Nordic Innovation is Building a United Startup Community

The Nordic region is experiencing an entrepreneurial blossoming. Nordic Innovation wishes to brace the progress and is therefore currently running ten different projects to help strengthen the Nordic startup ecosystem.

In the individual Nordic states there are several initiatives working to support the flourishing environment, both public such as the ‘Væksthus’-initiative in Denmark or private such as the grassroot organization #sthlmtech in Sweden. However, few initiatives work as a unifying entity across nations and sectors as Nordic Innovation does.

As a part of The Nordic Council of Ministers, the initiative collaborates with a steering committee of serial entrepreneurs and investors to create a bottom-up push for a united Nordic startup ecosystem.

World-class startups lead the community

According to steering committee member and serial entrepreneur Tine Thygesen, the last couple of years have seen a stark increase in the interest for Nordic startups. This curiosity comes from both Europe and USA and was initiated by some excellent performances from Nordic startups. Tine Thygesen feels like this has been the first step to Nordic startups identifying as part of a community.

”I believe that this community feeling will develop further in the next few years, and hopefully we will be able to demonstrate that it is an advantage to have the Nordic Tech brand with you on your journey as a company. It is simply a proof of quality,” explains Tine Thygesen.

Nordic Innovation Steering Committee member and EdTech entrepreneur, Vilborg Einarsdottir agrees with this statement:

“My feeling is that we have a momentum. Governments in our countries understand the importance of creating the right environment for seed and growth companies to be successful. In Iceland and in the Nordics we need more scalable tech companies to provide young people with opportunities to use their skills and competences. We need to build global tech companies that create value for our society,” she explains.

The startup ecosystem needs a voice

Vilborg Einarsdottir and Tine Thygesen are both prominent representatives of the Nordic startup ecosystem and experienced entrepreneurs themselves. Therefore, they explain, it is a personal priority for them to put the framework conditions for entrepreneurs on the public agenda.

“I find it my duty to provide some of my experience to a project like this, as I find it extremely important to build an environment for growing successful technology companies for the global market,” says Vilborg Einarsdottir.

Tine Thygesen adds:

“To me the conditions for entrepreneurs is an important agenda, and that is why I prioritizespending time on being an advisor within growth and entrepreneurship through e.g. Nordic Innovation. Taxes, rules and requirements have a tremendous impact on all of our businesses, and entrepreneurs are currently underrepresented in politics, so when I have an opportunity to make our needs heard I am happy to take it on for the team.”

The Nordic Innovation Initiative currently runs ten different projects that help strengthen the Nordic startup ecosystem. Within the next weeks we will present some of these projects will be presented here on Nordic Startup Bits.