Shoutout to the Solo Founders!
Welcome to the Eightieth edition of Unstoppable Founders!
👑 #Unstoppable Female Founder
"Energy should never be a luxury, it's a necessity." - Somayeh Taheri, Co-founder & CEO of UrbanChain and this week’s Unstoppable Female Founder!
Somayeh studied architecture in her home country of Iran, sustainable urbanism at UCL, and eventually earned her PhD in planning and data science at the University of Manchester. While working as a research scientist, she identified a huge gap between renewable energy costs and what we're all paying for our electricity bills.
So in 2017, Somayeh launched UrbanChain with her two co-founders Mo Hajhashem, and Ayesha Naureen. Their idea was to create a marketplace where renewable energy producers and consumers connect directly using AI and blockchain technology. No middlemen, no wild price swings from the wholesale market, just simple and fair prices for everyone.
So far to date:
UrbanChain grew their revenue 10x to £25 million just last year
They are currently working on raising their £50 million Series B round
The Sunday Times ranked them as the 3rd fastest-growing tech company in Britain
They were recently named one of the 25 new entrants into Tech Nation’s Future Fifty
Somayeh and UrbanChain have already had a real world, practical impact. Their consumer customers are seeing at least 25% lower energy bills while energy producers see 25% better margins – all while providing truly carbon-neutral energy.
Currently they are focused on the UK market, however post Series B they have expansion plans for both the US and India bringing cost efficient clean energy globally.
"We want to make energy affordable for all, not just in the UK but internationally."
-Somayeh Taheri
📣 #TheRant
Shout out to the female founders who are building their businesses solo! Whether you made the decision consciously or that’s just how it’s turned out, I applaud you!
I was speaking to another solo female founder earlier in the week about what it really takes to be a solo founder and admittedly it is an absolute emotional rollercoaster. There are days where you feel Unstoppable and then there are days where you question absolutely everything you’re doing.
Personally there are two areas I struggle with;
One is the brain drain I experience in having to make all of the decisions, create the strategy and also execute on the work while also still trying to manage to stay on top of all of the incoming messages, emails and opportunities. There are days where I feel about as sharp as a marble.
The second, is creative blocks and lack of creative ideation. Mainly due to the brain drain mentioned above, I find I struggle with having time to just think and explore, allowing the creative side of my brain to be engaged without the pressure of having to execute and rush to get everything done. As a lifelong marketer, it really frustrates me.
However, this is also why I believe having a strong network is vital. Being able to lean on those around you for advice, mentorship and in many of my cases creative brainstorming. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve started a WhatsApp message with ‘Can I run a marketing question past you?’ to many of the marketers in my network - thank you Charlie Harris & Jenna Herman!
So for those of you who are solo founders - huge kudos for carrying the entire weight and enormity of the business your building. I know there are days where it feels impossible, but that feeling is only temporary and the reward at the end of it will be well worth it.
There are a number of examples of successful solo female founders we can look to for inspiration:
✔️ Anne Boden (Starling Bank) - Left traditional banking at 54 to disrupt the industry. Starling is now expected to hit a £10B valuation in the next few years.
✔️ Whitney Wolfe Herd (Bumble) - Created a billion-dollar company with women-first approach and IPO’d in 2021 at $2.2B.
✔️ Janice Bryant Howroyd (ActOne Group) - First Black woman in the US to build a billion-dollar business with ActOne Group estimated to be generating over $1.1B in revenue.
✔️ Joanna Griffiths (Knix) - Declined all investors who questioned her ability to run her company while pregnant. Sold for $320M in 2022.
Although the journey might be a bit more treacherous for solo founders, it’s testament to your conviction, resilience and determination. And if you ever find yourself in need of advice, support or just the feeling of camaraderie, we’ve got an incredible group of Unstoppable female founders happy to help!
💰#HypeCorner
This is where we cover funding rounds raised by female founders and their teams across Europe. With less than 2% of VC funding going to female led startups, the HypeCorner is simply our way of congratulating and celebrating these founders!
🇬🇧 Lulu O'Connor Founder & CEO of Clothes Doctor
🇬🇧 Jade Batstone Co-founder & CEO of Zeno Energy
🇺🇦 Anna Lissova Co-founder & Chief Therapy Officer of Pleso Therapy
🇬🇧 Olivia Parkes Founder & CEO of Persi
🇬🇧 Judy Hornigold Co-founder of Everybody Counts
🇬🇧 Wizz Selvey Co-founder of Valerie
🇩🇰 Ella Smoraczewska Harris Founder & CEO of UVISA
🇩🇪 Catherine Leser Co-founder & MD of Penzilla
Huge congratulations to these founders and their teams. Wishing you all continued success!
🎤 Events for founders
💻 {Virtual} 23rd of May - Nailing the perfect investor pitch, an online Masterclass with 4x founder & angel investor, Emma Rees! Spaces are limited, grab your spot today and learn how to frame your pitch, tackle investor Q&A like a pro and successfully secure investment.
🇩🇪 {Berlin} Raise with Grace - 19-20th of May at The Delta Campus in Berlin. This event is a 2-day roadmap, all about: giving early-stage founders the knowledge, insights, and network to start their fundraising journey strong. Get 10% Off your tickets with this link!
🇬🇧 {London} SXSW lands in London June 2nd - 7th taking over the city merging creativity, culture and technology. SXSW London are now taking applications for musicians, film makers and speakers!
🇪🇸 {Madrid} South Summit Madrid - June 4th - 6th brings together global innovators, bold entrepreneurs, leading corporations, and visionary investors. Early bird tickets now available.
💻 {Virtual} Unstoppable Healthcare Demo Day - June 13th - Join us we showcase the female founders powering the future of Healthcare. In our first Healthcare Demo Day, we will feature founders building across Healthtech, Biotech, Femtech & Medtech within Europe. If you’re a founder, Investor or ecosystem partner focusing on these sectors, join us! Grab your FREE tickets here. Interested in presenting your startup? Apply here!
🇫🇷 {Paris} VivaTech - June 11-14th- is the world's rendezvous for startups and leaders to celebrate innovation. It's a gathering of the world's brightest minds, talents, and products.
🇳🇱 {Amsterdam} European Women in Technology is a must for your calendar, happening June 25th & 26th. 5,000+ women in tech, diversity advocates, allies and change makers for Leading the Digital Revolution!
🇬🇧 {London} Sifted Summit is back 8th & 9th of October, bringing together 3,000 founders, startup and scaleup operators and investors to celebrate the resilience of the ecosystem and how its leading players are preparing for the long-haul.
🇫🇷 {Paris} UnlockVC (formerly WVCE) is hosting its annual Summit from the 13th - 15th of October. This event brings together ambitious investors, trailblazing thought leaders, and industry pioneers for two impactful days of networking, learning, and growth.
👑 UNSTOPPABLE FOUNDING MEMBERSHIPS Now available! Inside the Community Hub you’ll gain access to the resources, networks and capital you need to build and scale your business. From helping you secure capital to building traction, everything you need as a female founder, all in one place!
☀️ Have a wonderful weekend! ☀️
Jen
PS- Are you fundraising? Looking to boost your customer acquisition? Just looking for mentorship or advice? Happy to help - drop me a note and let’s chat!