"I Have No Money": Forbes 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur Reveals Financial Struggles After Her 7-Figure Business Collapsed

A UK-based entrepreneur who once built a seven-figure business has opened up about struggling financially after her venture left her with little money. Sofia Panwar, who was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list last year, has spoken about the emotional toll of going from running a successful company to relying on government support to meet her basic needs.

In an Instagram video shared last week, Panwar spoke about the embarrassment and isolation that can accompany financial setbacks. The London-based entrepreneur was on her way to a mandatory Universal Credit appointment when she decided to share her experience, revealing that the collapse of her business had left her with no money. She said the hardest part was not necessarily the lack of money but the shame of feeling that she had gone backwards. The pressure to have everything figured out by a certain age or stage in life made the experience even more difficult.

"And I think the hardest part isn't even the financial reality of it. It's the shame that can come with feeling like you've gone backwards. The embarrassment of people knowing. The voice in your head telling you that you should have it all figured out by now," she wrote in the caption of the video. 

Panwar, a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, founded Unndr, a lingerie subscription service, in 2021. She and her co-founder were featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list for Retail and E-commerce in 2025. According to her LinkedIn profile, she was associated with the brand until July 2026.

However, the entrepreneur said that despite building a seven-figure business and receiving industry recognition, she was now facing financial difficulties after the company was liquidated.

Watch the video here:

Universal Credit is a UK government benefit that provides monthly financial support to eligible people on low incomes, those who are unemployed and those who are unable to work. The payments are intended to help cover essential living expenses, including housing costs.

The entrepreneur also revealed that she had spent months thinking about how to share her story online. Initially, she had planned to return to social media only when she had rebuilt her business or achieved a significant milestone that she could present as a comeback. Instead, she decided to speak about her struggles while she was still going through them.

"There are so many people quietly going through their own version of rock bottom right now. Losing businesses, jobs, relationships, money, confidence, or simply the life they thought they would have. I can say confidently all of those things are me right now," she added. 

She added that sharing the difficult middle of the journey, rather than waiting until everything had worked out, could be more meaningful.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding her finances, Panwar ended her post on a hopeful note. She acknowledged that the current phase of her life was uncomfortable, humbling and sometimes heartbreaking but said it was only one chapter of her story.

"This chapter is uncomfortable, humbling and sometimes heartbreaking. But it's still only a chapter," she concluded.