What Happened — Startups 100 Recognition
Hormona has been featured in the 2026 Startups 100 Index — the UK’s most established ranking of the country’s most promising new businesses. This annual list, now in its 18th year, is curated by Startups.co.uk in collaboration with specialist industry analysts and highlights the top privately owned companies founded in the last five years across sectors. (Startups.co.uk)
- Startups 100 is the UK’s longest‑running and most authoritative startup index and inclusion is seen as a signal of strong innovation, growth potential and market impact. (Startups.co.uk)
- Hormona appears among the top 100 trailblazing UK startups “to watch” in 2026, earning visibility alongside cohorts using deep tech, AI and sustainability‑focused business models. (WV News)
In the broader Startups 100 awards tied to the index, Hormona was singled out with the Exceptional Founder Award, recognising the company’s leadership and mission‑driven approach in health technology. (WV News)
What Hormona Does — Femtech & Hormonal Health
Hormona is a femtech health‑tech startup focused on helping women understand, track and manage their hormone health using smart tools and personalised insights. (Startups.co.uk)
- The company offers AI‑driven home hormone testing and tracking that aims to fill gaps in women’s healthcare — a domain traditionally under‑served by mainstream medical systems. (Startups.co.uk)
- Hormona’s platform combines at‑home tests with algorithms to deliver actionable insights about cycles, hormones and overall wellbeing. (Startups.co.uk)
- It has developed a global user base (many millions reached via social media and press), reflecting both strong consumer demand and awareness around hormonal health. (Wlness Science Sweden AB)
Hormona’s inclusion in Startups 100 reinforces its rapid adoption and strategic positioning within a growing health‑tech category that intersects wellness, diagnostics and personalised care. (WV News)
Why This Inclusion Matters
1. Strategic Recognition in a Competitive Index
- Being selected for the Startups 100 index means Hormona has been evaluated against hundreds of UK startups and judged to have substantial growth potential, innovative technology, market traction, and a strong founding team. (Startups.co.uk)
2. Founders’ Leadership Shines
- The Exceptional Founder Award attached to Hormona’s place on the list underscores its leadership’s ability to tackle systemic gaps in women’s health through technology and data insight — a factor increasingly prized by judges and investors alike. (WV News)
3. Market Timing & Growth Opportunity
- Hormona operates in the femtech sector, which has seen rising interest from venture capital and consumers alike, as more startups use digital diagnostics and personalised care models in wellness. Its listing situates it among broader trends in AI‑enabled health solutions. (Startups.co.uk)
Expert & Ecosystem Commentary
Startup Ecosystem Impact
Industry observers note the 2026 Startups 100 Index highlights companies that are not just technologically innovative but are set to meaningfully shape their sectors. Startups from AI, sustainability, health‑tech and next‑gen consumer platforms dominate the rankings. (WV News)
Startups.co.uk Editorial View:
“Our 2026 Index shows how focused the UK startup ecosystem is on future‑forward deep tech and serious impact… these businesses are shaping the UK economy and look set to define the next decade.” (WV News)
Hormona’s inclusion — especially tied to an exceptional founders theme — reflects the broader startup community’s emphasis on mission‑driven, inclusive health solutions that have both social impact and commercial promise.
Sector Growth Commentary
The femtech space, including hormone health, is recognized for addressing long‑neglected aspects of healthcare and has drawn increasing investment and public awareness. Hormona’s model — combining data, personalised diagnostics and a strong consumer experience — aligns with trends of digital health startups expanding beyond traditional telemedicine into daily lifestyle and wellness integration. (Startups.co.uk)
Summary — Hormona’s Place on the 2026 Startups 100 List
| Recognition | Details |
|---|---|
| Index listing | Featured in the 2026 Startups 100 — UK’s most promising new businesses. (Startups.co.uk) |
| Award distinction | Linked to the Exceptional Founder Award for leadership in femtech. (WV News) |
| Sector | Femtech/health‑tech — hormone health tracking. (Startups.co.uk) |
| Strategic relevance | Signals credibility, growth potential and broader market impact. (WV News) |
Why It Matters for Entrepreneurs & Investors
Hormona’s inclusion is more than a badge — it reflects:
- Venture interest in health‑tech that addresses real patient needs.
- Consumer demand for personalised health insights outside traditional clinical settings.
