We chose the name Sie because we wanted a word that centred women (our initial focus) without excluding others. Our long-term vision is to support a broader range of underrepresented groups across the founder and investor ecosystem, and Sie felt right: a word rich in meaning, inclusive by nature, and aligned with our ambition.

In German, Sie translates to:

• “she” (nominative feminine singular)

• “they” (nominative plural, gender-neutral)

• “her” or “them” (accusative, depending on context)

• The formal “you”, like vous in French

A single word that captures identity, inclusivity, and respect.

We ask every company to participate in Sie Foundations as a first step as it provides us with an opportunity to learn more about you and your business and equally, you get to know us! Additionally, it means we do not need to use 1-2-1 Catalyst hours to repeat our fundraising principles. Alongside the best-in-class content that we share!

As a result of the support from our sponsors, we are able to run our programs at a founder friendly rate. Our Foundations program is £550 + VAT and if selected, our Catalyst program is £1500 + VAT.

If you pass our due diligence, you’ll be invited to join Sie Foundations and have a chance to speak with the team before accepting your place. Over the summer, you’re also welcome to drop into our open office hours and workshops to get a feel for Sie.

For Sie Catalyst, we’ll be identifying potential participants throughout the selection process for Sie Foundations and during the program itself. We’ll reach out to founders we believe we can support more deeply and set up calls accordingly.

We review applications weekly during the sourcing period, so the earlier you apply, the better. And don’t worry: if you submitted interest before applications opened, we’ve got you on our radar.

Sie Catalyst stands apart by offering highly personalised, hands-on support to a small group of founders we believe are truly ready to raise. Unlike broader accelerators or one-size-fits-all courses, Catalyst is a focused 10 week program tailored to your specific fundraise. From refining your deck and financials to navigating investor conversations and closing your round - we cap the cohort at just 6-8 companies to ensure every founder gets deep, targeted support.

We have a proven track record of helping founders raise from top funds.

Sie Catalyst runs for 10 weeks, including dedicated time for investor outreach - but the support doesn’t end there. Once the program wraps, you’ll join the Sie Founder Community for life. As an alum, you’ll have ongoing access to the Sie team, fellow founders and a calendar of sessions and meet-ups designed to support you as you grow and raise again.

No we do not take equity. Our programs are offered at a founder friendly fee as a result of our partners support.

We invest in a limited number of companies yearly through our Syndicate and the Araya Sie Fund. Our Syndicate will also look at the companies that participate in Sie Foundations. The Sie Catalyst cohort will have an opportunity to pitch directly to Sie Syndicate during the program.

Sie operates predominantly across Europe and our HQ is based in the UK but we do consider applications to our programs outside of this region.

Our programs are mostly remote, all the sessions take place via Zoom. We want to simplify access to all UK and European companies. There will be an optional in-person event as part of Sie Foundations.

For Sie Foundations: We will run 3-4 sessions a week with additional resources shared across our dedicated program channels. Additionally, there will be office-hours with our partners wrapped around the main content.

For Sie Catalyst: Expect to commit around 6 hours per week for 6 weeks with our support extending for a further 4 weeks. That said, the real progress happens between sessions. You’ll be expected to put in additional time to refine your pitch deck, build your data room, shape your financials, and develop your investor pipeline.

Absolutely! Our requirement for Sie Catalyst is that the female co-founder has equitable equity in the business. For both programs, we are happy to work with the fundraising founder, regardless of gender.

We count every cheque that goes to our founders. To date we have facilitated 215+ cheques between founders and our Investor Network. Our companies have raised £300M+ in capital to date since our launch in 2021. Our latest NPS score from Sie Catalyst Spring 2026 is 100.

Sie Foundations will run from 7th September for 4 weeks. We will then take a 1 week break to select and onboard the companies to Sie Catalyst. This will then run until the end of the year.