Case 1
Sirène
Built from one woman’s experience. Designed to keep many safe.
When experience becomes innovation
Caroline Louise Lilleør built Sirène from a deeply personal and defining experience: an attempted assault where a phone was out of reach and the feeling of being completely alone became a turning point.
“My story isn’t unique. After what happened, I knew I wanted to build something that could help others if they ever found themselves in a similar situation.”
That experience became the starting point for Caroline to create something that could make everyday life safer for others. The result was Sirène: a small, physical device designed with two core features: Follow Me Home and Emergency Alert. Follow Me Home provides an added sense of security when commuting, exercising or heading home alone, while Emergency Alert is designed for moments when immediate help is needed.
“Sirène isn’t just a product. It’s a tool to take control back over your own safety.”
Sirène was created with a clear purpose: to give people back control over their safety and over the confidence to move freely in their everyday lives.
Turning setbacks into strategy
The journey has not been without challenges. When Sirène launched in Denmark in 2023, the results did not meet expectations.
“I failed at first. Miserably.”
The market response forced the team to rethink their strategy, messaging, and market focus entirely.
“My best advice? Find an investor early, and make sure they’re an active one.”
Shortly after, attention turned to Germany where demand for a product like Sirène proved to be significantly stronger. The launch marked a turning point in the company’s development and validated both the product and the mission. The lesson was clear: sometimes it’s not the product that’s wrong, but the market.
“At some point, you just have to jump, headfirst, and trust that you’ll learn to fly on the way down.”
The power of strategic partnerships
Today, Sirène focuses strongly on strategic partnerships to reach the people who need personal safety tools the most. The company collaborates with organizations, brands and communities that share its values around safety, equality and freedom. For Sirène, collaboration is not optional: it’s essential to creating change at scale.
“My advice is simple: start talking about your idea. Pitch it to stakeholders, mentors, or anyone who can help guide you in the right direction.”
Looking ahead, the company is preparing to enter new markets, launch new features and introduce a new business model.
Caroline best advice to aspirering entrepreneurs is clear:
“Start by mapping out your network. Identify who could be valuable in each stage of the process and how they might contribute. I did that in the very beginning, and it helped me create a clear plan and move faster.”
With a clear mission and a strong focus on partnerships, Sirène continues to evolve driven by the same simple idea that started it all: no one should ever have to feel alone in an unsafe moment. And for Caroline, the journey is far from over.