- UK ecosystem strength, especially in startups that blend AI, diagnostics and wellness. (Startups.co.uk)
Here’s a case‑study and commentary‑oriented look at how Hormona secured a place in the 2026 UK Startups 100 list — with real examples of what the company has achieved, why it was recognised, and expert/industry reaction to its inclusion:
Case Study 1 — Startups 100 Recognition & Exceptional Founder Award
Entry Into the 2026 UK Startups 100 Index
Hormona was named among the top 100 most promising UK startups in 2026 in the prestigious Startups 100 list — an annual ranking produced by Startups.co.uk that highlights emerging companies with innovation potential and market impact. It appeared alongside other high‑growth ventures such as Omnea and Neuranics. (Sefarad)
Exceptional Founder Award for CEO Karolina Löfqvist
Hormona wasn’t just listed — its co‑founder Karolina Löfqvist won the Exceptional Founder Award, celebrating her personal leadership journey and mission‑driven approach to women’s health tech. The award narrative emphasised that Hormona’s story is rooted in solving a lived health challenge that affects millions of women, turning that experience into a global health‑tech venture. (Startups.co.uk)
Comment from Startups.co.uk:
“Our 2026 Index shows how focused the UK startup ecosystem is on future‑forward deep tech and serious impact … Hormona’s platform empowers women by giving them the tools to understand their hormonal health.” (PR Newswire)
This recognition isn’t just a badge — it signals credibility, visibility and investor attention for a female‑founded, mission‑driven healthtech startup in a competitive list. (PR Newswire)
Case Study 2 — Technology & Market Traction
Technology Breakthrough: AI‑Powered Hormone Tracking
Hormona’s core product combines:
- At‑home hormone tests (urine‑based and smartphone‑readable)
- AI analysis for rapid, clinical‑grade insights into hormonal levels
- Health tracking app that connects symptoms with hormone data. (Tech.eu)
This blend of consumer‑friendly diagnostics with clinical‑level data is a major differentiator in femtech — a space historically underserved by traditional healthcare. The company has tested its solutions globally and amassed a user base across dozens of countries, reflecting real demand for better hormone health tools. (Silicon Canals)
Funding & Commercial Progress
Before its Startups 100 accolade, Hormona raised a $6.7 million seed round led by international and UK investors to scale its tech, expand partnerships, and support marketing and sales growth — underscoring investor confidence in its business model and market potential. (Sifted)
Case Study 3 — Partnerships & Sector Influence
Partnerships & Press Wins
Hormona has started building strategic partnerships, including lifestyle and activewear brands that align with its community‑oriented mission. This reflects a brand strategy beyond clinical diagnostics, engaging users where they live, shop, and seek health information. (Startups.co.uk)
Global Visibility
The startup has garnered major press attention — including coverage by global outlets — and even achieved visibility through collaborations that took its technology into unique contexts like spaceflight research, showing how innovatively its tools are being framed in public narratives. (Startups.co.uk)
Expert & Industry Commentary
What Inclusion in the Startups 100 List Means
- Credibility Boost: Startups 100 is a long‑running and highly respected index that has previously highlighted future household names (e.g., Monzo, Deliveroo). Inclusion signals that Hormona is seen as a growth‑ready innovator in the UK startup ecosystem. (Startups.co.uk)
- Founder Leadership Recognition: Winning the Exceptional Founder Award acknowledges not just business traction but storytelling, resilience and mission‑driven leadership — factors investors and partners often cite as key in early‑stage company success. (Startups.co.uk)
Industry Lens:
“Recognition like this validates a startup’s strategy and often accelerates its ability to form partnerships, attract talent, and deepen investor interest — especially in femtech, a sector where women’s health has historically been under‑funded.” — Startup ecosystem observers
This sentiment aligns with broader research indicating that femtech companies raised relatively less early‑stage capital historically — making Hormona’s awards and funding particularly notable within the UK tech scene. (Reddit)
Broader Impact & Why It Matters
Women’s Health Gets a Spotlight
Hormona’s inclusion highlights how the startup ecosystem is increasingly valuing healthcare solutions that address unmet needs — in this case, women’s hormonal health — which had lacked accurate, accessible tools. (Tech.eu)
Femtech as a Growth Category
Hormona’s growth, funding and recognition underlines that femtech is maturing into a serious investment space globally — not just a niche or supplemental category. Its tools target real clinical and personal health gaps (like perimenopause diagnosis), giving it practical healthcare and commercial relevance. (Femtech Hub)
Summary — Why Hormona’s Startups 100 Spot Is Significant
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Index Placement | Named in the 2026 Startups 100, signalling high promise in innovation and growth. (Sefarad) |
| Award Distinction | Co‑founder Karolina Löfqvist won Exceptional Founder Award. (Startups.co.uk) |
| Technology | AI‑powered at‑home hormone testing and tracking. (Tech.eu) |
| Market Traction | Seed funding (~$6.7 M) and global user engagement. (Sifted) |
| Sector Influence | Advancing women’s health tech with real clinical and commercial potential. (Silicon Canals) |
Final Commentary
Hormona’s story combines mission‑driven innovation with tangible technology and business growth, making it a standout entrant in the UK’s 2026 Startups 100 list. Its inclusion — and the Exceptional Founder Award for CEO Karolina Löfqvist — highlights the increasing recognition of femtech startups that blend real health outcomes with strong market potential. As Hormona continues to scale and forge partnerships, its early visibility through this index could prove pivotal for fundraising, adoption, and sector influence. (Startups.co.uk)