What SISTA does

SISTA is a French non-profit collective (loi 1901) founded in December 2018 in Paris by Céline Lazorthes, Tatiana Jama and Valentine de Lasteyrie to address the gender funding gap in the European technology startup ecosystem. The organization operates three vertically integrated programs: Sista Founders, a six-month accelerator cohort preparing women entrepreneurs for fundraising; Sista Investors, a sensitization and engagement program covering venture capital and corporate venture capital funds; and Sista Data, a research arm that publishes the annual SISTA x BCG European Gender Parity Barometer. Programs are free for entrepreneurs and funded through corporate sponsorships, donations via HelloAsso, and partner contributions; SISTA does not develop proprietary technology products and does not generate commercial revenue from products or services.

Since 2020, SISTA has supported 166 entrepreneurs, of whom 70% subsequently raised capital, with cumulative raises exceeding €350M across 110+ rounds. The operational ecosystem includes 30 Investor Allies funds, 150+ charter signatories, and a roster of major corporate sponsors spanning technology (AWS), financial services (BNP Paribas, Mastercard, FDJ Group), consumer goods (L'Oréal Bold Ventures, Veuve Clicquot), and asset management (Eurazeo, UBS). Flagship events include the annual SISTA Summit, held under the high patronage of the French President since June 2023, and quarterly Demo Days. Adjacent to but structurally separate from SISTA is SISTAFUND I, an AMF-regulated FPCI vehicle targeting €100M and managed by 50Partners Gestion that deploys €250K–€3M tickets into women-founded startups.

The organization is launching an AI-focused vertical called SISTA IA in partnership with Connect'Hers by BNP Paribas, with its 8th cohort scheduled for September 2026, and the SISTA x BCG barometer now covers France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Spain. SISTA operates with 1-10 employees and is led by CEO Déborah Loye, with Alexia Reiss serving as Executive Director. As a community and advocacy platform, SISTA's economic footprint is best measured by the downstream fundraising outcomes of its accompanied founders rather than by direct top-line revenue.

Name

SISTA

Legal name

SISTA

Website

https://wearesista.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SISTA is a Paris-based non-profit collective operating since December 2018 to close the gender funding gap in the European tech startup ecosystem through founder accelerators, investor sensitization, and the SISTA x BCG European barometer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships: SISTA receives support from corporate partners including Amazon Web Services (AWS), BNP Paribas (Connect'Hers), Mastercard Strive, Veuve Clicquot, L'Oréal Bold Ventures, FDJ Group, and others who co-sponsor programs and provide resources for the accelerator promotions.
2. Donations: SISTA accepts donations from individuals (don particulier) and professionals (don professionnel) via HelloAsso platform, used to finance programs, events, and studies.
3. SISTAFUND Investment Management: SISTAFUND I is a €100 million target venture capital fund managed by 50Partners Gestion, investing tickets of €250,000 to €3 million from pre-seed to Series A in startups with at least one woman co-founder. SISTA benefits from the fund's alignment with its mission while the fund generates management fees and carry.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SISTA is a French non-profit collective (association loi 1901) that runs three vertical programs—Sista Founders (a 6-month accelerator supporting women entrepreneurs preparing fundraising rounds), Sista Investors (a program sensitizing VC and CVC funds to diversity and supporting portfolio feminization), and Sista Data (a research arm producing annual gender parity barometers with BCG)—plus the SISTA Summit annual conference, the SISTA IA promotion dedicated to AI-focused women founders in partnership with Connect'Hers by BNP Paribas and AWS, and the affiliated SISTAFUND I venture capital vehicle (€100M target, managed by 50Partners Gestion).

Product overview

SISTA is a collective and community organization — not a technology product company — focused on reducing funding inequalities between women and men entrepreneurs in the digital economy. Its core offering is a three-vertical program structure: (1) Sista Founders, a fundraising accelerator providing women entrepreneurs with investor networks and mentorship; (2) Sista Investors, a diversity engagement program for VCs and CVCs; and (3) Sista Data, a research arm producing gender parity studies and barometers. These verticals are supported by a community of women-founded startups, an annual SISTA Summit conference, and an AI-focused promotion track launched in partnership with Connect'Hers by BNP Paribas and AWS. There is no SaaS product, platform, or software offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sista Founders

