Masonry Layout

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 …

Iceland’s Frumbjörg, started by Brandur Karlsson in cooperation with Sjálfsbjörg, the Icelandic national federation of the disabled, is an Innovation Center for Mobility. The initiative’s goal is to provide the disabled with the opportunities for employment and develop innovations within the healthcare and social sectors. The social entrepreneurship venture is meant to provide individuals with disabilities office space and guidance …

In May 2015, Adrien Vetterli came up with an idea sparked by a recently viral story from the Netherlands where a man decided to clean trash along a polluted waterway bit by bit, every day on his way to work. Collecting garbage from natural areas wasn’t anything new to him as he had participated in environmental reporting efforts in his …

Nicolaj Højer Nielsen has an impressive track record as both a serial entrepreneur and an investor in Denmark.  He has co-founded, among other businesses, CodeSealer and Sepior, and invested in many Danish startups, such as Penneo.  Read his crash course on how to get financing for your business in Denmark. I am often asked by both the Danish entrepreneurs and …

With the holiday season in full swing, crowdfunding campaigns can be great sources of gifts for the technology fanatics in our lives.  Here are 5 ongoing campaigns that make great holiday gifts. 1.Tiny Arcade Tiny Arcade makes the perfect gift for both the fan of vintage video game or the person with an interest in computer engineering. The arcade will come …

Atomico and Slush released a study,“The State of European Tech”, at Slush 2015. The study is the most comprehensive review to date carried out on the European tech community, its tech talent, capital flow, entrepreneurial mindset, and success stories. Niklas Zennström, CEO and co-founder of the investment firm Atomico, co-writers of the report,  spoke at Slush about the big changes …

If negotiations regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement are finalized, European FinTech startups will be in a great position to become world leaders in the peer-to-peer finance market. Here are 3 reasons why. 1. Experience advantage Due to the dynamic increase in equity crowdfunding, which can be expressed by more than one hundred percent growth annually, Americans will …