Masonry Layout

In the Nordics, venture capitalists (VCs) are looking for smaller investments that are more secure in comparison to Silicon Valley. There has been a staggering 30% decrease in the number of $10m+ rounds in the Nordic technology sector within the first six weeks of 2016 alone. This has helped to spur companies such as Capital on Stage, who aim to …

Drinkz is a new app that caters to drinkers who appreciate quality and convenience.  Want to meet over delicious cocktails, but not waste time queuing at the bar?  Then download the Drinkz app. Drinkz  functions as a sort of directory that guides the user to the places in town that maintain high standards. According to the team behind the Danish …

Polar  Bear Pitching 2016 is a global investment event where over the course of 2 days startups from different countries introduce their projects to the whole world – from a freezing ice hole in Oulu, Finland.  We interviewed Anna Svirelkina from To Round about her experience. The event, which is held yearly, allows competing startups to communicate with investors and …

Balderton Capital, located in London, has just become an International Investor Member at Stockholm’s startup central, SUP46. Since 2000, Balderton has invested in over 100 companies, mostly located within Europe. Having already invested in 11 startups within the Nordic region, the partnership with SUP46 will bring greater access to the Nordic startup scene. Nordic countries offer an alternative working culture …

Crowdsourcing isn’t a buzzword, neither is the sharing economy, crowdfunding, blockchain or collaborative economy—they’re already part of our lives. The cumulative disruption of these crowd-powered paradigms will have a significant influence on sectors worldwide. The question is: how will you position your company? We have heard these terms for the past couple of years, however, this year, you need to …

For many companies, managing investor relations means unilateral communications, which may turn into a strategic pitfall. On the other hand, small-scale investors often find it difficult to locate easily understandable investment information on companies. Investoreye offers a tool that solves both of these problems. Different-sized companies are faced with different challenges when it comes to investor communications. Not nearly all …

For many startups looking to raise venture capital, it looks like traditional equity is no longer enough.  More and more startups are looking at convertible notes or other debt alternatives. By Andrew Woodman Earlier this week, CB insights noted a 700% increase in the dollars raised through convertible notes – that’s basically loans that convert into equity at later rounds …

A new report by BDO and Danske Bank singles out Nordic fintech disrupters as medicine for “sick” banking industry, and emphasizes the need for both fintech startups and traditional banks to form symbiotic relationships if they want to create true positive disruption. “The Fintech Disruptors Report: Nordic Edition” analyzes current trends in the fintech industry across Europe and the Nordic …

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 …

A new era is arriving to Oslo.  Equity crowdfunding has been booming, with an explosion of new platforms and regulations. In 2016, crowdfunding is expected to surpass VC investment. With new legislation such as the passage of the JOBS act in the USA, the funding scene is undergoing a sea-change.  While equity crowdfunding is an exciting new funding solution, regulatory …

The term diversification is a term regularly associated with investment strategies and it is without a doubt the single most powerful tool available to investors. Diversification isn’t a difficult concept to understand, yet it is still often misunderstood. Omar Shaikh, founder of Cocoa Invest, a completely independent online saving and investment company, explains exactly what diversification is and how important …

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 …

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 …

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 …

This past weekend Brussels hosted the first ever Hackathon dedicated to Virtual Reality (VR) in Europe, where close to 100 participants took over the co-working space Co.station to hack the next generation of VR technologies. The event was hosted by a collaboration of MIC.Brussels and impulse.brussels, who supports the development of companies using VR.  20% of the participants came from …

The VR Hackathon is coming to Europe from San Francisco this weekend.  With a slew of product releases and project sales of 14 million units, it is not without reason that 2016 is being called  “The Year of VR”. The VR Hackathon in Brussels, hosted by the Danish Sound Innovation Network and EUVR.org from January 15-17th,  marks the start of …

In Q4, tech startups based in Nordic countries collectively raised $309.8 million in 107 rounds. Though not the biggest quarter of 2015 in terms of amount raised – a distinction still carried by Q2 and its massive $812.8 million cumulative intake – it is the top quarter for amount of individual investments, by an easy 40 rounds. This funding analysis …

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 …