Quantifiable outcome

• 166 entrepreneurs supported since 2020, with 70% subsequently raising funds
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Boston Consulting Group (BCG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2022SISTA and BCG co-produce the annual European Gender Parity Barometer, now in its third edition (2023, 2025). The barometer is the leading data source on gender gaps in startup creation and funding across France, UK, Germany, Sweden, and Spain. BCG provides analytical expertise and global research credibility.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWS is a sponsor of the SISTA AI promotion, providing technical resources, cloud credits, and visibility to women-founded AI startups. AWS representatives (e.g., Agnès Gerbaud Seuret) sit on Demo Day juries and provide expert feedback to program participants.
• Connect'Hers by BNP ParibascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnect'Hers by BNP Paribas is a multi-year co-program partner with SISTA, supporting the SISTA EntrepreneurEs accelerator promotions. BNP Paribas provides financing expertise, commercial banking network access, and co-funding for the 6-month accelerator programs. Pierre Ruhmann (COO of BNP Paribas Commercial Banking France) has publicly endorsed the partnership.
• Mastercard Strive / Mastercard Center for Inclusive GrowthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSISTA x Mastercard Strive partnership supports women founders building AI solutions for micro and small businesses in France. Two startups (Pokit, Gynger Care) were selected for intensive support through this program. Mastercard Strive focuses on strengthening the ecosystem supporting small businesses.
• FDJ Group (Française des Jeux)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFDJ Group has partnered with SISTA since 2019 (signing the SISTA Charter for CVCs), sponsored the SISTA x FDJ promotion in 2022, and invested in SISTAFUND I at its first closing. Stéphane Pallez (President of FDJ Group) is a member of SISTA's Board of Directors.
• L'Oréal Bold VenturesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerL'Oréal Bold Ventures is a sponsor of SISTA programs and launched its own BOLD Female Founders fund in June 2022. L'Oréal and SISTA co-organized events including a Feminist Karaoke during VivaTech, celebrating Bold's €25M funding round and the partnership's impact.
• Veuve ClicquotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeuve Clicquot partnered with SISTA on the 'Bold' mentorship program (2020–2022), connecting over 200 mentors with women entrepreneurs. Veuve Clicquot also sponsors the annual '10 Femmes à Suivre' celebration event.
• Station FminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStation F hosted the SISTA Investor Allies Annual Conference (October 2022) and serves as an ecosystem partner for program delivery, providing venue and network access.
• French TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Tech is listed as an ecosystem partner on SISTA's website, collaborating on initiatives that promote diversity in the French tech ecosystem.
• Google for Startups FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle for Startups France is a corporate partner of the SISTA Summit, providing startup ecosystem support and visibility. Jalil Chikhi (EMEA Android Partnerships & Managing Director, Google) participated as a panelist on inclusive leadership.
• CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNRS collaborated with SISTA and Bolk Studio on the '(un)bias project' — an immersive experience inspired by the Harvard Implicit Association Test, designed to raise awareness of unconscious cognitive biases during the SISTA Summit.
• 50 PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner50 Partners is the accelerator and fund behind SISTAFUND. Jérôme Masurel (Managing Partner of 50 Partners and Partner of SISTAFUND I) co-initiated the fund with Tatiana Jama. 50 Partners provides the regulatory infrastructure (AMF-licensed fund management) and entrepreneurial mentorship network for SISTAFUND.
• ONU Femmes FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSISTA partnered with ONU Femmes France in March 2023 for the #AMAPLACE initiative, where 23 male tech leaders lent their LinkedIn profiles for a day to 23 women in tech, generating significant media visibility for women's achievements.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Female Founders Fund: US-based early-stage venture fund investing in women-led companies. Directly comparable to SISTAFUND's gender-lens investing thesis, though operating in a different geography and stage.
• Diversity VC: Global non-profit focused on increasing diversity in the venture capital industry. Highly comparable to SISTA's Sista Investors vertical, working with VC/CVC funds on diversity frameworks and cognitive bias training.
• All Raise: US non-profit dedicated to increasing diversity and fostering female leadership across the venture capital ecosystem. Comparable mission and structure to SISTA, focused on women in VC and entrepreneurship.
• Connect'Hers by BNP Paribas: BNP Paribas initiative supporting women entrepreneurs through its commercial banking network. Directly comparable to SISTA's Sista Founders vertical and is an active co-program partner via SISTA IA.
• 50Partners: French accelerator and fund manager that manages SISTAFUND I. Comparable as the operational infrastructure partner and shares the gender-focused investment thesis.
• Elaia: Paris-based VC firm that is a SISTA Investor Ally. Comparable as a participating investor in the gender-lens network and as a French deeptech/tech VC that contributes fundraising guides to SISTA programs.
• Serena Capital: Paris-based VC firm that is a SISTA Investor Ally and jury member. Comparable as a French VC actively participating in the gender-lens investing community through SISTA.

Regional players

• The Family: European startup support organization operating across multiple cities. Comparable as a regional ecosystem builder and educator for tech founders, though not explicitly gender-focused.
• NUMA: Paris-based startup accelerator and innovation platform. Comparable as a French tech ecosystem player running accelerator cohorts, though focused on digital transformation broadly rather than gender diversity.
• Station F: World's largest startup campus based in Paris, hosting SISTA events including the Investor Allies Annual Conference. Comparable as a French startup ecosystem infrastructure player and ecosystem partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1k0OvloiFe1xy5iuEddTjw
• Facebookfacebook.com/SISTA-256342581892292
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wearesistacom
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearesista_
• Xx.com/wearesista

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SISTA