Women-owned brands on Huggg
The only business gifting platform with a category for women-owned businesses? We made that a priority - because actions speak louder than the words. Meet the founders below, and back female-founded brands.
Meet the founders
Read our full interviews with these female founders and more.
View video transcript
Stephanie from KOSI London
0:06 Hello. My name is Stephanie, and I'm the founder here at KOSI London. My advice for women founders would be to build a brand that you truly believe in, because if you're passionate about it, you'll do everything in your power to make it a success, and others will believe in it too.
Lucy from Amp Wellbeing
0:22 Hi, I'm Lucy from Amp Wellbeing, and my advice for women founders would be to learn the areas of the business that you feel most uncomfortable with and never outsource your understanding.
Jess from Treat Kitchen
0:37 Hi, my name is Jess Barnett. I'm one of the founders at Treat Kitchen. My advice to female founders is to be yourself. It's really easy to think that you have to mirror other people, but actually, if you look at your own strengths, weaknesses, quirks and non negotiables, you can build your business around them.
Helena from Truestart Coffee
0:59 Hi, I'm Helena co founder here at Truestart Coffee. And my advice for fellow women founders would be, your individuality is your superpower, and it's also the one thing that no one else can copy. So lean into what makes you different, because people don't just invest in a product. They invest in you.
Sarah from Citizens of Soil
1:17 Hi, my name is Sarah, and I'm the founder of Citizens of Soil and this International Women's Day, my top tip for other female founders would be to go out and find some incredible female entrepreneurs who are a little bit ahead of you and start scheduling regular one to ones. Just have check ins where you can talk about your challenges, you can ask questions, you can share insights together, and you can really start building all the knowledge that you don't know yet and also building community. And this was such a helpful thing for me at the start of the business, to have a network of these incredible women who I still lean on today.
Emily from Seedball
1:53 Hi, I'm Emily, co founder of seedball. My advice to women founders would be to totally follow your instincts and build your business in exactly the way that you want, that's in the way that's right for you.
Award-winning French macarons, handmade in Scotland
Rachel learned to make macarons at a cookery school in Paris, fell in love with them, moved back to Scotland and couldn't find any. So she started making her own. That was 2013. Since then, Mademoiselle Macaron has grown from a market stall into a luxury gifting brand with a team of 13 - and won Online Bakery of the Year in 2025.
"A lot of people assume I'm still making macarons at home. They can't seem to conceive it might be a large business."
Sweets, chocolate, and gingerbread - designed to make people smile
Jess co-founded Treat Kitchen with her husband and brother-in-law in 2014, shortly after their first child was born. They wanted to shake up confectionery and food gifting - putting a modern twist on the traditional sweet shop. Starting with one shop in Nottingham, they now supply stores across the UK and overseas, including Tesco.
"I'm driven by the desire to show my children what female leadership can look like: authentic, resilient, and rooted in kindness."
Clean, barista-grade coffee that's tested for consistent caffeine and free from nasties
Helena and her husband Simon started TrueStart in 2015 because they were training for triathlons, drinking loads of coffee, and feeling terrible. They wanted coffee that tasted great and actually made you feel good. Their first ever outing was sampling instant coffee to muddy runners in Taunton. The runners called it "PB coffee" - and it snowballed from there.
"Lean into your individuality. It truly is your superpower and it's the one thing that cannot be copied."
Wildflower seed balls that help bees, butterflies, and anyone who wants to grow something beautiful
Emily and Ana were finishing conservation PhDs in 2010 when they had an idea: what if you could make it easy for anyone to grow wildflowers? They discovered an ancient Japanese technique of encasing seeds in clay balls, adapted it for British wildflowers, and Seedball was born. They're now stocked by over 500 retailers including RHS, the National Trust, and Waterstones - and donate over 500,000 seed balls to schools each year.
"We were asked to make a million seed balls by the BBC for the launch of David Attenborough's 'Seven Worlds One Planet.' As a conservation-led company, this was epic."
