30 Jun Tech Nordic Advocates: Hot Stuff In June

Hello Advocates, Partners and Friends,

Welcome to the June newsletter, dedicated to our next big events – #SmarterCitiesNOW 11-12 October @BLOXHUB, Copenhagen and the TNA Annual Summit 28th November @Maria0-1 in Helsinki, as well as our exciting partner events, Working Group, Business Member updates and lots more…

Latest from the Working Groups

Smart City/IOT Working Group
The Smart City/IOT Working Group, led by Michael Ferm, Global Head of Public Lighting of Business Member Zumtobel Group, is in full swing with our 3-year Nordic/UK #SmarterCitiesNOW: A Sustainable Urban Development Collaboration initiative

Have you got what it takes to win the #SmarterCitiesNOW Solution Challenge?

Are you a startup or SME with – or working on – a smart solution to one or more of the 8 #SmarterCitiesNOW sustainability challenges? If so, hurry up and join the #SmarterCitiesNOW Solution Challenge NOW for a chance to win one year’s free workspace at the Good Hotel in London OR a place on the shortlist of the BLOXHUB/Rainmaking Loft accelerator programme in Copenhagen. Click here for details, competition rules and to join the competition. Deadline: 15 September 2017.

#SmarterCitiesNOW Event @BLOXHUB 11-12 October
Want to get involved in Smart Solution matchmaking, collaboration initiatives, find partners, investors and more? Come join our next #SmarterCitiesNOW event at @BLOXHUB, Copenhagen 11-12 October – see ‘Events’ below.

#SmarterCitiesNOW Community Platform
Want to get involved in the #SmarterCitiesNOW Community and collaboration initiatives? Email the Secretariat for access to our dedicated Smart City/IOT Community platform.

If you would like to get involved in the #SmarterCitiesNOW collaboration programme, please email info@technordicadvocates.org

Health/Welfare Tech Working Group 
On 4 June, Health Tech Working Group Chair Jens Sand Andersen, Sales Director, Nordics and Baltics, Ascom spoke about Scalability of Medical Device Integration at the Delta/ForceTechnology Healthcare Club “Healthcare Big Data and Scalability ” event – part of the series of Meeting Events managed by Delta/Force Technology.

See ‘Recent Events’ below for details of the Care Ware Next Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition, supported by TNA.

The Working Group, led by Jens Sand Andersen, is working on new collaboration initiatives with e.g. MedTech Innovation in Copenhagen, to develop new models for collaboration between knowledge institutions, startups, established health tech companies and municipalities led by TNA.  If you would like to join the TNA Health Tech Working Group and the Health Tech Working Group Community Platform on Slack to connect with other Working Group members and collaboration initiatives, please email the Secretariat.

FinTech Working Group
On 26-28 June, the FinTech Working Group was at #Money20/20 in #Copenhagen progressing collaboration initiatives with Nordic and Baltic #FinTech players. See ‘Recent Events’ below.

The FinTech Working Group is working on great pan-Nordic/Baltic FinTech initiatives and events. For details, join our FinTech Working Group Community Platform on Slack by emailing the Secretariat

Latest from our Business Members
We are delighted to welcome Business Member:   into Year 2 of their TNA Business Membership
Invesdor would like to share the following news and interviews:
Invesdor’s first Swedish case: https://home.invesdor.com/en/blog/invesdor-launches-first-crowdfunding-campaign-in-sweden-with-tidyapp
Interview with Ezylet: https://home.invesdor.com/en/blog/ezylet-founders-recipe-for-success-i-always-asked
Public markets & growth capital event with NEX Exchange: http://www.nexexchange.com/news-and-events/upcoming-events/

Gillamor Stephens
Paul Gillespie, Partner, at Gillamor Stephens writes “Gillamor Stephens is pleased to announce that Bill Joss has been hired as Chairman of the Board by Norwegian technology company Greenbird. Headquartered in Oslo, Greenbird is the leading provider of big data integration software for the smart metering and utilities sector. Bill is a proven Board member with broad experience of scaling and exiting early stage businesses in the technology sector. Bill’s previous experience includes Board roles at Control Circle, Secure Data, Smart Systems and Accura. We also continue with CEO and CoB roles in Finland and Sweden – it will be a busy summer! How can we help your company?”

BLOXHUB 
BLOXHUB have launched a new cooperation agreement between The Danish Trade Council and BLOXHUB. The agreement means among other things that BLOXHUB member companies can benefit from the international network of The Trade Council.
BLOXHUB also built up a Science forum – a network with the purpose of bridging Science and business e.g. through workshops, debates and networking. See more: www.bloxhub.org

Goodwille Ltd
Outsourced business service provider Goodwille share their essential HR tips for any foreign company looking to expand into a new market. To find out more, read their blog post here.

Zumtobel Group
Zumtobel Group are chairing our 3 year #SmarterCitiesNOW Nordic/UK Sustainable Urban Development Forum.

JA Kemp
Music to your ears – the EU leads the way with novel trademarks..

Does your business or product use a particular sound, noise or jingle that yours customers recognise? If so, you may want to consider protecting it as a trade mark. It has for a long time been possible to register so-called “non-traditional” trademarks such as sounds, moving images and smells but there has always been a problem with how to represent such marks. Until recently, the law required that all trademarks be represented graphically and in a clear, precise and unambiguous manner. How does one represent a musical mark in such a way? Musical notation perhaps – but then for what instrument(s) and at what speed is the piece played at? From 1 October 2017, it will become easier to register non-traditional trademarks, since the requirement to represent a mark graphically will no longer apply.  Instead, marks will need to be represented “in a manner which enables the competent authorities and the public to determine the clear and precise subject matter of the protection afforded”.  In practice, this amendment will be of most benefit to those seeking to register sound or motion marks, since the EU Intellectual Property Office will accept sound or video files as a valid means of representation. Be aware though that those seeking to register other non-traditional marks, such as smells, are still likely to face problems given the current limits of technology. If you want to know more about protecting trademarks, please contact Ben Mooneapillay at TNA Partner J A Kemp.

