SXSW

Part one: AI, SaaS + Sauna panel @ SXSW, the heat is on (“Löyly” [Finnish] meaning the heavenly steam of real Sauna)   Monday at SXSW took a different turn as Finns took over Bathe Austin, the new (and first) bathhouse in Austin. The program combined two things that don’t usually meet at tech conferences, especially outside Finland: tech and sauna. …

Global showcase at SXSW’s International Innovations Expo Saturday at SXSW brought one of the more open and globally mixed formats of the week: the International Innovations Expo at Fairmont Austin. As the SXSW did not have one central location (the Austin Convention Center has been demolished ans will be completely rebuild), the SXSW activities were spread wider into the Austin’s …

Earlier on the first SXSW day, Capital Factory hosted the European Startup Embassy’s “Founders x Funders” session — a focused networking event connecting European startups with investors and ecosystem players during SXSW week. The format was simple. No stage, no long pitches. Just people meeting people in the Capital Factory’s amazing facilities, with some Pizza and Beers (very startup style) …

The SXSW week kicked off for startups at the annual Capital Factory’s Startup Crawl, a long-running format bringing together dozens of companies and partners under one roof in Austin. The concept is simple: move, meet, and talk. Short demos, quick introductions, and constant flow between tables. Less pitching, more direct interaction. Finnish startups were again part of the mix Audicin, …

Nordics at SXSW 2026 While SXSW is a remarkable tech event, having approx 300.000 visitors over the event week, the amount of people has decreased from the pre-pandemic by numbers. So has the Finnish presence become slightly smaller, but perhaps more focused. Nordics used to be better glued together, and showed up with bigger, more coordinated delegations. Often with Nordic …

This piece is part of the Slush Chronicles series, “Founders Unplugged,” where we interview founders and key personnel of innovative companies, to hear their thoughts on the event we’re attending or dive into other spontaneously chosen topics. Slush 2024 founder: Veera Siivonen, Saidot At SXSW 2024 I went to listen to Saidot’s talk on AI governance, talking about the EU’s …

Slush mainstage acted as a platform for company launches and product announcements, and the Media Area right behind the stage had instant Q&A session with the launchers and announcers. What a great concept, hoping this would cover even more of the speakers. One of the launches was Starstuff, that came out of the stealth mode with bells, whistles, Hanna and …

The Norwegian medical startup projects HoloCare and Illumie were present at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. Robert Stigliano After a cancellation in 2020, and an online-only version in 2021, South by Southwest was back this year to it’s full, pre-pandemic glory, showcasing the trends and technologies influencing our collective future. One of this year’s themes was imagining society in …

There are 100s of accelerators, incubators and co-working spaces in Austin. Austin is also the growth capital of USA, with approximately 150 people moving to Austin every day, of which approximately 100 are moving from the California’s Bay Area. But is it a viable landing pad for Nordic startups? At SXSW 2019, Nordic Startup Bits talked to Capital Factory ‘s …

In March 2017, #nordicmade companies took over SXSW at the #nordicmade booth.  With a helpful boost from the Rising North fund, the #nordicmade program included a pitch night, an investor dinner, a partnership with the John Lennon Educational Tourbus and a SaunaBus from Finland. However, it was a challenge for the Nordics to stand out in a sea of thousands …

AWE is a Danish startup working on specializing in location based 3D audio augmented solutions.  Recently AWE participated in SXSW (South by Southwest) in Austin, Texas. It was our first time at the huge festival and conference for interactive media, music and film.  Below, we share a few tips about how to find a platform for your business and best …

For the last few years, the Nordics have tried to gain a foothold at SXSW, the unparalleled tech festival that collectively  brings  over $300 million to the city of Austin, Texas, every March.  Every year, over 80,000 registrants stream into the conference, trade shows, and festivals.  Past keynote speakers have included President Barack Obama, and this year saw Joe Biden, …

In Finland, the sauna is a way of life.  It is not just a place to ease muscle pain after a hard workout, but a place for relaxing, drinking, and even doing business.  That’s why as part of the #nordicmade trip to South By Southwest Interactive, the annual tech festival in Austin, Texas, leading sauna heater manufacturer HARVIA brought a …

Tinnitracks is a digital health startup that treats tinnitus through an inventive audio therapy app which works by manipulating the frequencies in music. After capturing the top prize at the Reeperbahn Startup Pitch in 2013 and becoming available on German insurance, they have tackled global market entry at a faster pace than many of their peers. In 2015, they captured …

I had the great pleasure of paying a week long visit to South By South West (SXSW) in Austin, Texas in May 2016. My first thoughts on scene were that the interesting mixture of music, film and interactive events created a relaxed environment for people to present their companies and find common goals in their future business. By Kaius Meskanen, …

The South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) is more like a festival than a traditional expo. It figures, as it has its roots as a film and music festival. SXSW consists of three main parts: Interactive, Music and Film.  My company, Vincit Oy, came for the Interactive part, as part of one of the Finnish companies coming along with the Nordic …

This year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival is now in full swing.  The entire world has gathered for the massive event, which includes film and music festivals, and a technology conference where the latest trends and innovations make their world premiers.  But this year, like previous years, Denmark is practically invisible. The SXSW Festival is one of the largest festivals …

All in all there are about 1000 #NordicMade people in Austin for SXSW, representing over 100 tech/startup companies and tens of bands and films and filmmakers.  Mobile sensai Peter Gréen blogs from the #NordicLightHouse at SXSW. Day 1 of #NordicLightHouse The Nordics are here for two main activities; the Nordic Light House program running from Saturday to Tuesday, and the …

The annual South by Southwest festival (aka SXSW) kicked off on Friday, and for the 7th year in a row, Finns are going over to Austin, Texas to show what they’re made of. The rest of the Nordics will also be represented at the Nordic Lighthouse. SXSW veteran Peter Green together with Pekka Pärnänen and Team Finland’s Hartti Suomela are …

In the eight years since its inception, the SXSW Startup Accelerator competition has helped to propel many startups. The accelerator is essentially a global showcase for startups, and provides a platform for entrepreneurs to present the latest ideas in sectors as diverse as fintech, wearables, and entertainment. Of the 305 companies who participated in SXSW Accelerator between 2009 and 2015, …