Empower Her Fund II is the next bold chapter in a growing movement to reshape who gets funded—and what gets built.

Our mission is clear: catalyze capital for women-led ventures solving real problems, unlocking new markets, and delivering lasting impact. We believe some of the most promising returns—financial and social—come from backing overlooked founders with deep insight and grit.

In 2023, Lily Kanter and Beth Stelluto launched the Empower Her Founders Fund as a proof of concept as a group on the Cata Cap platform. With 42 investors and more than 30 voting members (contributing more than $10,000), we backed seven high-social or environmental impact, women-led companies across health, fintech, climate, and consumer innovation. That early portfolio is already showing traction and proved the demand for a values-aligned investor community with real capital to deploy.

Fund II is what’s next.

This second fund expands our ambition—a broader network of leaders bringing new members to create a larger community of investors and more capital – all to deliver larger checks, deeper founder support, and a more diversified portfolio. We will continue to be laser-focused on women-led social and environmental impact ventures at early, catalytic stages. It’s a direct response to an urgent truth: only ~2% of angel and venture dollars go to women-led startups. We’re here to change that—with intentional capital and a growing coalition.

Our aim is to be patient capital giving founders the breathing room they need to scale these important companies focused on making the world better. As with many early-stage companies, the investment horizon can be long – 10 years or more. Of course some may be acquired earlier than 10 years.

A Catalytic Matching Opportunity

Once, $265,000 is raised for Fund II, Lily Kanter has committed to match with $265,000 raised for Fund II—doubling every dollar invested and unlocking $530,000 in catalytic capital for women-led ventures. This is a moment to accelerate momentum and expand our impact together.

A Community with a Real Voice

We encourage commitments of $10,000 and above. At this level, members become voting participants—joining founder pitch sessions, sitting in on investment conversations, and helping shape how capital is allocated. Voting members can also recommend ventures for the community to consider.

This isn’t passive investing. It’s participatory capital.

See the Empower Her Fund II: Kickoff Video