01 Jul HOT Summer Nordic/Baltic Tech News, Events and Opportunities

Hello all and Welcome to our Summer newsletter…

And what a month it was! In a way, June pretty much encapsulated just what we’re about – there was a major international event in London to fix, new cohorts of our programmes to arrange, plenty of networking to be done and even a little time to reflect and celebrate – to put it another way, another normal hectic month at TNA towers! Let’s start then, as we say in Sweden, by “putting some meat on the bone”….

LONDON TECH WEEK – We came, we saw, we conquered

We’re still on a high after a fantastic event in the British capital when Tech Nordic Advocates brought 25 outstanding #femalefounders from our #international  #womenintech programme, to pitch to #London investors at our London Tech Week “#Scaling #Diverse and #Inclusive  #Tech Businesses Internationally” event at London Stock Exchange. HUGE thanks to Julia Hoggett CEO, Ayuna Nechaeva, Director and Head of Europe, and the whole London Stock Exchange team for hosting our event, and to our fabulous speakers and session leads Jacqueline de Rojas CBERuss Shaw CBEJanet Coyle CBEJames KleinHelen BurnellHazel MoorePriya Guha MBEJonathan Wyles, CFASam JalaeiNikolaj Juhl HansenAnya Zhuravkina and all investors and partners who attended our way oversubscribed event. We know that amazing things and new partnerships will come from the #event. Thank you again to all for your commitment to this agenda, investments and our partnerships. Game changing! Industriens FondTech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates Magnusson KPMG Denmark Netcompany Nordea NewCo Helsinki / City of Helsinki Stine Bosse Per Thau.

Among many insightful memories was the welcome by Julia Hoggett, CEO and Ayuna Nechaeva Director, Head of Europe, Primary Markets, LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group), keynotes, fireside chats, speeches and session leads by Jacqueline de Rochas, CBE, President of techUK; Russ Shaw, CBE, Founder of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, Priya Guha MBE, Partner, Merian Ventures, Hazel Moore OBE, Chairman and co-founder, First Capital and Tech Nordic Advocates Board Member; James Klein and Helen Burrell, Shoosmiths, Jonathan Wyles, CFA Investment Director, Puma Private Equity at Puma InvestmentsSam Jalaei, Chairman and Nikolaj Juhl Hansen, Partner, Magnusson and Anya Zhuravkina, Founder /CEO, Winning Language. BIG CONGRATS to the 25 founders for smashing their pitches to London investors, resulting in live investment discussions. Thank you to  LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) for hosting us and to all investors, partners, attendees and sponsors.

Speaking at the Market Open Ceremony, Jeanette Carlsson, our CEO and founder said: “We are immensely proud of our partnership with – and would like to thank LSEG, led by Ayuna Nechaeva, Director, Head of Europe, Primary Markets – for hosting our London Tech Week “Scaling Diverse and Inclusive Tech Businesses Internationally” event. Our joint focus is to connect high-growth tech businesses with capital to fuel their growth, especially ensure equal access to capital for diverse/women-led founders. We are delighted with the commitment LSEG are showing to this agenda through our partnership and this event”. You can read more HERE

London Tech Week goes from strength to strength – Roll on next year!

VIP VISIT!

While in London, we welcomed the Board of the Danish Industry Foundation to HERE EAST, to learn about Europe’s biggest urban innovation project and how HERE EAST and Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates support the growth of tech startups, Diversity and Inclusion (D+I) in tech. THANK YOU to Gavin Poole, CEO and Helen Fischer, Director of Marketing and Communications HERE EAST for hosting the delegation and to Russ Shaw CBE, Founder, Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates for welcoming the delegation, led by our own #TNA CEO Jeanette Carlsson.


“WOMEN IN TECH” COMMUNITY. LATEST NEWS..

Starting in Finland, we were so excited to launch Cohort 2 of our international mentoring Programme “Helsinki Female Tech Founder Frontrunners” . Congrats to all the successful Cohort 2 applicants.

As always we are overwhelmed by this awesome bunch of innovators and founders. Thank you Nordea start-up & growth, Teija Nousiainen and Maria 01 for hosting us.

STOP PRESS: APPLICATIONS FOR COHORT 3 NOW OPEN
Having launched Cohort 2, we’re now taking applications for Cohort 3 of “Helsinki Female Tech Founder Frontrunners”  The 6m international mentoring programme helping women launch new and growing existing businesses in the digital/technology sector is in high demand, so get your applications in now for Cohort 3, starting in August. Apply RIGHT HERE.

CALLING MENTORS!

Want to mentor on the Programme? Any gender, race, colour, background, orientation, please apply HERE

And – humble brag time – it’s nice to hear that it helps having us as friends and taking advantage of being on our programmes! Congrats to Windi Muziasari (left), founder and CEO of Resistomap who came runner up in Young Researcher Entrepreneur Award run by the KAUTE Foundation (The Finnish Science Foundation for Economics and Technology) – a huge well done from us!

