Cult Mia named one of the fastest-growing start-ups by Sifted 100 UK & Ireland

Luxury fashion platform Cult Mia has once again made the list of one of the fastest-growing start-ups by Sifted 100 UK & Ireland - The Fastest-growing startups in 2025.

London Business School's Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital (IEPC) congratulates LBS alumna and Cult Mia's Founder and CEO Nina Briance, and her team, a team that constantly scouts the globe to deliver curated fashion.

Cult Mia has been listed in the 100 fastest-growing startups in the UK & Ireland by Sifted for the second consecutive year. Notably, it is the only fashion company to make the list, reinforcing the company's unique commitment to innovation and growth within the luxury fashion industry.

As Cult Mia itself reports: "At Cult Mia, we are not just scaling, we are redefining the future of luxury retail by championing independent designers and curating unique pieces."

Fund-raising success

In October 2024, raised £4.5 million in seed round funding, with H&M Group Ventures investing for the first time – joining Morgan Stanley, Fuel Ventures and David Wertheimer (from the Chanel family).

Founded by LBS alumna Nina Briance in 2019, who is also the company CEO, Cult Mia is described as "the luxury shopping destination of the future", and has seen consistent triple digit growth since launch.

The new raise follows a very successful summer period for Cult Mia in '24, with third quarter sales exceeding 200 per cent growth versus 2023.

Speaking about the funding at the time, MS Briance said: "This investment will allow us to accelerate our plans to scale globally, particularly in high growth markets like the US and Middle East, and further our commitment to delivering a uniquely curated, values-driven shopping experience."

Dubai Fashion Week, February 2025

Nina Briance (LBS MBA Business and Fashion 2019) was a hit this year's Dubai Fashion Week.

In an interview with Emirates News, the Founder and CEO of fashion curator Cult Mia spoke about the rise of Middle Eastern fashion and the growing importance of designers such as Iraqi haute couture fashion designer Zeena Zaki.

"Dubai Fashion Week feels like a real breath of fresh air and the rise of exciting new young talent," said Nina. "At Cult Mia we are all about looking for new talent that can expand internationally. I think we are seeing a redefinition of what Middle Eastern fashion means. Today, we are seeing leading international brands choosing Dubai to showcase their fashions and a 400 per cent growth in the region's fashion marketplace."

Memorable LBS experience

Nina embarked on an MBA at London Business School in 2017, when she seemingly seized upon everything and anything that might refine, clarify and accelerate her entrepreneurial DNA, joining the School’s Women in Business Club, working as the club’s Head of Entrepreneurship, while participating in the LBS Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital (IEPC) Launchpad Start-Up Accelerator, first achieving Runner-up in 2018 and then becoming Winner in 2019.

“My LBS experience gave me a safe space to experiment with my business. I suppose I was sheltering myself to a degree, to develop and grow.”

Briance’s experience at LBS proved “really positive”. “I now fully understand the value of my time at LBS, perhaps more than I did at the time.”