Click here for details on how to become a TNA business member and business benefits.

TNA Media Partner – The Nordic Web
 offers exclusive, original, data-driven insight on the Nordic startup scene. Their latest newsletter, which features a roundup of the news in the Nordics and a number of interesting reads, is available on the TNA Blog here.

Recent Events

CareWare Next, 7 June. Århus
On 7 June, Århus hosted the Care Ware Next Innovation & Entrepreneurship health tech competition Finale, supported by TNA, our Health Tech Working Group Chair, Jens Sand Andersen, Sales Director, Ascom Nordics and Baltics, and led by Sussi Bianco, Co-Chair.


The winners were: CrossWalker; IV-GO and Sarita Pearl.

Money20/20 Europe, 26-28 June, Copenhagen
On 26-28 June, Copenhagen, once again, hosted Money 20/20 Europe – the European arm of the world’s largest payment and financial services event. As in 2016, TNA were media partners, offering #Advocates discounted ticket prices.

Jeanette Carlsson, Founder and Chair, TNA, Catrine Rhenberg, Head of Partnerships & Jane Maillard, PSP Manager, Trustly at our respective Money 20/20 Europe stands

TNA collaborated with Copenhagen FinTech to give a Startup the chance to attend Money 20/20 for free. The winner was Casper Arbøll, Founder of Capdesk. Here’s what Casper said about the experience:

I’ve been very lucky to attend Money 20/20 as a result of entering a competition with Tech Nordic Advocates and Copenhagen Fintech. I am the founder of Capdesk, a startup specialising in shareholding for unlisted companies and well acquainted with the World of fintech. Still, the conference have expanded my knowledge, been the base of new ideas and new energy to continue revolutionising IPO markets. Really encouraged to hear many succesful stories of startup/corporate collaboration and the interest in promoting those partnerships on a Global scale. Thank you for making my participation possible
We were also able to provide Johanna Palin, Chief Legal Officer at TNA Business Member Invesdor a ticket. Johanna enjoyed the buzz tremendously. She said of the event :
Money 20/20 is not only about payments. As a lawyer, I am naturally interested in business opportunities, new regulations like PSD2 bring along. I am also thrilled to see that after so much ado about blockchain, we are finally starting to see real-world adaptations of distributed ledger. While still waiting for the AI participants to the event, I enjoyed networking and talking to the intelligent crowd at the event.’
Opening of the Estonian EU Council Presidency, 29 June, Copenhagen
On 29 June, we were delighted to be invited to His Excellency the Estonian Ambassador to Denmark’s reception to celebrate the opening of the Estonian EU Council Presidency 2017.


His Excellency Estonian Ambassador to Denmark, Märt Volmer, and TNA Founder & Chair, Jeanette Carlsson

Next Up ..More Events!!!!

IP EXPO Nordic, 20-21 September, Stockholm

IP EXPO Nordic and Cyber Security Nordic, part of Europe’s number ONE enterprise IT event series, designed for those looking to find out how the latest IT innovations can drive business growth and competitiveness. Now in their 2nd year, the events showcase new exclusive content and senior-level insights from across the industry, as well as unveiling the latest developments in IT. They cover everything you need to run a successful enterprise or organisation.  Arrive with challenges, leave with solutions.

IP EXPO Nordic incorporates six IT events under one roof – Cloud, Networks & Infrastructure, AI, Analytics & IOT, DevOps, Open Source and Cyber Security Nordic, the latter focusing on the threats the enterprise faces now and in the future. This year’s events will be the most comprehensive business-enhancing experience for those across the IT industry, including IT managers, CTOs, CDOs, network and storage engineers, CISOs, data analysts, developers and communications specialists. IP EXPO Nordic and Cyber Security Nordic 2017 will feature over 80 exhibitors, 100 speakers with free to attend seminars from national and international industry leaders.

Register FREE before 19th September 2017 at 19:00 and save 1000SEK

#SmarterCitiesNOW, 11-12 October, Copenhagen

On 11-12 October, BLOXHUB host our super exciting, Nordic/UK #SmarterCitiesNOW: Sustainable Urban Collaboration Forum (final programme and speakers tbc) Hold the dates!.

TNA Annual SummitGrowing the Nordics and Baltics into a Global Tech Hub”, 28 November, Maria 0-1, Helsinki

This year, we are very excited to be in Helsinki for our 2017 Summit. And where else to have our Summit than in our Helsinki home, the one and only – Maria 0-1. Going to Slush Nov 30 -Dec 1? (see below), make sure you arrive in time for our Summit on the 28th.
Draft programme here.

Slush, 30 Nov to 1 Dec 2017
Heading to Slush – Europe’s biggest tech event? For exclusive TNA discounts on tickets, email info@technordicadvocates.org.

For other TNA and Partner events planned for Summer 2017, see the Event page on the TNA website 

Help us grow Tech Nordic Advocates and the Nordic and Baltic Tech Sector
Help us grow further by recommending your tech leader network to: info@technordicadvocates.org

If you are receiving this newsletter as part of our wider distribution list and would like to join Tech Nordic Advocates, please email: info@technordicadvocates.org

Latest from Global Tech Advocates

As ever, if you haven’t already done so, register here to join Profinda – your gateway to our Global Tech Advocates – family

Our Global Tech Leader family is expanding rapidly with the launch on 17 July of Tech Singapore Advocates. For details, email subhash@lemon-group.biz.

Stay tuned for more exciting news in July.