22 Dec Christmas Nordic/Baltic Tech News, Events and Opportunities

Hello all and Welcome to our Christmas newsletter…
? December? Already? How did that happen?

The last month of the year may traditionally mean winding down for some. Not so in our world with news this month of new members, investments, great partnerships, events and fantastic progress for our members and community.

Thank you all for enabling us to help you meet, grow, thrive and create impact in 2021 – despite Covid!

New relationships have been built, existing ones strengthened, we have welcomed new Advocates and startups, delighted to have renewed our partnerships with KPMG, Magnusson, the Danish Industry Foundation and many others, and created new ones with the City of Copenhagen, the City of Helsinki, London Stock Exchange, Microsoft Reactor Stockholm, Connect Sverige, Netcompany, Promentum Equity Partners, Berlingske Media (Nordic Business) and ecosystem partners all over the region.

And if that’s not enough, we’ve run 6 events, launched Europe’s only international growth programme for female tech founders and tech companies led by women in Denmark and Finland with further rollouts planned for Sweden and the rest of the region. Not a women’s movement but a movement to ensure that everyone in Nordic/Baltic tech, irrespective of who you are or where you come from can use your talent to innovate and start/grow tech businesses and together deliver our vision: ‘Growing the Nordics/Baltics into a global tech/startup hub’ ! And yes, there’s more to diversity + inclusion than women. But we have to start somewhere.We’ve achieved a lot this year …but we’ve barely got started!

We have big initiatives planned for 2022, as we work even closer with our members, partners and community. So, read on, and learn how to join us as an Advocate, startup, mentor or partner, to take advantage of the opportunities we offer across the Nordics and Baltics and globally.

“WOMEN IN TECH” COMMUNITY. LATEST NEWS…

  Attended our Slush launch of “Helsinki Female Tech Founder Frontrunners”? 

?  If so, you heard it…we’ve taken our international female tech founder mentoring programme to Finland. So pleased to have gathered so many amazing people from across the Helsinki/Finland/ international ecosystem at our Slush launch of “Helsinki Female Tech Founder Frontrunners” to help women create new and grow existing businesses in the digital/tech space. Are you a female tech founder already OR have a great idea and ready to kick-start your digital/tech business in 2022? If so, read on and join our Programme here: Deadline for applications is 10 January 2022 for Programme start February 2022. Spaces are limited and applications coming in fast. So HURRY UP and apply now!

THANK YOU to our amazing partners without whom our Slush launch event or “Helsinki Female Tech Founder Frontrunners” would not have happened/be happening :
Helsinki Partners – NewCo Helsinki – Magnusson – London Stock Exchange – Netcompany – The Shortcut – Helsinki Think Company – Women in Tech Finland – Epicenter Helsinki – Startup Foundation.

Once again, for more info and how to apply CLICK HERE. If you would like to support the programme as one of our rockstar mentors or experts CLICK HERE.

Meantime, we’ll look back at our Slush event with joy and pride. In answer to our feedback question: “How do you rate the quality of the event overall?”, you rated us 4.6 out of 5.

We love it when a plan comes together! We’re on a mission to add value. So, thank you for letting us know you found our Slush event of value with comments such as:

“Have already reached out to individuals/companies regarding potential partnerships and how we can help each other” 

”Very intense program but I think this is good for the energy level “

”The overall organization was really fantastic!……!”

There’s always something you can do better. So going for 5/5 next time!

   Congratulations to Cohort 3 on graduating from our “Women in Tech” International Mentoring Programme in Denmark.

It’s a perfect chance at the end of the year to celebrate the third and final 2021 Cohort of the Danish international mentoring programme and reflect on what an inspiring journey the programme has been for all of us this year.

With the help of mentors, our partners and experts, our Cohort 3 ‘graduates’ have successfully navigated the course. Thanks to their hard work and relentless drive – amidst Covid –  and excellent support from each other, they have all picked up and honed essential skills to create new and grow their existing digital/tech sector businesses across industry verticals. They deserve a shout out! So hip hip hoorray to Cohort 3:
Marie Olafsdottir – Lillian Katrine Kofod – Aditi Garg – Charlotte Rønje – Vera Reshetina – Anastasia Valentin Rasmussen – Lotte Skovgaard Larsen – Susan Poulsen – Malou Nete Storm – Andreea Spaima – Sarah Bach Munkholm – Emilie Frederikke Mørck – Maria Johansen Andersen – Ida Bjerga – Chili Mollerup-madsen – Luna Christoffersen – Anne Sophie Stougaard Byder – Paula Petcu – Mette Mikkelsen – Arizo Osman

Well done all, and thank you once again to our 250+ mentors, experts, investors and partners for their hard work and support for the Cohort and our Programme.

