5 Female-Led Brands Making Waves In 2025
Words by Molly Issac
Female-founded brands Australia 2025 are making serious moves — and we couldn’t be more excited. From cult condiments to game-changing podcast platforms, the female-founded brands we’re spotlighting are building real momentum, backed by powerful, unique ideas and authentic stories.
Here’s what the stats tell us: while women-owned businesses in Australia make up just 22% of startups nationwide, the momentum is shifting — and fast. The number of female-founded startups in Australia has surged over the past five years, proving that change isn’t just possible, it’s already underway.
Of course, it hasn’t been easy. This year, women-only founding teams secured less than 0.5% of all capital raised — a frustratingly low figure. However, it only highlights how critical it is to recognise and support the women breaking through.
These are the Australian female entrepreneurs 2025 to watch — women with vision, insight, and lessons worth learning from.
Done Hair
Industry: Hair Care / Beauty
Female founder: Hannah Spilva
Amongst standout Australian women business owners is Hannah Spilva, who is no stranger to building brands that put customers first. After co-founding and selling flower delivery business LVLY for $35 million in 2022, she turned her attention to a common beauty pain point — grey hair coverage that’s slow, expensive, and overly complicated.
Done Hair is her answer — a salon-quality, at-home solution that gets the job done in just 10 minutes. Developed with expert colourists, the kits use natural ingredients like Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, and nourishing oils to keep hair healthy and shiny.
Spilva describes the category as “one of the most compelling repeat purchases in beauty, in a market where there is no clear leader.” She saw the gap and moved fast.
Drawing on her LVLY experience, she’s built Done Hair around convenience — pre-measured kits, step-by-step guides, a “Perfect Match Promise” for shade swaps, and a smart “Ride or Dye Club” subscription model.
Ultimately, this thoughtful, scalable approach simplifies the customer experience, removing friction at every step. By making things easy, Done Hair naturally builds loyalty and long-term brand value.
With pre-seed investment secured and retailers already watching, Done Hair is set to shake up the beauty space.
SOMA Personal Care
Industry: Bodycare
Female Founders: Camille Peressini and Georgie Gilbert
Camille Peressini and Georgie Gilbert reimagined what body care in Australia could look like. After leading skincare and new concepts at Mecca, they knew exactly what premium looked and felt like. Importantly, they saw how far off the uninspired, dated supermarket options were.
Investing $100K of their own money, these female entrepreneurs made it their mission to bring luxury, quality products to the grocery aisle. SOMA Personal Care combines Australian-sourced botanicals, science-backed ingredients, clean formulations, and beautiful packaging — all at an affordable price point at Woolworths.
But this isn’t just a story of good products — it’s one of great instincts. Thanks to creators discovering the brand before it hit the shelves, social media buzz hit early. Seizing the opportunity, SOMA launched fast and sold out. A brand that understood — when momentum strikes, move quickly.
Ultimately, SOMA isn’t just functional. It’s a purpose-driven brand bringing everyday luxury and clean, sustainable values to all Australians. Making high-quality body care accessible is meaningful. For us, SOMA exemplifies how authenticity and intention create genuine connection — the kind that builds loyalty and turns customers into advocates.
Umei
Industry: Food
Female Founder: Sarah Leung
Sarah Leung is doing something truly exciting in the food space with Umei — bringing bold, culturally rich Asian flavours into everyday Aussie kitchens.
Inspired by her Hong Kong heritage and a strong desire to pass that culture on to her two kids growing up in Australia, Leung says, “If I don’t pass on the culture to them, no one’s going to.”
That sense of purpose powers every product in Umei’s standout range of condiments — with yuzu, seaweed-infused, and gochugaru mayos delivering unexpected twists and daring flavours you won’t find anywhere else.
However, Leung is no newcomer. Her previous venture, Alg Seaweed, taught her key lessons — especially about identity. She reflects, “Back then, I tried to fit in. I focused on the product, made pasta dishes, and avoided Asian flavours. This time, I’m doing the opposite.”
Our takeaway? Don’t shy away from what makes you different — lean into it. Grounding your brand in cultural or emotional truth is what sets it apart.
In fact, Umei is taking 2025 by storm. Winning the People’s Choice Award for flavour at the Foodpreneurs Festival’s live tasting, this brand is catching everyone’s attention.
Dome
Industry: Audio Industry / Podcasting
Female Founders: Bella Filacuridi and Sophie Greiner
Winners of the Aussie Red Bull Innovation Challenge, Bella Filacuridi and Sophie Greiner, are set to shape the future of podcasting.
