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I am a Partner at KPMG, leading our Consulting business across the South East, Thames…
Articles by Sarah
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SERIES A: SET STRAIGHT
SERIES A: SET STRAIGHT
Here at CP Raising Finance, we’ve been head-down over the summer preparing for several exciting new fundraises to hit…
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Sarah Abrahams shared this📅 Private Equity & Deals outlook for 2026 - 04 March On 4th March, my colleagues Jonathan Read, Sami Fairris and Andy Holden will be at our KPMG UK Reading office to share themes from our forthcoming Private Equity outlook, plus their perspectives on what 2026 might look like for deal activity. We’ll dig into what we’re seeing across the market: 💷 The fundraising environment and PE performance 📈 Trends around hold periods, sector hotspots and capital structures 💡 What this all means for portfolio companies, and for anyone weighing up their first PE investment Plus insights on valuations, activity levels, exit routes, due diligence focus areas and an update on the debt markets. If you’re in a PE‑backed leadership role, part of a Corporate Development team, or a founder thinking about your next step, this will be a useful, practical session to help frame decisions for 2026 and beyond. 👉 Register your interest to attend: https://lnkd.in/ef4KePDi #privateequity #deals #mergersandacquisitions #venturecapital #marketoutlook
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Sarah Abrahams shared thisApplications for our KPMG UK "Founded by Her" programme are now open 📣 Back for a fourth time, this fully-funded programme kicks off in January 2026 and is designed to de-risk your next raise and accelerate your path to global scale. 🤜 Master Series A Nuances: Get battle-tested strategies for financial models, pitch decks, due diligence, and delivery practice directly with VCs. 🧱 Avoid Costly Mistakes: Practical sessions on tax, law, and exit planning to build a robust, investable business. 🌐 Learn from the Best: Connect directly with experienced founders who've navigated successful growth rounds and build a trusted network within your cohort. 💷 Learn from investors: Directly connect with some of the UK’s leading VCs throughout We're only accepting 15 businesses into this in-person London programme (Jan 2026 - April 2026). Please click here to find out more > https://lnkd.in/eCEvK3_n. Applications close Friday, 7 November.Sarah Abrahams shared thisAre you a women tech founder, with plans fundraise in 2026? Then our KPMG UK Access #FoundedbyHer programme could be for you! Our 4 month #FoundedbyHer programme sets you up for success! It provides: 🗒️ a crucial foundation for your Series A raise - think masterclasses from experts in fundraising 👩💻 an enhanced network - you will meet peers, advisors, investors and experienced entrepreneurs. ❓ a safe space - openly ask questions, refine your strategy, and apply market insights directly to your business. We've been building this community since 2023, and this will be our 4th cohort! Ready to join a programme with a track record of empowering women founders? Applications close Friday, Nov 7th. Link to apply in comments! #FoundedbyHer #WomenInTech #FemaleFounders #SeriesA #GrowthFunding Kirsty Smith Lauren Hartley Jill Hilton Alison White Olivia Edwards Alice Killingbeck Sarah Abrahams Tom Fox Tim Cross Patrick Molyneux Sam Luckett Nick Hawkins Hamish Rawbone Artem Fedosov Yasin Doodhwala
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Sarah Abrahams shared thisYesterday I spent the day in Glasgow speaking to the 2025 Scale up Scotland cohort about what it takes to raise capital in today's market. We covered: 👉 The realities of fundraising in a disciplined, investor-led market 👉 How to approach your outreach strategy and have discussions at the right time 👉 What #SeriesA investors are looking for in 2025 Thanks to The Hunter Foundation and Scale up Scotland team for having me - it was a pleasure to support another wave of Scotland's emerging scale-ups! And great to spend the morning with KPMG UK colleagues Colin Henderson & Ben Coates too! Amy Burnett Patrick Molyneux Nick Hawkins Sam Luckett Nicole Lowe
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Sarah Abrahams shared thisLast night we celebrated the graduation of our third cohort from our KPMG UK "Founded by Her" Access programme! We are immensely proud to have supported another group of phenomenal women leaders in preparing for their next big leap. A huge congratulations and thank you to all the participants for their dedication, hard work, and inspiring ambition. Please join me in celebrating these incredible entrepreneurs 👏 Camille Rougié from Plural AI Kiran Roest from PocDoc Meredith Estren from Albertine Nina Briance from CULT MIA Julia (Jules) Salmond from CienDos Jennifer McLean from Raven Controls Hema Gandhi from LatentBridge Madeleine Sanders from Heat Geek Alexa Grellet from HR DataHub Francesca Cordeiro from Novai Cathi Harrison FPFS from Verve Sandra Sassow from SEaB ENERGY (SEaB Power Ltd) Stella Smith from pirkx To our friends in the VC community – watch this space! You can expect to see some exciting Series A deals coming to market as soon as Q3 this year 👀 Well done to the KPMG team for another successful programme > Kirsty Smith, Lauren Hartley & Amy Burnett 🩷 We've supported over 50 founders across Access cohorts in the last 18 months. Our next programme will be announced in the coming weeks - kicking off in September 2025! #FoundedByHer #FemaleFounders #VentureCapital #Scaleups #SeriesA
