Heikki Aura: Hype is good!

Participated into Slush Media Day 2023, and Tech Trend Predictions 2024 panel to kick off the Slush 2023 official program, and one of the speakers Heikki Aura said something we like: “Hype is good, it’s like a great party”

Blockchain Web3 Crypto were Heikki’s pick for the 2024 trend, with a lot of exciting things being built around. Games and gaming have always been big in the Nordics, and Heikki is really expecting the first real Web3 game (TBD;) to be out in next year, based on tokens.

So Heikki is a familiar face at Slush and at other tech startup industry events, from Nokia to a startup Uplause and recently Sitra, the future fund.

We had a great talk to wrap up the recent years, the switch to Sitra and on the future trends and the ways Sitra is looking at the industry from a larger perspective, with view for whole Finland.

 

NSN: So Heikki, how are you doing these days?

Heikki: I am doing really well, working at Sitra Fund as a Senior Lead for two years already, and at Sitra I get to work in multiple topics and projects. Especially enjoy working on funding and pilot projects with companies

NSN: How you see the Slush scene, not only tech but in general?

Heikki: Slush is so important to Finland. Brings everybody together and startups get deserved attention, representing the whole Nordics.

NSN: How do you see the funding landscape now/in 2024, 2025

Heikki: 2023 has been a risk of environment. Hopeful that interest rates will get lower and thus we will start to see more capital flowing back to VC side. Early stage has done well in the current bear market but in general would be good if markets move towards risk on investments again

Was really good to chat with Heikki again, and get his view onto the bigger trends and Hype, which gives directions and vibes to becomne the future trends. At Sitra it is more about big trends than companies and specific technologies, Sitra is there with new, still non scalable ideas, before for exmple Business Finland and VC’s, working on a regulations and impact. So let’s end this with Heikki’s opening words: “Hype is good, like a good party!”

/Peter

P.S. Good link to Sitra’s work is the Fair Data Economy approach.