Design-led fitness equipment for home and studio - built to be beautiful enough to leave out
Lucy started Amp from her kitchen table because the fitness equipment she could find was either ugly, low-quality, or designed to be hidden away. She wanted to create beautiful tools that remove friction from movement - so you actually use them. What began as a personal solution now supports customers and wellness studios across the UK and Europe.
"Knowing we've helped change how people feel about movement - from something they feel they should do, to something they actually want to do - is what makes the hard parts worth it."
Premium bamboo socks that turn a functional essential into a luxury experience
Stephanie is a graphic designer who spent 12 years building a career in design before channeling it into her own brand. She and her business partner spotted a gap in the market for aesthetic, sustainable bamboo socks and built KOSI from scratch - designing everything from the product to the packaging to the website.
"Build a brand that you truly believe in. Because if you are passionate about it, you'll do everything in your power to make it a success, and others will believe in it too."
Single-origin extra virgin olive oil, sourced directly from small farms across the Med
Sarah was working in sustainability at Provenance.org when she and her husband realised that olive oil - one of the most everyday products in our kitchens - was being traded as a commodity, squeezing farmers and stripping flavour. They started their business to support family friends whose product wasn't being respected - and as a result, started sourcing directly, became certified olive oil sommeliers, and built Citizens of Soil to turn a commodity into a community.
"What began as a side hustle to get our friends a more fair share evolved into a much bigger mission: to turn a commodity into a community."
Joyful lifestyle and gifting products - basically "cool girl accessories"
The two founders of Coconut Lane have been best friends since they were 11. They went to school together, university together, and always talked about starting a business together. Eventually they decided to stop dreaming and start doing - printing inspirational wall art on their home printers and selling it online. Simple quotes like "What would Beyonce do?" The brand has grown far beyond those early days, winning an Everywoman Award in 2025.
"Standing on that stage felt surreal, and we both said that our Year 7 best-friend selves would be very proud of us."
Award-winning French macarons, handmade in Scotland
Rachel learned to make macarons at a cookery school in Paris, fell in love with them, moved back to Scotland and couldn't find any. So she started making her own. That was 2013. Since then, Mademoiselle Macaron has grown from a market stall into a luxury gifting brand with a team of 13 - and won Online Bakery of the Year in 2025.
"A lot of people assume I'm still making macarons at home. They can't seem to conceive it might be a large business."
Sweets, chocolate, and gingerbread - designed to make people smile
Jess co-founded Treat Kitchen with her husband and brother-in-law in 2014, shortly after their first child was born. They wanted to shake up confectionery and food gifting - putting a modern twist on the traditional sweet shop. Starting with one shop in Nottingham, they now supply stores across the UK and overseas, including Tesco.
"I'm driven by the desire to show my children what female leadership can look like: authentic, resilient, and rooted in kindness."
Clean, barista-grade coffee that's tested for consistent caffeine and free from nasties
Helena and her husband Simon started TrueStart in 2015 because they were training for triathlons, drinking loads of coffee, and feeling terrible. They wanted coffee that tasted great and actually made you feel good. Their first ever outing was sampling instant coffee to muddy runners in Taunton. The runners called it "PB coffee" - and it snowballed from there.
"Lean into your individuality. It truly is your superpower and it's the one thing that cannot be copied."
Wildflower seed balls that help bees, butterflies, and anyone who wants to grow something beautiful
Emily and Ana were finishing conservation PhDs in 2010 when they had an idea: what if you could make it easy for anyone to grow wildflowers? They discovered an ancient Japanese technique of encasing seeds in clay balls, adapted it for British wildflowers, and Seedball was born. They're now stocked by over 500 retailers including RHS, the National Trust, and Waterstones - and donate over 500,000 seed balls to schools each year.
"We were asked to make a million seed balls by the BBC for the launch of David Attenborough's 'Seven Worlds One Planet.' As a conservation-led company, this was epic."