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Sarah Abrahams reposted thisSarah Abrahams reposted thisThe future of capital was in the room on Wednesday morning. On June 18th, I hosted the first Green Flag Roundtable - an invitation-only gathering of 20 women who lead funds, scale companies, and shape industries. We came together to do one thing: build a smarter investment lens for women-led ventures. Not in theory. In practice. We created the FIRST draft of the Green Flag Investment Criteria: a framework that reflects how women actually lead, build, and win. Backed by lived experience and real performance. We covered four domains: 💸 Finance 🛡 Risk and Growth 🌍 Technology 🌟 Product and Innovation A special thank you to my Success Committee - Karen Zhang, Nicola Piercy, and Kayee Cheung - whose leadership and insight shaped every part of this process. And to our other brilliant moderator Wendy Powell! None of this would have happened without these genius women. What a joy it was to be surrounded by such brilliant minds! Thank you to every woman who showed up with focus, rigour, and generosity. You shaped something real and lasting. Stephanie Hussels, Sarah Abrahams, Cate Poulson, Lesley Li, Katie Warren, Sophie Hallwright, Anna Sweetman, Melanie Mills, Stephanie M. Shorter, PhD, Tamara Kostova, Mirela Sula, Jaxx Nelson, Rhea Keehn, Sameeksha Satpathy, Mia D., Kate Hofman, Katie Payne, Isabella Rhodes Next: we test it in the real world. We reconvene in October. And we certify the funds who are ready to act. This is how we shift the standard… by building it ourselves. #GreenFlag #SmarterCapital #WomenInBusiness #WCorp #InvestableLeadership
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Sarah Abrahams shared thisThis time next week I'll be in Glasgow joining techUK's Meet the Investor panel - a #venturecapital focused event connecting scale-up founders with active VCs across the eco-system. Alongside fellow panellists - Ben Leslie from Puma Investments, Patricia E. from Par Equity, Usman Ali from Salica Investments and Barry McCulloch from British Business Bank - we'll be covering current investment trends and opportunities, practical advice for fundraising in the current market and what VCs look for 👀 📍 KPMG UK Glasgow | 2–5pm | Free to attend Looking forward to the conversation and hope to catch some of my Glasgow-based network there! 🎟️ Tickets still available and registrations close tonight >> https://bit.ly/4lWXHvY #venturecapital #MeetTheInvestors #SMEConnect #Investors #Technology Stephanie Barr Ed Bevan Amy Burnett Patrick Molyneux Sam Luckett
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Sarah Abrahams shared thisNext week, during #LondonTechWeek, I'll be joining the judging panel for the London heat of KPMG UK's Tech Innovator in the UK competition 🏆 The calibre of this year's applications has been exceptional, showcasing some of the most exciting emerging tech businesses 🚀 from across the capital. A huge congratulations and good luck to all the London regional finalists 👏 - I am looking forward to hearing your pitches! 🎤 DEScycle Bolt Insight Bracket ReN AI™️ Griffin Micrographia Bio OnePlan PitchMe.co MOONHUB Velexa Vertice Weaver Labs #techinnovatoruk Tim Cross Hazel Panter Nicole Lowe Amy Burnett Jill Hilton Eoin Broderick Vithu Nathan
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Sarah Abrahams shared thisFantastic day and evening yesterday celebrating the conclusion of our KPMG UK Future of Work programme. The cohort presented to a panel of VCs and did themselves proud 🙌🏼 I have loved every moment of coaching them over the last four months. Another group of knockout founders hitting the market in the next few months with their #SeriesA rounds… watch this space VCs 👀Sarah Abrahams shared thisYesterday concluded our KPMG UK Access – Future of Work 2025 programme! 🥳 It was such a fantastic day for our cohort who pitched in front of a panel of investors, who gave invaluable feedback to each of the companies. 💡 A huge thank you to our investor panel: Adam Barker - Guinness Ventures Kevin Fuller - NoBa Capital Charlotte Howe - Puma Growth Partners Roshan Puri - YFM Equity Partners A special thank you to Charlie Parry (UrbanChain) who joined me for a fireside style chat and shared his wisdom and journeys around raising a Series-A funding round. So many take-aways from our discussion but the key things that stood out for me was the timing and planning part. Raising a Series-A round can be very demanding and all consuming. It is imperative to seek the right help! 🔥 The last 4 months have been a whirlwind – the time has absolutely flown by, and it has been truly brilliant getting to know each of these amazing companies and watch them grow in such a short space time. 🌱 Bracket | EcoSync | Filament Syfter | Flexa | FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics | Gigged.AI | inploi | MeVitae | Recruitment Smart Technologies | Rubicon Bridge Ltd | Toca.io Thank you again, to the cohort, for your time, energy and inputs to each of our sessions over the last 4 months – you have made it a real pleasure and fantastic learning experience and environment for each of your fellow cohort members. 🙌 Each and every one of these companies genuinely have very bright futures… watch this space! 🚀 -- #emerginggiants #FutureofWork #FoundedbyHer #scaleups #programme #venturecapital #entrepreneurship
