International

Estonian travel startup Guide.me recently competed in the Welcome Challenge, a tourism-focused pitching competition in the country of Georgia. The rapid growth in tourism activities in Georgia is a major reason why investors sees Georgia as “currently underserved” by Nordic startups. Which industry employs one in ten people globally and accounts for ten percent of the world’s GDP? Hint: It’s the …

TRINE, the Crowdfunding Platform That Has Helped Nearly 230 Thousand People Get Access to Clean Energy Crowdfunding today is another global trend that is growing continuously. Since its emergence in the late 2000s, it has become popularized due to the individual’s decision-making process as one of the main features, and its viral nature, as it is based on the web. …

A Virtual Fight Against Corruption It’s estimated that 30% of money globally allocated is diverted through acts of corruption annually. Oslo-based social business EnlightAID has the goal to prevent fund misuse with its platform that reads, records, and reports on transactions that happen during fundraising and social and environmental projects. Founders Veronica Celis and Klaus Hatle met in Canada in …

Takeaway Restaurant Go Digital with OrderYOYO A restaurant, like any other business, must own his/her own customers, communicate with them to keep them returning and maximise the profit. We make that happen. Suggests Thor Angelo, who is a seasoned entrepreneur with nearly 20 years of experience. After five years as an investor and advisor, he decided to join and further …

These days, everyone is involved in tech – whether you’re building it, using it or actively avoiding it. Regardless of personal opinions, robotics and AI are revolutionizing all aspects of life from communication and transportation to health services and the military (just to name a few). The future is only what we make it, which is why the Robotex International …

Industrial inspections are a risky job.  To inspect overhead power lines, for example, a person usually has to climb up a high tension wire, deal with wind and weather conditions, and on top of that, perform a detailed inspection.  Droneplan, a startup based in Latvia, is creating intelligent flight planning software to enable drones to perform autonomous inspection. Droneplan started …

The biggest robotics festival in Europe, Robotex, that took place in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, hosted among other things the first live concert performed exclusively for robots. Robotex 2017, taking place from 24-26 November, was attended by more than 15,000 spectators. The event offered various activities for kids, students, robotics enthusiasts and even grandparents. It also hosted what was believed to …

From extending battery life to make value out of wood waste, ten cleantech startups pitched their ideas to tackle the climate crisis at this year’s Slush. This year’s Slush was all about changemakers and the oncoming sustainable revolution. While a lot of startups attending the two-day conference had the potential of making a change, ten cleantech startups were selected to …

In early November, the London-based fintech firm Revolut announced that it had applied for a European Banking License and was building its own in-house payment processor.  The company is now pursuing its vision of building a global banking app, and has announced they are launching in the Nordics. Nordic consumers will now be able to open an app-based current account …

Free zones are specific areas located within different countries where businesses operate under different tax laws separate from the rest of the country. Companies who are doing their business within free zones are usually taxed very lightly or not at all. Today, such areas are developed globally and they are located around seaports, airports or areas with strong strategic placement …

At the end of May 2017, Finland’s Feedbackly announced they were planning to expand to Mexico.  Founded in 2013, the company has had success in Europe, where their multichannel customer experience measurement tool has been used by companies such as Kesko, Tiger and XXL Sport.  CEO Jaako Männistö guest blogs about why the company chose Mexico as their first point …

Now in it’s sixth year, Europe’s largest interdisciplinary festival, Tech Open Air, is uniting the international tech and creative scene in Berlin on July 11-14th after World Tour stops in cities like L.A., Tokyo and Austin, with 20,000 attendees from around the world expected to join.  Tech Open Air (TOA) enters its 6th and largest edition to date with four …

The largest ever European blockchain conference, BlockShow Europe 2017 was held in Alte Kongresshalle, Munich. With 560 attendees, 26 exhibitors, and 26 speakers, and over 60 startups attending. Led by Elizabeth Lumley, the managing director at Rainmaking a thought-leader in fintech, the event covered a number of hot topics ranging from practical application of Blockchain technology to aspects of running …

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, …

Blockchain Oscar is a Startup Competition, which will be held in two rounds. The first one took place online for three days on March 2-4.  These exact startups will join the the second and final round of the competition, which is to be held on the Main Stage of BlockShow Europe 2017 on April, 6. During this part of Blockchain …

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 …

As Norway tops quality of life and gender equality indexes consistently, it is no surprise that more and more women are looking to leave Silicon Valley – and the bro-culture that dominates the valley- behind for beautiful fjords and generous paternal leave.  We interview 4 women who took the plunge and embraced the Nordic lifestyle. “I have been here three …

The Japanese IoT powerhose SORACOM announced the launch of its advanced IoT connectivity platform and services in Europe to support customers and partners deploying IoT/M2M solutions. Widely recognized as one of Japan’s leading IoT technology providers, SORACOM  deploys a cloud-based connectivity platform that is both technically advanced and affordable. The company uses a unique approach and architecture to provide secure …

The Estonian e-residency programme is celebrating its two-year anniversary in 2017, and the idea of digital identity has attracted much attention from all over the world to the small country in northern Europe – even the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and The Pacific (ESCAP) has published a report on the role of Estonia’s e-residency programme in …

Last year, the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, launched the first Young Transatlantic Innovative Leaders Initiative, an international exchange program focused on the themes of entrepreneurship skills and enhanced Euro-Atlantic integration. They selected 45 young professionals from 41 European countries, including some of the Nordics and Baltics. During the program, the fellows spent time in …