 

STOP PRESS: NEW EU FUNDING OPPORTUNITY


Meanwhile, there was good news too from the EU in June, with the EU Commission approving €10 million in funding for women’s deep-tech start-ups. This is its second project, following a successful pilot it ran last year. Women TechEU provides support to women-led start-ups at the earliest, riskiest stage of their company’s growth. In addition to a €75,000 grant, the finalists receive mentoring and coaching through the EIC’s Women Leadership ProgrammeApplications are open until October 4, 2022, so if you’re after funding this is an opportunity not to be missed.


NEWS FROM…SWEDEN 

Looking for somewhere to buy or lease an electric vehicle? Look no further, thanks to Swedish start-up Carla. Founded in 2020 by Patrik Illerstig and Niklas Jungegård Carla has secured a €10 million Series A funding round, which brings its total investment so far to €13 million. Offering the “next generation way of getting an electric car” the company promises pick-up and delivery of any electric vehicle sold on its platform within 72 hours nationwide, along with a full-service arrangement covering service, full insurance, winter and summer tyres, and vehicle tax.


NEWS FROM FINLAND

We hear more and more frequently about ambitions to achieve net-zero carbon emissions but perhaps less about how they will be measured, and by whom. Finnish start-up Aeromon was developed to tackle that question and has announced a recent €4.8m funding injection. Founded in 2015, Aeromon helps energy and process industries reduce emissions and avoid product loss with the help of its unique monitoring technology. The tech, which leads to improved leak detection accuracy and can quantify leaking emissions much quicker than traditional methods, provides customers with visual, real-time, actionable data.


NEWS FROM…DENMARK 

Hearty congrats this month to Danish start-up JumpStory who have plenty of reasons to celebrate after landing a €1million investment in their bid to make the stock photos sector more simple, transparent and authentic. Founded in 2018, the team has developed a platform to rival the stock photo behemoths Shutterstock and Getty Images. In contrast to the aforementioned pair, JumpStory operates a Netflix-type business model where it offers a simple licence and unlimited downloads for a standard monthly fee. The stock photo business is a lucrative one, worth about $5 billion annually, making it an obvious attraction for JumpStory investors that include Ruby on Rails creator David Heinemeier Hansson and former Microsoft Scandinavia CEO Joergen Bardenfleth.

Still in Denmark, if you’re one of those SMEs that has struggled due to unfair payment terms from customers, this news will strike a chord. Fintech start-up Fellow Pay has developed a disruptive payment solution that makes sure such companies get paid daily and on time for their services and products. The Aarhus-based company has raised an additional €325 in new funding, bring its total pre-seed funding to €2.5 million.

 


NEWS FROM…NORWAY 

One of the many reasons why investors like to look to the Nordics when it comes to tech is the proliferation of environmental projects, not least in wind power development. So perhaps it wasn’t such a shock to hear that GM Ventures, the investment arm of the motor giant, has pledged $10 million in a Series A investment in Oslo-based Norwegian wind power specialist Wind Catching Systems AS. The wide-ranging deal will see the pair working together, covering technology development, project execution, offshore wind policy and the advancement of sustainable technology applications. One such project is a gigantic floating turbine rig, as high as the Eiffel Tower, that can be moved and anchored in the most effective area to optimise energy capture. This fascinating project also has the advantage of causing less harm to marine life than other offshore turbines.

? A hugely inspiring event we’d also like to highlight took place at the Ambassador to the UK’s residence in Oslo in June that saw the official launch of the British Embassy Oslo and partners, Women in Tech Initiative. Created by The British Embassy in Oslo, in partnership with BI Business SchoolCapassaDigital Norway, Microsoft Norway, NORA and Oslo Business Region, it brought together over 50 ambitious women in business, academia and the public sector, with the collective aim of providing an open and inclusive community. This community includes a series of events, and supports and encourages women to build the skills, confidence, and networks, at every stage of their career. Congrats to all for a great event and we look forward to working with you moving forward.


NEWS FROM…THE BALTICS

It’s hardly surprising that there is such a buzz about green-tech projects given the precarious situation facing many parts of the world. We all know how important trees and forests are for the health and planet but striking the right environmental balance can be delicate and controversial. Estonian start-up Timbeter is attempting to add a modern twist to the forestry sector. The company specialises in timber measurement and data management by using AI and Machine Learning technologies, making it much easier and quicker to count and measure timber. Investors like the idea, with Timbeter celebrating this month its latest €500,000 funding injection.