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Sarah Abrahams reacted on thisSarah Abrahams reacted on thisWhat an inspiring afternoon at our third co-hosted Women in Business event with Natwest. We were privileged to hear from Sophie Chaplin-Kirk, Anna-Marie Ferguson, and Rachel Beggins, who openly shared their career journeys, the obstacles they encountered, and the experiences that have shaped their success. Their stories were a powerful reminder of the importance of resilience, confidence, and supporting one another throughout our careers. A huge thank you to our fantastic speakers and everyone who joined us and helped make the event such a success. Steve Hickman, Terri Coughlan, Amanda Myatt, Sarah Churton, Sarah Abrahams, Sarah Reynolds, Meredith Miller, Suzannah Belk, Sarah Davies-White, Amanda C., Jessica Willis, Meena Fatania, KPMG UK,
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Sarah Abrahams liked thisSarah Abrahams liked thisI'm back 👋🏼☺️ I was planning to do a proper polished photo to share this news... but instead, a lovely gentleman snapped this brilliant photo with good friends on our way to a #GlasgowTechWeek event! I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined HSBC Innovation Banking supporting tech and life sciences founders and investors across Scotland and Northern Ireland. 🌱🚀 The past week have been a whirlwind of meeting colleagues and learning how we can bring maximum value, network, and support to the local tech community. Looking forward to catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, and getting properly stuck in. But first... I’d better get through my 17 mandatory training modules and brew a very strong coffee. ☕️ (Apologies LinkedIn for the Friday post!) Richard Faulkner Jenni Hamilton Barry McCulloch Daniel McKiddie Mat Gazeley Thea Goodluck #HSBCInnovationBanking
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Sarah Abrahams reacted on thisWhat a way to start the weekend! After a successful Investment Committee this afternoon (more soon on that!), I'm thrilled to share I've joined Arāya Ventures full-time as Partner, leading the Super Angel Fund. I met Rupa Popat back in early 2024 and was drawn straight in by her vision; a fund built to back exceptional founders at pre-seed and seed. What began as some bid writing support has, two years on, turned into this next chapter. I wish to thank Rupa Popat and the wider Arāya Ventures team for such an opportunity and everything I've learned along the way to date. I'm looking forward to delivering real value for our portfolio ventures and investors. This is the start of an exciting new chapter. More to come here over the next few months (including, finally, an updated profile!).Sarah Abrahams reacted on thisMartin Carruthers has been part of Arāya Ventures from the very beginning, and today I’m incredibly proud to share that he has become a Partner of the Arāya Super Angel Fund. Building a venture firm is never about one person. It’s about the people who roll up their sleeves, believe in the vision before anyone else does, and help build it every single day. Martin has been one of those people from day one. He has played a huge role in shaping our investment process, leading everything from sourcing opportunities and diligence through to working alongside our founders after we invest. Many of the companies we have backed have benefited from his thoughtful approach, commercial judgement and genuine commitment to helping founders succeed. What I admire most is how he shows up. He is thoughtful, rigorous and calm under pressure, but also deeply trusted by the founders, investors and team around him. He never looks for recognition, he simply gets on with the work and always puts the long term first. Watching Arāya grow has been one of the most rewarding journeys of my career, and having people like Martin alongside me has made all the difference. Congratulations, Martin. I’m excited for everything we’ll continue to build together. Opening doors, Rupa
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Sarah Abrahams liked thisSarah Abrahams liked thisSomething amazing happened this weekend. I'm not often left speechless, but an act of kindness completely choked me up. We have three house rules: 1) Be kind; 2) Always try your hardest; 3) Never give up. Rule number 1 is always the most important. And on Sunday, Faduma Dirsche took that to a new level. I'd been to the theatre with my daughter (her appearance in my LinkedIn posts seems to be a weekly occurrence), and she left her phone on the Elizabeth line. As we got back to the car and it dawned on her what had happened... there were tears... lots of tears. It was her favourite bag with her brand new phone in it (the first one she's ever had). I raced back into Hayes and Harlington station and explained what had happened. The guards were super helpful and phoned around to see if anyone had picked it up. They hadn't. What had been a wonderful