The UK’s digital tech sector is now one of the largest and fastest-growing parts of the economy, yet women remain under-represented at every level. According to BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, women hold around one in five IT specialist roles, while UCAS data shows female students still make up less than a quarter of computer science undergraduates. Role models matter: when women build digital products, services and platforms, they shape more inclusive solutions and show the next generation what is possible.

E-commerce, app development, fintech, healthtech and artificial intelligence are all areas where UK women are building significant businesses. Success in these sectors rarely depends on being able to code alone; it requires marketing insight, problem-solving, resilience, and the ability to assemble the right team and resources. Despite the challenges, the number of female-founded digital businesses is rising, and several UK women have built companies that are now household names or global platforms. Here are some of the UK women currently changing and disrupting the digital economy.

Tania Boler, founder of Elvie

Tania Boler founded Elvie in 2013 after noticing how little innovation existed in women’s health technology. The London-based company launched a connected pelvic-floor trainer, followed by a discreet, wearable breast pump designed around the realities of breastfeeding and returning to work. Elvie has raised significant venture funding, sells in dozens of countries and has helped establish femtech as a serious category within digital health. Boler has spoken openly about the difficulty of securing investment for products aimed at women’s bodies, making her success a case study in persistence and customer insight.

Poppy Gustafsson, former CEO of Darktrace

Poppy Gustafsson co-founded Darktrace while at Cambridge, building a cybersecurity platform that uses machine learning to identify unusual behaviour inside an organisation’s network. The company listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2021 and was acquired by the private-equity firm Thoma Bravo in a deal worth around £4.6 billion in 2024. After stepping down as chief executive, Gustafsson was appointed Minister of State for Investment, where she advises on attracting technology investment to the UK. Her trajectory from start-up founder to government minister illustrates the leadership positions women are now reaching in UK tech.

Sharmadean Reid MBE, founder of Beautystack

Sharmadean Reid opened WAH Nails in Dalston before launching Beautystack, an app that lets beauty professionals manage bookings, showcase their work and build a loyal client base from their phones. The platform puts independent therapists, nail technicians and hairdressers at the centre of the digital economy rather than treating them as a side market. Reid has been an outspoken advocate for more inclusive venture funding and for designing technology with working women in mind. Beautystack has raised multi-million-pound funding rounds and continues to expand its community across the UK.

Priya Lakhani OBE, founder of Century Tech

Priya Lakhani moved from the food industry into education technology when she founded Century Tech. The platform uses artificial intelligence to map how each student learns, automatically adjusting the difficulty and style of content to suit individual needs. It is used by schools across the UK and internationally, with the aim of improving attainment while reducing teacher workload. Lakhani sits on government advisory bodies and is a regular voice in debates about responsible AI. Her work shows how UK founders can combine commercial growth with public-sector impact.

Louise Hill, co-founder of GoHenry

Louise Hill co-founded GoHenry after becoming frustrated by how few tools existed to help children learn about money in a cashless world. The app pairs a prepaid debit card with parental controls, savings goals and interactive financial education. Since launching in the UK, GoHenry has expanded to the United States and was acquired by the investment app Acorns in 2022. Hill’s success demonstrates the scale available to fintech founders who solve everyday family problems, and she continues to advocate for better financial literacy for young people.

Alice Bentinck, co-founder of Entrepreneur First

Alice Bentinck co-founded Entrepreneur First with Matt Clifford in 2011 to help talented individuals find co-founders and build ambitious technology companies from scratch. The London-based programme has since expanded globally and has backed hundreds of start-ups, including companies that have gone on to raise significant funding and, in some cases, reach unicorn status. Bentinck has also launched initiatives to support women into coding and venture capital, recognising that the digital economy needs diverse founders and investors. Her work highlights the importance of infrastructure, not just individual ambition, in creating a more inclusive tech sector.

These women represent different routes into the digital economy: product design, cybersecurity, marketplace apps, education technology, fintech and company building. What they share is a focus on solving real problems for overlooked users and the resilience to keep going through funding rounds, pivots and market shifts. The digital economy is not just about coding; it is about understanding customers, spotting gaps and building teams that can execute. As artificial intelligence, e-commerce and digital services continue to reshape the economy, businesses led by women will be better placed to serve diverse customers. If you are thinking about starting or scaling a digital venture, explore our guides on starting a business and women in tech.