The app economy has changed the way we live, work and connect, and at the heart of this transformation are the female entrepreneurs and changemakers who have developed and built products that solve real problems, drive social change, and reshape entire industries.
From how we date and design to how exercise, track our health, and shop, there are many women-led apps that have become integral to everyday lives. Bumble put women in control of dating, Canva made design accessible for all, and ClassPass defined flexible fitness. Peanut creative a supportive space for motherhood, whilst Clue empowers millions of people to take control of their reproductive health.
As we mark International Women’s Day 2025, with the theme “Accelerate Action”, we celebrate a few of the women who have not only disrupted industries but also propelled meaningful change through innovation in the app space.
In this post, we’ll explore their stories, the challenges they overcame, and how their innovations continue to shape the world we live in today.
Bumble
Founded: 2014
Founded by: Whitney Wolfe Herd
How it all started:
In 2014, Whitney Wolfe Herd saw a problem, one that many women had simply accepted as the status quo. Despite the progress women were making in workplaces and leadership roles, the dating world was still playing by outdated rules, where women were waiting for men to make the first move. It was a power dynamic that felt archaic, and Wolfe Herd had an idea: What if we flipped it? What if women led the conversation from the start?
That question became the foundation for Bumble, a dating app designed to challenge traditional gender norms and put women in control. The concept was simple yet radical – on Bumble, only women could send the first message in a match. A small shift with a massive impact, it transformed modern dating into a more empowering, respectful, and intentional experience.
How it’s evolved:
Bumble quickly revolutionised online dating. In less than six years, it had become a global movement, amassing over 100 million users across six continents and facilitating 1.5 billion women to make the first move.
But its impact didn’t stop at romance. Recognising the broader need for meaningful connections, Bumble expanded into Bumble BFF, helping people form friendships, and Bumble Bizz, designed for professional networking.
Today, Bumble became more than a dating app, it’s a platform built on respect, kindness and empowerment for relationships of all kinds.
Canva
Founded: 2013
Co-founded by: Melanie Perkins
How it all started:
Canva’s journey began when Melanie Perkins, a university student, noticed how difficult it was for students to grasp traditional design software. Determined to make design simpler, online, and more accessible, she and her partner Cliff Obrecht first launched Fusion Books, a niche platform that allowed students to design their own yearbooks. Seeing its success, they set their sights on something bigger, democratising design for the entire world.
How it’s evolved:
As a young woman in tech, she was just 26 at the time, Perkins faced countless hurdles, including hundreds of rejections from investors, team members, and early customers.
But what started as an ambitious idea in 2013 soon gained traction. Within a few years, Canva had become one of the most disruptive forces in the design industry, a global design powerhouse. By 2023, Canva had reached 135 million users worldwide, with over 15 billion designs created on the platform.
Beyond Business, Canva’s impact extends to education, nonprofits, and businesses of all size, making design accessible to the masses.
Class Pass
Founded: 2013
Founded by: Payal Kadakia
How it all started:
Finding the perfect workout used to be a challenge as committing to a single gym or class package often felt restrictive. That’s exactly what Payal Kadakia, an Indian-American entrepreneur and lifelong dancer, experienced when trying to book fitness classes in New York.
When ClassPass launched in 2013, it transformed how people approached exercise. Instead of locking users into a single studio membership, ClassPass allowed them to explore a variety of fitness experiences, from barre classes to Barry’s Bootcamp.
How it’s evolved:
ClassPass wasn’t an overnight success. The initial model, a search engine for fitness classes, failed because users weren’t booking. Instead of giving up, Kadakia and her team listened, iterated, and pivoted to a subscription-based model that made trying new workouts effortless.
In 2020, ClassPass reached unicorn status, valued at over $1 billion. Today, it operates in nearly 30 countries and 2,500 cities, has been downloaded over 1.32 million times in 2024, and expanded to include wellness and beauty treatments.
Clue
Founded: 2013
Founded by: Ida Tin
How it all started:
Ida Tin envisioned a new kind of family planning tool, one that used data to advance women’s health. When Clue launched in 2013, it became the first science-backed, gender-neutral menstrual tracking app.
But Tin’s impact went further. In 2016, she coined the term “FemTech”, helping legitimise female-focussed health technology and attract investment in reproductive health innovation.
How it’s evolved:
With over 12.5 million monthly users, Clue contributes anonymised data to support critical research on hormonal patterns, reproductive health, and early disease detection.
Beyond the app, Clue fosters a global community through its website, podcast (“Hormonal”), and social platforms, ensuring inclusive stigma-free conversations around reproductive health.
Confused.com
Founded: 2002
Founded by: Sara Murray OBE
How it all started:
Sara Murray, a British entrepreneur, founded Confused.com in 2002 after recognising a gap in the market for a simple, transparent way for consumers to compare insurance quotes online. Frustrated by the lack of clarity and accessibility in the industry, she set out to create a platform that would empower users to make informed financial decisions. Confused.com became the UK’s first-ever insurance comparison site, pioneering a model that would go on to transform the industry.
How it’s evolved:
Launching a tech-driven business in the early 2000s was no easy feat, especially as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated sector. But Murray’s vision and determination paid off and Confused.com quickly gained traction; helping millions of users save money on insurance.
Today, Confused.com remains a key player in the comparison industry, evolving beyond car insurance to offer a range of financial products. Its impact goes beyond price comparisons, it has fundamentally changed the way consumers engage with financial services, making it easier and more accessible than ever. As of 2025, the confused.com app has been downloaded 32,700 times.
Peanut
Founded: 2017
Founded by: Michelle Kennedy
How it all started:
Motherhood can be both exhilarating and isolating. Michelle Kennedy, a successful executive in the dating industry, realised this when she had her first child. Despite having a strong network of friends, she found herself feeling alone and disconnected due to distance, and friends at different life stages. She needed a way to meet like-minded mothers, but the existing platforms felt outdated and far removed from the modern digital experiences.
So, she created Peanut, an app designed to help mothers connect, support each other and build friendships.
How it’s evolved:
Despite scepticism from investors and receiving comments like, “Don’t mothers already have ways to meet, like mommy classes?” and “Mothers are a challenging market”, Kennedy was not deterred.
There was a clear need, and Peanut grew into a global network of over 5 million with 1.2 million monthly visits. To date the app has raised $32 million in funding and it’s estimated annual revenue is at 23.1M per year.
As well as financial success, Peanut has expanded beyond motherhood, it now includes Peanut Trying to Conceive (TTC), Peanut Pregnancy, and Peanut Menopause, ensuring women at all life stages have a community.
Female entrepreneurs driving change
The women highlighted in this piece are just a few of the many innovators transforming industries through technology. The app economy has changed the way we live, work and connect and it’s important to take stock and look at the success and change that has been achieved.
As we look ahead, we’re excited to see how the next generation of female innovators will continue to inspire, accelerate action and lead with purpose, creating solutions that resonate across industries and communities.