day at the theatre was about to turn very sad. Then, out of nowhere, Faduma turns up with a huge smile on her face, holding Heather's bag. Faduma had noticed we left it. Picked it up. Got off at the next station and returned to Hayes and Harlington to give it to the staff there, thinking that's where we'd go back to. Probably adding 30 minutes onto her journey. I was speechless. The only reason I know it was Faduma is that she left a cute note to my daughter in her bag, which is now pinned to her wall. I asked to get her something as a thank you - not a chance - pass on the kindness. How the world needs more Fadumas. To link this to LinkedIn, her company is nannycarehome com. If you're in Berkshire and need Domiciliary Care, Live-in Care or Respite Care, then I'm not sure there's more evidence that you'll find a caring service provider. I really hope this story may get her a new customer - kind people in kind businesses deserve all our support. #kindness
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Sarah Abrahams reacted on thisSarah Abrahams reacted on thisAfter 8 months of maternity leave getting to know this gorgeous tiny human, I’m now delighted to return to the office. While I’ve been away: Claude has overtaken ChatGPT, vibe coding is mainstream, the mega rounds are back, and we’re talking about ‘software and a service’….So quite a lot to catch up on! The team has continued to do an outstanding job and is busier than ever supporting our clients with financing and expansion plans. Perfect timing to return: we’re at Infosecurity Europe this week, London Tech Week and Founders Forum next week. We look forward to catching up there. A huge thank you to Sydney MacGregor for holding the fort so brilliantly while I was away, and then somehow managing to have twins herself (👏). And thank you to HSBC Innovation Banking for the support and flexibility that made this special time possible. Good to be back. Emily Turner Glen Waters Stephen Lowery Jim Simmons Alex Donkor Jack Bates Freddie Lavender Mairead McNally Kyle Randall Tim Cussins Ryan Clements Yiran Qin Rupy Malizia
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Sarah Abrahams liked thisSarah Abrahams liked thisGive up coffee for a day and you’ll……Nope.….I got nothing! The very idea of life without coffee doesn’t bear thinking about! And so I want to take a moment to give a shout out to the awesome baristas from the KPMG Saudi Arabia ground floor coffee counter. They set me up for the day, everyday, with their friendly greetings and great coffee. They love what they do and that comes through in their demeanour and quality of the latte art that they produce. I certainly couldn’t replicate any of their grand designs. Thank you chaps and enjoy your time off. Eid Al-Adha Al Mubarak #coffee #latte KPMG Saudi Arabia KPMG Lower Gulf
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Sarah Abrahams reacted on thisSarah Abrahams reacted on thisWhat a week! 🫠 We officially closed our fourth KPMG UK #FoundedbyHer cohort last night. 4 months later and we have 12 female founders feeling better prepared about their capital fundraise journey 🚀✅ We rounded off our programme with a networking evening. Huge thanks to Anna Purchas for hosting, to Sam Smith The SuperScalers for sharing her story and opening her network to our community. And it was brilliant to hear Ester Marchetti and Hakan Yurdakul Bolt Insight share their £7m fundraise story! What I loved most was seeing our alumni come together, network and celebrate each other ✨🤩
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Sarah Abrahams liked thisSarah Abrahams liked thisA fantastic evening out at our inaugural Surrey Executive networking event which was expertly hosted at Mercedes Benz World in Weybridge. Our guests enjoyed an evening of beautiful sunshine, nerve wracking late braking, 120mph+ speeds on the back straight, branded burgers and capped it off with some healthy competition in the racing simulators! An excellent all round evening as we strive to build and develop a community of business leaders in Surrey. Thank you to all of our clients for your continued support! Richard Aston Mark Wilmshurst Richard Hall Hamish MacDonald Daniel Buckley Marta Sieczko Sarah Abrahams Julie Wheeldon Gareth Bowen
Experience
Education
Licenses & Certifications
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Corporate Finance Qualification (CFq)
CISI
Issued
Honors & Awards
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Best Finance Team led by a woman 2019
Women in Finance awards
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Industry Game Changer 2018
Growth Investor Awards
The Industry Game Changer award recognises an individual, company, platform, product or service that has demonstrably improved practice, perception or engagement in the investment industry.
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Women in the City "Future Leader" 2017
Women in the City
This Award recognises women working in organisations employing over 250 who are in leadership roles and show huge potential as progressive and inspiring leaders in their respective industries.
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Carl Wakeford ACA
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Lesley Fox
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