NEWS FROM…ICELAND 

HR is another area that has seen tech playing an increasing role over the past few years. Capitalising in this piqued interest is Reykjavik-based Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion specialist Empower. Despite the fact that Iceland regularly scores impressively on Gender Equality and other inclusivity surveys, there is always room for improvement. Empower helps clients, which include, police organisations, universities, international enterprises and even the Icelandic Parliament to reveal, address and correct workplace biases and toxic cultural traits. Founded in 2020 by entrepreneurs, D. Thomsen and Thorey Vilhjalmsdottir Proppe, the company has recently raised €2.2 million in a seed funding round which will go to developing its ambition to minimise workplace bias with the help of bench-marking, training and analytics services via the SaaS platform, Empower NOW.


START-UP OF THE MONTH 

In an ever-more stressful world, it makes sense that many companies are seeking to employ digital techniques to enhance the wellness space. One great example is Finnish start-up Velbi. Using scientific research and partnering with the best training providers, the aim is to prevent burnout, build sustainable working practices and improve workplace wellbeing.

Founded by Piia Kuosmanen (who also happens to be on our current Helsinki Female Tech founder frontrunners programme,) and Stefan Cave, what makes Velbi stand out is the way they are using tech to address the root causes of burnout rather than retroactively deal with the symptoms. Ultimately, it’s about making your team happy, healthy and productive…and it has struck a nerve – Pia revealed this month that they have been granted €50,000 from Business Tempo to roll Velbi out into international markets.

 


UPCOMING EVENTS

While many of us are starting to wind down ahead of a summer break, one event to look forward to later in the year is “Executing Your ESG Strategy credibly” taking place in Copenhagen in October. One for the diary!


IMPORTANT INFO FROM OUR PARTNERS TO SUPPORT YOUR GROWTH  

Anya Zhuravkina of Winning Language, who chaired one of our London Tech Week event start-up pitch sessions for us has produced an excellent interview with Dana Denis-Smith, founder of award-winning company Obelisk Support:

“How your mission can drive your business forward” – Winning Language.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify

 


IN THE MEDIA

The more coverage we receive for our programmes and events, the better the chances are that we can grow and provide an even better offering to more start-ups. So we were humbled and delighted to see that our CEO Jeanette Carlsson has been named in the Top 10 Of Impactful women in Technology 2022 by Prime View Magazine. Read the article HERE, in which Jeanette talks about why and how TNA was set up and where she gets the energy from to keep on pushing it forward!


GLOBAL TECH ADVOCATES NEWS

Tech London Advocates (TLA) and Global Tech Advocates (GTA) founder Russ Shaw CBE gave his annual London Tech Week preview interview to the Standard which set the scene for the week. He was also interviewed by BBC News and Bloomberg Radio discussing the week’s events and contributed a daily blog for City AM summaries key events.

Russ was part of the official welcoming party that greeted The Chancellor Rishi Sunak and DCMS Secretary of State Nadine Dorries to the opening event. TLA then did a roundtable with the DCMS Secretary of State in the afternoon alongside female tech leaders from the Advocates community to discuss what the Government can do to improve diversity and inclusion in UK tech.

? Among the many highlights of London Tech Week for those of us in an and around our networks was the Global Tech Advocates Black Women in Tech Gala Evening. Big thanks and congratulations from all of us to Flavilla Fongang, founder of @GTA_BWTECH and her team for the warm welcome and such a wonderful event!

Meanwhile, GTA has also been living up to its globe-crossing title by partnering with Coldplay on the British megastars’ Coldplay Music of the Spheres World TourOn top of being featured in the official Tour app, it also provides an ideal opportunity to spread the GTA Tech for Net Zero campaign

And speaking of Tech for Net Zero, GTA has now gathered together over 50 businesses from all over the world in their Startup Showcase. These companies, brought together as part of the Tech for Net Zero Hub, share a common desire to develop innovative ideas in the area of sustainability the climate.

Did you know we have our own global tech magazine? Check out GTA Connects 
Check out also our Tech for Net Zero ‘Resource Hub’ via the link

If you are interested to expand from the Nordics and Baltics, into the UK, or any other 20+ places globally in our Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates network, reach out to us at Tech Nordic Advocates for an intro.


FROM US…RAISING CAPITAL TO SUPPORT GROWTH?
Did you know we offer a Start-up/Investor Scouting Programme, connecting fundraising start-ups/scaleups with suitable investors from our network? If you’re a start-up/scale-up raising funds, get in touch hereIf you’re an investor looking for deal flow, please email us for an introduction.

OR COULD YOU DO WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM A FRIEND? 
Could a Mentor help you? Did you know that we offer a global mentoring programme matching our Advocates with mentors across the globe from our Global Tech Advocates network, spanning over 20 tech hubs globally? Join today (Solo membership or Business Membership) and get access to top quality mentors across all continents, who can help accelerate your growth.

Remember: Tech Nordic Advocates is the Nordic/Baltic arm of Global Tech Advocates (GTA) – the world’s only global tech/startup ecosystem spanning 21 global tech hubs.