Funding Round Led by Gabriel Investment Syndicate Supports UK Retail and US Market Entry
Edinburgh-based female health brand GLORIAH has raised £600,000 in a funding round, exceeding its initial £500,000 target. The oversubscribed seed round was completed today, Monday, 4 October, led by Gabriel Investment Syndicate alongside Highland Venture Capital, Investing Women Angels, Apollo, and Scottish Enterprise. The capital raised will 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 aims to address women’s intimate health needs by offering a modern range of products. Their products, Soul Gel, a naturally formulated vaginal lubricant, and Liberation Oil, designed for vaginal dryness, are intended to support women through hormonal changes and intimate health concerns, offering an alternative to existing market options.
GLORIAH has built retail momentum since its launch, with a launch on Boots.com planned for this October and a QVC UK slot confirmed. The brand has also attracted interest from US distributors and is preparing to launch on Amazon US later this year. The company’s growing consumer reach is reflected in 7.5 million social media views in a single month and a community of over 16,000 women.
The inspiration for GLORIAH originated after a close friend of the founders experienced surgical menopause at the age of 25, highlighting a lack of modern, non-clinical products for vaginal dryness. Isla, a former nurse who worked in NHS menopause clinics, and Jessica, who built her career managing multi-million-pound product launches and commercial strategy at Sky, combined their expertise to create the menopause care range.
Prior to this recent funding, GLORIAH secured more than £110,000 from sources including Scottish EDGE, Young EDGE, Zero Waste Scotland, NatWest Pitch, and the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator. In 2026, AccelerateHER supported the founders in building networks, developing their business plan, and creating a successful investment pitch.
Jessica Watson, Co-Founder of GLORIAH, commented on the company’s 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 Wynne Thomas, Co-Founder, highlighted the value of support for the company, stating, “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.”
Elizabeth Pirrie, AccelerateHER CEO and Owner, noted, “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, stated that members were “hugely impressed and engaged by Jessica and Isla, and the business they have built to date at GLORIAH.” He added, “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.”
Scott Carnegie, Chief Executive at Highland Venture Capital, remarked, “HVC members were delighted to support Jessica and Isla in this exciting venture in an area that looks underinvested and ripe for disruption.” Lucy Henderson, Investing Women Angels Chair, added, “At Investing Women Angels, we’re proud to support GLORIAH as it enters this next chapter and to be part of its future journey.”
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Derek Shaw, Director of Company Funding and Investment at Scottish Enterprise, commented that their investment into Gloriah “highlights our dedication to supporting the growth of ambitious businesses in Scotland.” Jessica Mullen, Board Member and Angel Investor at Apollo Informal Investments, said the GLORIAH team’s pitch was “one of the best we’ve ever seen,” noting their “strong founding team, a clear roadmap and a compelling brand, solving a real problem for an underserved and growing market.”
Jessica Watson concluded, “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!”
