From adaptable sustainable fashion to creative date-night planning, a new wave of women-led ventures has been given a major boost after the Built By Her, Backed By Us campaign raised £100,000 to support female founders across Britain.
The joint initiative by Crowdfunder and lifestyle platform Muddy Stilettos set out to champion women entrepreneurs with grassroots fundraising, mentoring, and promotional support. Alongside the community-driven funding effort, the campaign offered a £10,000 prize package for one standout business and cash awards for two runners-up.
After a fiercely competitive selection process, judged by a panel including Muddy Stilettos founder Hero Brown, Crowdfunder Co-CEO Dawn Bebe and Flock Here founder Danielle Wallington, three ventures took centre stage.
The winners
The Female Archetypes – £10,000 prize package
London-based clothing brand The Female Archetypes, founded by designer Alice (pictured), was crowned overall winner. The label creates adaptable, locally produced garments that flex from size 8–18, designed to support women through pregnancy, post-partum, perimenopause and beyond. Employing mothers and preserving traditional dressmaking skills, the brand was praised for its blend of innovation, sustainability and empowerment. Alice plans to invest the prize money into her next collection, as well as marketing and production.
Pary Moppins – £2,000 prize
Runner-up Pary Moppins, created by Sara and Fred, is a subscription service designed to make date nights stress-free for busy parents. Each month subscribers receive a bright yellow envelope with three curated ideas for gigs, restaurants or quirky experiences — with childcare logistics handled through a trusted network. With the prize funds, the founders plan to expand the service beyond London.
Her Land – £1,000 prize
The second runner-up was Her Land, a social enterprise near Thame led by Clare and Becky. The venture is transforming a heritage farm into a hub for climate-friendly growing, traditional building and muddy-boot confidence sessions for women and girls. Their Thrive in Nature workshops connect mothers and daughters to the land and to one another. The prize will help them scale their community-driven workshops.
In total, the Built By Her campaign has raised more than £100,000 for over 68 female-founded projects. For the organisers, the milestone is a powerful reminder of the potential unlocked when women are backed by their communities.
“At Crowdfunder, we see daily the resilience, creativity and ambition of female entrepreneurs,” said Dawn Bebe, Co-CEO of Crowdfunder. “This campaign proves that with collective support, women can turn bold ideas into thriving ventures. We are incredibly proud to stand behind these change makers.”
Hero Brown, founder of Muddy Stilettos, added: “When women rally together and are supported by their communities, extraordinary things happen. These winners embody resilience, innovation and the spirit of possibility. We couldn’t be prouder to help power their journeys.”
The campaign, now being hailed as a blueprint for how grassroots funding can drive meaningful change, has demonstrated that with mentorship, visibility, and collective support, women entrepreneurs across the UK can overcome barriers and turn ideas into businesses built to last.
