The Interview: W-Wellness founders on making wellness simple, safe and expert-led

Wellness is having a moment. From the surge in magnesium supplements to targeted products for men and women, prioritising health has become top of mind for consumers. Yet navigating this space is far from easy. With rampant misinformation and inconsistent guidance online, it can be overwhelming to know what truly works.

That’s where W-Wellness comes in. Founded by Sophie Woodward and Sally Lefever-Bell, W-Wellness was born out of the founders’ personal health journeys and their frustration with an overcrowded, unregulated, and confusing supplement market. Their mission? To simplify wellness, offering products and guidance that are trustworthy, transparent, and effective - all in one place.

"Not only were we, as consumers, struggling to navigate a very overwhelming, confusing, and noisy marketplace, but people still are. Coupled with the fact that the space is largely unregulated, there’s a real gap and a genuine need for an expert-led solution. We’ve been told so many times by experts and consumers, 'I can’t believe this hasn’t been done already'," Woodward tells TheIndustry.beauty.

"We wanted to create an expertly curated platform of supplements that’s never overwhelming and is really simple for consumers to navigate, helping them find products and solutions that genuinely work for them. As a result, we now have a fantastically loyal and growing customer base."

In fact, the business is on track to deliver over 1,300% year-on-year revenue growth in 2025, supported by an average month-on-month rise of 26% since the platform launched in February 2024.

Platform engagement has also grown significantly. User numbers have lifted by more than 250% over the past six months and subscriptions have risen by more than 8,300% year-on-year, reflecting increasing market interest and customer adoption.

W-Wellness is built on multiple pillars, with its retail offering featuring a carefully curated selection of brands such as Dr. Vegan, Humantra, Bare Biology, and Wild Nutrition. Continuously evolving, the platform reflects the latest trends and innovations in wellness, with products selected and endorsed by experts for quality, efficacy, and trust.

"The market is huge. It’s growing at a rapid pace, and our team is constantly reviewing our portfolio - it never stands still. We also hold brands accountable. If new science, new research, or new brands come into the market, it’s our job to stay at the forefront and help consumers navigate it, finding products that truly work," explains Woodward.

Expanding on this, Lefever-Bell adds: "The team are also really good at not listening to the noise - not getting distracted or influenced by it. They’re incredibly focused. Even if a brand we love brings out a new SKU, they’ll still ask, ‘What is this bringing to us? Is it better than what we already have in that category?’ They take it really seriously."

What's more, the retailer has developed curated edits, or supplement stacks, designed to support specific goals or concerns. In creating these, the team considers the risk of over-supplementation, reviewing dosages across all products within a stack - for example, a perimenopause edit - to ensure the supplements work together safely and effectively.

It also offers at-home tests, allowing individuals to test from home, with laboratory analysis and actionable results delivered securely online.

Beyond retail, the platform offers consultations, redeemable against products, as part of its mission to demystify wellness and help consumers make informed choices tailored to their individual needs.

"We work with the nutrition team on a day-to-day basis. They run digital consultations, conduct all the research around the brands, and monitor the market. They are all nutritional experts and are trusted members of our team," highlights Lefever-Bell.

Adding to this, Woodward says: "Our approach is about pairing back - stripping away everything you’re taking. Some people come to us taking 15 or 20 different supplements. It’s about simplifying and finding what you truly need, and that naturally changes as you move through your wellness journey.

“All you need to do is have a consultation, which we always encourage - though we understand not everyone has time for one. So when you come to the site, you can either book a consultation, take a quiz, or simply shop. All the products on the platform have been vetted by our experts - the formulations, the dosages, everything has been carefully assessed."

It comes as demand for personalised support strengthens, with digital consultations at W-Wellness growing 25% month-on-month. "This reflects the evolution of consumers becoming more aware, which is a really positive thing," says Woodward.

Lefever-Bell adds: "We have a lot of conversations around menopause and perimenopause, and also around fertility. I should also highlight the huge growth in our men’s market - it’s about 30%. We’re seeing more male consumers coming through, and they’re not buying the typical products like protein. They’re approaching their care in a much more holistic way.

"Plus, there’s been quite a shift in the conversation around the whole inside-out approach. We’ve taken on some beautiful brands for the skin, because it’s so important to think about what you’re actually putting on your skin, not just what’s inside.

"The natural evolution of a space that’s largely unregulated and overwhelming is that people start seeking out expert-led advice - it’s the inevitable direction, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing."

The company's momentum is further supported by its growing network of B2B partnerships with practitioners who use the platform to complement their private practice - including nutritional therapists, consultant dermatologists, aesthetic doctors, private GPs, plastic surgeons, and more.

"When we first launched, the platform was entirely B2B for the first six months, supporting leading experts in clinic. We designed it to be suitable for all practitioners - private practitioners and leaders in the field alike - so that regardless of their knowledge or focus, they could use it," reveals Woodward.

"And we’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response - so much so that we couldn’t quite keep up with the demand. They lean on us, really see the benefit, and their clients see the benefit too."

Explaining the process, Lefever-Bell adds: "They have a beautiful, bespoke dashboard behind the scenes that isn’t visible to the public. They can use it to send protocols directly to their clients in the clinic, so everything is clearly organised in real time. Clients can also make purchases that way.

"It’s a great way for practitioners to stay connected because, as many of our doctors say, they don’t want a disjointed experience. If a client comes in for treatments, they want to support them throughout their entire journey, not just treat them in the moment and then have them go off and buy things separately."

Now poised to take the business to the next level, W-Wellness completed its latest funding round earlier this month, led by DMG Ventures. The investment comes at a pivotal moment for the company, as expansion plans for 2026 are already underway.

With the support of its new partners, W-Wellness aims to build on its momentum through strategic growth, an expanded market presence, and continued innovation. "We’re female-founded and still maintain majority ownership, which allows us to be truly agile and respond to what our consumers and practitioners want and need," says Woodward.

As for their ambitions, Woodward and Levin both emphasise that they want W Wellness to be widely recognised as a trusted space where people can access reliable guidance and feel safe, supported, and cared for.

"We'll always be evolving with the market while staying true to what we do - curating carefully and staying at the forefront of an ever-evolving, rapidly expanding industry," Woodward says. "We also want to advocate for more women in business and continue to be a spotlight for brands that are doing it well."

Offering parting advice to fellow entrepreneurs, including women in business, she adds: "We always say, just do it - and also, listen to your gut, because somebody else will if you don’t. It’s challenging, it’s really hard, but it’s incredibly rewarding. If we hadn’t done it, we would have been absolutely fuming with ourselves because someone else would have done it.

"Don’t wait until it’s perfect, because it won’t be - you’re always improving, always getting better. You just have to go and stay agile. Take ownership of your company and make it happen."