Design-led fitness equipment for home and studio - built to be beautiful enough to leave out
Lucy started Amp from her kitchen table because the fitness equipment she could find was either ugly, low-quality, or designed to be hidden away. She wanted to create beautiful tools that remove friction from movement - so you actually use them. What began as a personal solution now supports customers and wellness studios across the UK and Europe.
"Knowing we've helped change how people feel about movement - from something they feel they should do, to something they actually want to do - is what makes the hard parts worth it."
Premium bamboo socks that turn a functional essential into a luxury experience
Stephanie is a graphic designer who spent 12 years building a career in design before channeling it into her own brand. She and her business partner spotted a gap in the market for aesthetic, sustainable bamboo socks and built KOSI from scratch - designing everything from the product to the packaging to the website.
"Build a brand that you truly believe in. Because if you are passionate about it, you'll do everything in your power to make it a success, and others will believe in it too."
Single-origin extra virgin olive oil, sourced directly from small farms across the Med
Sarah was working in sustainability at Provenance.org when she and her husband realised that olive oil - one of the most everyday products in our kitchens - was being traded as a commodity, squeezing farmers and stripping flavour. They started their business to support family friends whose product wasn't being respected - and as a result, started sourcing directly, became certified olive oil sommeliers, and built Citizens of Soil to turn a commodity into a community.
"What began as a side hustle to get our friends a more fair share evolved into a much bigger mission: to turn a commodity into a community."
Joyful lifestyle and gifting products - basically "cool girl accessories"
The two founders of Coconut Lane have been best friends since they were 11. They went to school together, university together, and always talked about starting a business together. Eventually they decided to stop dreaming and start doing - printing inspirational wall art on their home printers and selling it online. Simple quotes like "What would Beyonce do?" The brand has grown far beyond those early days, winning an Everywoman Award in 2025.
"Standing on that stage felt surreal, and we both said that our Year 7 best-friend selves would be very proud of us."
Why back women-owned brands?
Only one in three UK entrepreneurs are women
<2% of venture capital funds goes to female founders
Women-led SMEs grew by 20% in the past five years
Explore our women-owned brands
With Huggg, you can send gifts from women-owned brands in minutes. Show your values in a tangible way - no addresses needed and - because your recipients choose - no unwanted gifts.
International Women's Day? Avoid flowers
Get to know the founders: the full interviews
FAQs
What women-owned brands are available on Huggg?
Huggg works with several women-owned businesses including Mademoiselle Macaron, Treat Kitchen, TrueStart Coffee, Seedball, Amp Wellbeing, KOSI London, Citizens of Soil, and Coconut Lane. Their products span food and drink, wellness, sustainability, and lifestyle.
Why should companies buy from women-owned businesses?
Only 1 in 3 UK entrepreneurs are women, and female founders receive less than 2% of VC funding. Choosing women-owned brands for employee or client gifts is a practical way to support supplier diversity and put your spending behind the kind of economy you want to see.
How can I send a gift from a women-owned brand through Huggg?
You can send a gift from Huggg in about 30 seconds. Choose your budget, select from women-owned brands in the gift range, add a personal message, and send via link. No addresses needed - recipients choose their own gift and add their delivery details.
What is Huggg's women-owned brands collection?
It's a curated selection of gifts from businesses founded and led by women. The collection includes artisan macarons, clean coffee, premium bamboo socks, wildflower seed balls, design-led fitness equipment, olive oil, confectionery, and lifestyle products.
Can I use women-owned brands for corporate gifting?
Yes. Many Huggg customers use women-owned brands for employee recognition, client gifts, and seasonal campaigns. It's a way to gift meaningfully while supporting businesses that align with your company's values around diversity and inclusion.
Are women-owned brand gifts available for International Women's Day?
Yes, and they're a popular choice for IWD. But these brands are available year-round on Huggg - not just in March. You can send from them for birthdays, work anniversaries, thank-yous, or any recognition moment.
