Female-Focused brand GLORIAH hits £600,000 funding target to support UK and US growth

GLORIAH has today (Monday, 5 October) completed an oversubscribed seed round, exceeding a £500k target and reaching £600k to support GLORIAH’s next phase of expansion, including growing its UK retail footprint, preparing for entry into the US market, progressing regulatory work and accelerating marketing.

Founded in 2021 by Jessica-Rose Watson and Isla Wynne Thomas, GLORIAH is reimagining women’s intimate health with a modern, brand-led range designed to put women’s needs and experiences centre stage. Soul Gel, a naturally formulated vaginal lubricant, and Liberation Oil, designed for vaginal dryness, focus on supporting women through hormonal changes and intimate health concerns by offering an alternative to clinical, often outdated products that have dominated the market for women navigating menopause.

Since its launch, the team behind GLORIAH has built strong retail momentum and is set for further expansion with a launch on Boots.com planned for this October, and a QVC UK slot confirmed. Alongside its growing UK presence, it has attracted interest from US distributors and is preparing to launch on Amazon US later this year.

The brand’s growing consumer reach is reflected in the 7.5million social media views in a single month and its community of more than 16,000 women.

The inspiration for GLORIAH came after a close friend of both Jessica and Isla experienced surgical menopause aged just 25. It became clear that there was a lack of modern, non-clinical products available for the treatment of vaginal dryness, one of the most common symptoms of menopause.

Friends for more than 20 years, Isla - a former nurse who worked in NHS menopause clinics - and Jessica - who built her career with Sky, managing multi-million-pound product launches, subscriptions and commercial strategy across the UK and Europe - set to work creating a menopause care range for the next generation.

Following the launch in 2021, the team secured funding from a range of sources, including Scottish EDGE, Young EDGE, Zero Waste Scotland, NatWest Pitch, and Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, totalling more than £110,000.  In 2026, AcclerateHER supported the founders in building new networks, developing their business plan, and creating a successful investment pitch.

Jessica explained the company’s values-led mission: “GLORIAH exists because too many women are still expected to tolerate discomfort, embarrassment or dismissal when it comes to their intimate health. We want to change that by giving women products, education and language that help them feel seen, informed and able to advocate for themselves.”

Isla highlighted the value of support for the company in building its fundraising capability.

“AccelerateHER and Investing Women Angels’ Women to Women and Ready to Raise programmes helped us connect with women across the ecosystem who have opened doors, creating opportunities and giving us access to advice and support.”

AccelerateHER CEO and Owner, Elizabeth Pirrie, said early-stage capital can be some of the hardest money for female founders to raise, but also some of the most important.

“We know women are often encouraged to prove more, ask for less and wait longer before seeking investment, which can leave promising businesses undercapitalised at exactly the point when relatively small amounts of funding can make a significant difference,” she said

“I’ve had the privilege of watching Jessica and Isla’s journey through both Women to Women and Ready to Raise. Seeing four separate Scottish angel groups now back GLORIAH is particularly special. This is exactly what we want our ecosystem to do: help ambitious female founders access the right support, connections and capital to accelerate their growth.”

Alex Lusty, who led the deal for Gabriel Investment Syndicate, commented: “Gabriel members were hugely impressed and engaged by Jessica and Isla, and the business they have built to date at GLORIAH. This first investment round is oversubscribed, a testament to their passion for improving women’s health and the company’s growth potential.

“The success of GLORIAH’s fundraise reflects a significant market shift, with experienced early-stage investors from diverse backgrounds viewing vaginal dryness solutions as a mainstream investment opportunity. Gabriel looks forward to working with both founders and the other investors to support GLORIAH’s continued progress.”

Scott Carnegie, Chief Executive at Highland Venture Capital, added: “HVC members were delighted to support Jessica and Isla in this exciting venture in an area that looks underinvested and ripe for disruption. Their drive and enthusiasm stood out, and convinced us to invest alongside a great team of syndicate investors.”

Investing Women Angels Chair Lucy Henderson noted: “GLORIAH began because two women couldn’t find a product they would feel comfortable giving to someone they loved, so they developed it themselves. We’ve known Jessica and Isla for a long time, and what has always stood out is how clearly they identified the gap in the market. Women were already buying products in this category, but no one had yet built a brand they truly wanted to choose. At Investing Women Angels, we’re proud to support GLORIAH as it enters this next chapter and to be part of its future journey.”

Derek Shaw, Director of Company Funding and Investment at Scottish Enterprise commented: “Our investment into Gloriah highlights our dedication to supporting the growth of ambitious businesses in Scotland. By helping these companies scale, we aim to create high-quality, high-value jobs and empower them to compete and lead in global markets. Scotland has distinct global strengths in the human health sector and fostering the development of companies such as Gloriah is key to sustaining their success and driving future growth.”

Jessica Mullen, Board Member and Angel Investor at Apollo Informal Investments, commented: “When the GLORIAH team pitched this opportunity to our members, it was one of the best we’ve ever seen. They have a strong founding team, a clear roadmap and a compelling brand, solving a real problem for an underserved and growing market. Personally, I’m delighted that we’re investing in another female-founded business with significant global potential and an ambition to make a positive difference in the world. Apollo Informal Investments is excited to be part of the journey with the Gloriah team.”

Jessica Watson, Co-Founder, said on the investment round: “We are thrilled to be supported by such a strong group of investors with varied and complementary experience. Women’s health rarely gets the investment it needs or deserves; it was refreshing to see the investors understand the gap and opportunity. Oversubscribing on our first round across just four weeks of pitching is a testament to the plan we have in place. We are excited to get back to business and scale GLORIAH!”