Insight

VR technology has reached unprecedented momentum.  According to CB insights, AR and VR startups raised $658 million in equity financing last year, and Florida based Magic Leap set a new bar for funding when it raised a $794 million round led by Alibaba in February 2016. The Nordics have a slew of startups in this niche including Breakroom, Moggles, and …

Successful global growth of ICT, Medtech, green tech and consumer product innovations can be the future for the Nordic economies.  But the process from idea to market success is quite different for the Nordic countries compared to the US. By Jennifer Vessels Sustainable growth requires more than a product idea.  It demands skillful commercialization to drive customer adoption and revenue …

“Ed-tech is boiling over here in Sweden”, says Jannie Jeppesen, founder of Ed-tech Sweden. But the community remains a black hole for Swedes – and even ed-tech companies themselves.  Ed-tech Sweden is now launching the first ever mapping of the ed-tech ecosystem in partnership with Silicon Vikings, to build transparency from the ground up, and get ed-tech on the agenda. …

Sustainable Brands is a global business community dedicated to helping shift the world to a sustainable economy.  In anticipation of their Copenhagen conference in 2016, founder KoAnn Skrzyniarz outlines 7 sustainable, global business trends. KoAnn Skrzyniarz  travels around the world working with large brands to promote sustainability while still maintaining a competitive business. “There will be new sustainable ideas and …

Millennials have grown up with technology, which makes them an entirely new breed of consumer. Armed with their devices, they have the world at their fingertips. But access to more knowledge does not necessarily mean making better choices, or does it? Memories of the financial collapse are firmly embedded in the minds of millennials, which has been attributed to their …

The startup ecosystem in Stockholm will have the backing of both local politicians and large companies – and this is among the reasons why Stockholm’s startups are ahead of their Danish counterparts, according to Tim He of Northzone. The Swedish startup scene blooms in Stockholm, and the Business Region Stockholm, which is part of the city council, supports and boosts …

Did you know that the greatest crowdsourcing story ever told was from the mining industry? And that NASA is crowdsourcing Jupiter?  Read on to find out the possibilities of crowdsourcing to accelerate innumerable processes. Crowdsourcing a gold mine In 1990, Rob McEwen took over a mining company called Gold Corp, which was failing to yield profit, despite his geologists telling …

Getting a high valuation for your startup is not the measure of success many founders believe it to be. Below, the different elements behind getting a good valuation are deconstructed. Books and lawyers can help entrepreneurs learn the art of negotiation, but when it comes to valuing a company, negotiation is only part of the equation. Many founders want a …

The World Economic Forum released its report on the Future of Jobs earlier this week, and several industries were highlighted as big winners in net job growth.  Artificial Intelligence was singled out as one of these future change drivers. The gist?  Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not the hydra-headed beast that demolishes jobs as it tramples on the global economy.  Nor …

A number of countries are competing to become the world’s first economy to ditch paper currency.  NexChange recently reported that Kevin Jenkins,  managing director of Visa Europe, stated that within five years, cash will be seen as “a peculiar way of paying for things.” But one region stands out as the front runners in the race to become cashless:  the …

Denmark has just been named the best place to start a business Europe. However, funnily enough the startup environment here is quite disconnected from the rest of Europe. Danish companies tend to expand either to other Nordic countries or go big and enter the US market. Why not enter other European countries? Even though Danish startup scene seems international, majority …

Investing in startups is not an easy job. As an investor, you are not only betting on a specific startup and team, but often on a market that doesn’t exist yet. Even the best team in the world is doomed to fail if it undertakes the wrong market.  The opposite is not always true. One of the biggest mistakes venture …

Thor Angelo has for many years worked as a business angel and advisor in Danish startups. Now you can hear him talk about the journey from entrepreneur to investor. Thor Angelo has a past as co-founder of LanguageWire, and nearly 16 years of experience in  internationalization and product development. In addition, he has been an active investor in companies as …

Recruitment is forever ‘hot topic’ for startups.  On the one hand, they need wildly talented employees, and on the other, they cannot offer high salaries.  Available funds must be used wisely.  The good news is, there are great ways to find talent and save money using LinkedIn. You do not need to spend money hiring expensive recruiters or posting on …

Mike Hearn, one of the core developers of Bitcoin, recently wrote a Medium post in which he publicly announced that he will no longer be taking part in Bitcoin development and that “the bitcoin experiment has failed.” A New York Times article soon followed, and then countless other journalists joined in, echoing Hearn’s remarks without attempting to explain the highly …

Crowdfunding is fun and exciting, but it also requires hard work and a bold attitude to go the extra mile. It cannot be overemphasized how important it is always to try new things, fail quickly, and learn from the mistakes so we can turn them into opportunities. Cautious optimism is an indispensable attitude when launching an equity crowdfunding campaign. Below …

If you’re following the Nordic startup ecosystem, then you’ll have heard of Startup Sauna, one of the regions top accelerators for promising early startups. But if you want to be one of the lucky chosen startups, here are 6 things you definitely need to avoid. Accelerators and incubators are often key players in helping startups prepare for their next steps …

A Nordic Web Report on Icelandic tech and startup investments in 2015 shows a staggering 1,568% growth in year-on-year funding from 2014 to 2015. Number of investments rose from seven to seventeen. This massive growth in funding is mainly fueled by three big investments: Verne Global’s $98 million (~12.7bn ISK) Series D round in January, Carbon Recycling International’s $45.5 million (~5.9bn ISK) …

Kristin Skogen Lund, director of the NHO, Norway’s leading business lobby, thinks Norwegians have been in the comfort zone for far too long, and that change in the workplace is necessary. “There are a lot of changes we are now facing, and everything is dependent on how we choose to tackle them.  We are in this epoch of change, and …

The Internet of Things (IoT) will change everything. Existing businesses will be disrupted and their business models will be changed forever. Here’s why. Put yourself in the shoes of Philips, consumer products manufacturer. Philips makes dishwashers. One day, they’re going to throw a sensor and wifi chip into the newest dishwasher model and call it a “smart” appliance. We’ll have …