AI in 2019, leads the company. "Invited to the Élysée Palace in 2024 by Emmanuel Macron as one of the 'great French AI talents', Lara campaigns for ethical and inclusive technology, regularly speaking on equality in tech."

The selected finalists are scheduled to present their ideas and businesses, with the winner to be acknowledged at the VivaTech Global Awards Ceremony.

The Female Founder Challenge continues to highlight the funding disparities faced by women-led businesses, and aims to provide crucial connections between female founders and international venture capital.