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 NEWS FROM .. SWEDEN 

Actions from ..”Access to Growth Finance, Stockholm”
In Sweden, we’ve been connecting everyone who took part in our “Access to Growth Finance” event at Microsoft Reactor, Epicenter Stockholm, in partnership with Connect Sverige. We’re delighted that new business relationships and partnerships are being built and investment discussions under way between the investors and the companies that pitched. What it was all about! Thank you to Connect Sverige for partnering with us to deliver this important event, and to our other partners and all who attended for your contribution and excellent feedback – once again 4.6/5 with great suggestions for how we can do even better next time.

Also in Sweden, we’re delighted to be growing our team and welcome aboard Candyce Costa. Candyce, who is already a long-term contributor, and also member of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, is joining our expanding Comms team with responsibility for our social media communications. A seasoned journalist and digital marketeer Candyce is also the editor of Female Tech leaders, making her a great complement to our women-in-tech growth Programme.
Reach out and connect with Candyce and welcome her to the Tech Nordic Advocates community here.

While in Sweden, our thanks to Barry O’Brien, who has led TNA Sweden and our external communications to date, and helped us build our solid community and partner network and impact initiatives in Sweden and across the Nordics/Baltics. Barry is returning to London with his family and will remain an honorary TNA’er, our ‘man in London’ and member of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates ‘for life’.

Please join us in wishing Barry and his family the very best for their future lives in London.

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NEWS FROM…DENMARK       

Danish fintech firm Pleo has raised another $200 million on top of its last round in that nearly tripled its valuation to $4.7 billion. The company, which offers expense management tools and smart payment cards for businesses, is planning to roll out its services in several European countries, starting in Finland the Netherlands, France and Portugal.

 

And there’s more good news from Denmark, where Tradeshift announced this month a successful $200 million funding round.

Serving B2B markets, the late-stage startup helps buyers and suppliers digitize their invoice processing and automate workflows for accounts payable. The new funds came from a combination of exciting and new investors and Tradeshift says it will use the injection to “optimize growth and continue scaling the business.”

It’s another boost, highlighting both the talent we can call on in the region and that investors are clearly keeping their ears to the ground.

Icelandic microbility startup Hopp has secured $2.8 million in a fresh funding round. The  money will go towards expanding its e-scooter sharing franchise internationally. The injection from Venture capital firm Brunnur Ventures will help Hopp focus on expanding its services to smaller cities, local travel, and smaller fleets by enabling individuals to launch and operate franchises in their local area.

“We want to bring this technology to smaller cities where there is a big opportunity and to get locals to work with us. We want to bring the sharing economy to the way people travel daily,” said CEO Eythór Steinarsson

According to Hopp, more than 95% of cities in Europe with less than 500,000 inhabitants are currently unserved. Itcurrently has some 2,300 scooters and 170,000 users in three countries.

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NEWS FROM…THE BALTICS    

In the Baltics meanwhile, it’s been an end-of-year to remember for Riga-based startup Lokalise who announced this month they have raised  raised $50 million in a Series B funding round. Their platform plugs in to customers’ existing processes and  will massively cut the amount of time to deliver localizations and translations. Developers estimate this can save time by up to 90% for a task that can be cumbersone and take many hours if done manually.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

International Accelerator for High Growth Tech Companies led by Women, 27 January, Matrikel1, Copenhagen
In Denmark, we’re launching Module 2 of our international women-in-tech growth programme: Europe’s first “International Accelerator for High Growth Tech Companies led by Women”, with the first pre-Accelerator Bootcamp starting end January 2022. We kick off with a launch event on 27 January at Matrikel1 (see image below). We’ve sent out invitations. If you haven’t received one and think you should be invited, please message here .

R-22 – Largest Nordic Robotics, Automation & Drone Fair, 23-25 March; Odense 

In March 2022, we’re excited to be partnering with R-22 to deliver the largest robotics, automation and drone fair in the Nordics. We will have a stand and demo innovative robotics/automation/drone technologies and solutions from our startup members, community and partners. If you’d like to demo your solution on our R-22 stand, please message.

We will also host two conferences:

1. International Startup Growth Opportunities
2. Denmark and Finland in the Lead for Female Tech Founders/ Leaders

It’ll be awesome. We can’t wait.

Registrations open 10 January 2022. For now, please make a note of the dates and follow us on SOME. Promise we’ll let you know when you can register.

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IMPORTANT INFO FROM OUR PARTNERS TO SUPPORT YOUR GROWTH 

Looking for legal advice from the best in the business? Our legal partner Magnusson, has been recognized amongst “the crème de la crème of the European legal market” by being shortlisted for The Lawyer European Awards 2021- Law Firm of the Year under two categories: The Baltics, and Scandinavia and the Nordics.

Learn more here and learn how Magnusson can support you here ??

Interested to understand more about Crypto and Blockchain?