Recap 2025: 5 Women-led Startups that Raised Big Bucks this Year

By: WE Staff

As 2025 comes to a close, we look back at women’s achievements throughout the year. In the following article, we highlight five women-led startups that raised significant investment in 2025. From Giva Jewellery to OfBusiness, meet these innovative brands that won over investors. 

In 2025, Indian women-led startups emerged as a strong and visible force in the country’s funding landscape, reflecting a clear shift in investor confidence and market maturity. According to startup intelligence platforms such as Tracxn, women-led ventures now account for over 7,000 active startups in India, representing roughly 7–8 percent of the overall startup ecosystem. Collectively, women-founded companies have raised over $26 billion in funding to date, with 2025 recording a noticeable uptick in both the number of deals and the size of growth-stage rounds.

The year saw several high-value fundraises across consumer brands, fintech, enterprise technology, and healthcare, signalling that women founders are increasingly leading scalable, revenue-driven businesses. Compared to earlier years, 2025 marked a rise in late-stage and follow-on funding for women-led firms, backed by stronger financial discipline, clearer paths to profitability, and sustained market demand. Consumer-facing segments such as beauty, jewellery, and digital-first brands continued to dominate funding activity, while women-led startups in SaaS and financial services also gained investor traction.

Women Entrepreneurs Review Magazine highlights five remarkable women founders whose fundraising achievements in 2025 stand out as defining milestones for India’s evolving startup ecosystem.

Nikita Prasad - GIVA Jewellery

Nikita Prasad, a NIFT graduate and Founder & CEO of GIVA Jewellery, brings together design expertise and entrepreneurial vision to shape one of India’s fastest-growing digital-first fine jewellery brands. She has been central to driving GIVA’s creative direction, product innovation, and brand positioning in the affordable luxury segment. From its online-first beginnings, GIVA has successfully built a strong omnichannel presence, with over 100 retail stores across India.

In June 2025, GIVA raised ₹530 crore (approximately $61.5 million) in a Series C funding round, reflecting strong investor confidence in the brand’s scale, execution, and market potential. The funding marked a major growth milestone, enabling GIVA to accelerate retail expansion, deepen product offerings, and strengthen brand visibility nationwide while continuing to grow its loyal and expanding customer base.