After meeting at an International Women’s Day event, the pair bonded over their love for podcasts. That connection sparked Dome — a podcast platform that offers AI-powered insights for hosts and provides a space for listeners to connect, chat, and contribute directly to content creation. It’s an interactive layer that the audio world has long been missing.
Bella brings digital product strategy and customer experience expertise, while Sophie masters app development — calling Dome a fusion of her passions, “building communities, fostering meaningful conversations, and crafting purposeful product experiences.”
With a clear vision and compelling story, they created a product that met real needs — one that people were eager to rally behind.
Now, fresh off their Aussie win, Dome’s founders are headed to Tokyo for the Red Bull Basement World Final. Watch this space — proof that trusting your instincts can take you anywhere.
On The House
Industry: Feminine Personal Care
Female Founders: Remy Tucker
Some ideas are so smart, you wonder — how did this not exist already? That’s exactly how we felt about On The House, founded by Remy Tucker.
The model is simple but powerful — ‘free period products, paid for by ads, not women.’ Through digital vending machines in public and commercial bathrooms, On The House distributes organic, biodegradable products at no cost to the user — funded entirely by advertisers targeting a female audience.
Tucker speaks on her TikTok, calling it a “negatively priced product” — for every box taken, 10 cents is donated to fight period poverty, especially toward women experiencing homelessness or domestic violence. To put it in perspective, Australians spend nearly $450M a year on period care. If just half of menstruating people used On The House, $4.5M could be redirected annually toward ending period poverty.
This is what happens when a female-first brand goes beyond empowerment — solving real problems, challenging broken systems, and weaving impact into the business model.
It’s also a reminder that thinking outside the box can shift the world. And when women back women’s issues? That’s real power.
Content Marketing Lessons for Female Founders
Storytelling isn’t the extra layer — it is the strategy
Across every brand we’ve looked at — Done Hair, SOMA Personal Care, Umei, Dome, and On The House — there’s one powerful constant — storytelling. Each brand narrative is grounded in identity, personal insight and lived experiences.
Take Spilva’s Done Hair: “Designed with love in Australia, made with passion in Italy.” It builds emotional connection — signalling heritage, quality, and care. Similarly, Umei is rooted in Leung’s Asian heritage, wanting to pass on her culture to future generations.
When brands lead with authentic storytelling, they don’t just attract customers — they build trust.
Lead with purpose and build from lived experience
Each of these female-led companies in Australia started by seeing something missing — and knew they could fix it. Their marketing works because it's rooted in real experiences and a clear purpose.
Ex-Mecca employees behind SOMA knew the frustration of being surrounded by luxury beauty but never finding affordable, convenient options. While Done Hair and On the House tackle women’s issues and unmet needs they’ve experienced firsthand, Dome founders created the kind of supportive podcast community they once craved.
Their tone is personal, and their messaging is intentional. Ultimately, their content reflects a genuine and clear vision set to improve people’s lives.
Building Brands That Care — Sustainability and Ethics in Action
On The House offers organic, biodegradable period products while donating to end period poverty. SOMA and Done Hair use naturally derived, vegan, cruelty-free ingredients — and Umei champions plant-based flavours.
In today’s eco-conscious era, it’s no longer enough to simply offer great products — brands that genuinely commit to sustainability and ethical practices are the ones shaping the future of their industries.
Share early and connect on social media.
SOMA, Dome, and On The House are using social media to forge real connections. Founders speak directly to followers on TikTok, share behind-the-scenes content, and bring people into the journey. Dome runs its own podcast, while Tucker shares weekly “Founder Diaries” for On The House.
Just look at SOMA — early buzz from creators helped fast-track their launch and drive sell-outs. Social media is a powerful tool for fostering loyalty, building excitement, and driving real momentum.
Across Done Hair, SOMA Personal Care, Umei, Dome, and On The House, these incredibly talented female founders are breaking barriers and making waves in Australia in 2025.
They’re proving that purposeful, experience-led brands are the future. They’re not just filling gaps in the market — they’re building businesses that stand out, tell authentic stories, and champion strong ethics and innovation. One thing’s clear — when women back women, it’s a force.
At Starr Studio, we’re proud to be part of that momentum. As a female-led business ourselves, we believe in the power of storytelling to drive change — and we love supporting visionary women who are ready to shake things up.
Looking for an all-women creative team to write your brand’s next chapter? We’re ready when you are.