agentic ai company secures €8 million, siq joins NBA program 🏀, mærsk CEO doubles-down on DEI.
*TGI(m)F. edition 132 i’m kay, and this is your 360-view of the nordic startup ecosystem. covering culture + growth on a weekly basis, delivered to your screen for easy reading every sunday 💌
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🇩🇰 Denmark
Liva Healthcare, the company advancing digital-first delivery of behaviour change programmes has acquired Momenta as well as it’s subsidiary Momenta Newcastle from the U.K.
Lunar has appointed Nanna Bergmann to lead Moonrise, Lunar’s newly established spin-off — a Banking-as-a-Service entity.
GetWhy, the agentic AI-powered consumer insights platform, has secured €8 million in a debt financing package from CIBC Innovation Banking.
EIFO announces a new match loan, which means startups can borrow between 500,000-3 million DKK immediately without the same complicated terms that used to exist.
Legaltech startup, Pandektes, announces a €2.9 million seed round led by People Ventures and Interface Capital.
€10.000 awarded to each of Visa’s “She’s Next” winners: Paint'R, Tempty Foods + Nordic Hydrogen.
Mærsk’s CEO says, “We are not going to do anything differently” when asked about DEI programs amidst Trump’s aggressive stance.
Trine Bartholdy becomes a Member of the Committee for the Novo Nordisk Foundation's Innovation Grant.
Embankment, the next-gen asset service company, bring new investors to the table, including Kasper Grundtvig Knokgaard.
Jan F. Kleine is promoted to Director at the Footprint Firm.
Visma Dinero, the accounting platform for SME’s reports their best financial year to date in 2024 (despite the strong headwinds).
World leading virtual waiting room platform, Queue-it, becomes a new partner of Digital Hub Denmark.
ReBloom, the platform reshaping secondaries market, announces that they have closed their pre-seed round.
Baptiste Forestier joins spektr as an ambassador.
Nicolaj Jessen has joined the e-commerce and lifestyle VC, Twelve50Five as their new Product Director.
Per Frederiksen, PhD joins Aryze’s Board - the startup bridging TradFi and Web3 with stablecoins.
Biotech startup improving large-scale fermentations, Enduro, announces a €12 million Series A round from Supernova Invest, NOON Ventures and Sandwater.
Reza Norouzi ex-Head of Finance and Administration at GoMore, announces he has joined the Moonboon team in the same capacity.
Dankort is no longer the cheapest card solution in Denmark.
🇸🇪 Sweden
See the 10 companies accepted into Sting - Sweden’s leading accelerator for high-potential startups (Empatik AI, Emmel, ClearScanAI + more).
Froda, the platform simplifying access to financing for small businesses has secured a €150 million lending guarantee from the EIF (the first EU-wide microfinance partnership).
Norrsken Foundation and Danske Bank partner to form a new initiative with aims of supporting female entrepreneurs and impact companies.
hÄppi, a prebiotic gut health drink, raises €709,000 in a round led by Graphit NeoTaste, an F&B investment arm linked to the Piëch-Porsche family.¨
Co-founders of Midday have launched Languine a localization infrastructure made for fast-paced startups.
Verse, the agentic AI solution for legal services receives strategic investment from Cederquist.
Payroll system startup, Payap, raises €884.000 with part of the funding coming from Ulf Bokelund Svensson, CEO of Björn Lundén.
Spotify launches Disco, their own HR-people analytics solution.
Helen Von Bahr steps into CEO role at Loelle Organic Beauty.
DREV, the company revolutionising industrial cleanliness for advanced manufacturing facilities receives investment from EIT Manufacturing.
Micromobility company, Voi, has won the Oslo tender and will double their fleet (+5k vehicles) and operational area from April 1.
🇳🇴 Norway
Tana, the AI-native workspace, raises €24.5 million from Tola Capital, Lightspeed Ventures, Alliance VC + more.
Startuplab share the second close of their Startuplab Founders Fund V, with big participation from Nysnø Climate Investments who join as a leading investor.
IAG Firemark Ventures announces investment in flood data startup 7Analytics
Allon G. takes over from Ellen Amalie Vold as the new CEO of the Norwegian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (NVCA).
Hampus Isacson joins Emission Twin as their new Head of Customer Success
Campanyon closed their crowdfunding round 5 hours ahead of schedule with €645.000 invested, 500+ new co-owners + waitlisting of future investors.
Femtech Studios goes live —a new venture studio dedicated to women’s health innovation.
What art does Investor Cecilie Skjong (Skyfall Ventures) recommend? 🎨
Momentum is selected to join Mountside Ventures’ “Y Combinator for VC” programme.
“Norway's wealth fund maintains ESG focus despite US backlash” - reuters.
🇫🇮 Finland
Riikka Pakarinen and Ilkka Paananen on Finland’s struggles to cultivate unicorn startups as they lag behind Sweden.
Finland is developing a Quantum Technology Strategy to “drive competitiveness, industry adoption and international collaboration”.
Aplagon, the company developing treatments for thromboinflammatory diseases, has secured €7 million in financing led by Fåhraeus Startup & Growth + the European Innovation Council.
Top 10 trending startups from Startup100 Finland including: Workant, Receipt Hero, Treon + more.
ELLIS has launched its second major research center, ELLIS Institute Finland to advance AI research, attract talent, and build stronger European collaborations.
Sustashift, the startup providing CSRD SaaS reporting solutions, secured funding from Greencode Ventures + with participation from Wave Ventures.
IoT-embedded basketball startup, SIQ Basketball, is 1/5 companies selected to join the National Basketball Association (NBA) Launchpad program.
Founder of Mimmit sijoittaa, the media outlet that talks about money, investing and saving, Pia-Maria Nickström, joins the Startup Foundation as their new CEO.
Maria 01, have launched their new 3-year strategy with a deeper focus on empowering founders, facilitating global connections + supporting ecosystem growth.
New study confirms Oura Ring's ovulation tracking is far more accurate than the calendar method.
🇮🇸 Iceland
Circular Library Network has been selected to be part of Batch 8 of Circular Economy Accelerator Program at the Circular Valley Convention
📚 listens, opinions + resources
Christoffer H. Malling (Managing Partner at Second Foundation) offers up his go-to resource for introductions and “forwarded intro emails”.
Clara x Louise Podcast: Torsten Kolind an investor specialising in women’s health innovation on women-led markets + opportunities in an overlooked area 🎧
Northzone partner Pär-Jörgen Pärson weighs in on the “the US vs Europe debate, Donald Trump and on regulating AI”. read.
listen “The ethics of AI (with Anna Felländer) on Scandinavian Mind” 🎧
spotlight
👀 this week: recording was in progress for your friendly ecosystem hotline, after the beep. me and our soon-to-be revealed ~ mystery person ~ have been answering your startup scene questions + dilemmas. pls keep adding more! we love to know whats on your mind, and thank you for all the great submissions so far!!
🍋 ☎️ hotline submissions go here
job-board
🍄 Future is Fungi Award is hiring a COO (SE).
⭐️ Luminar Ventures are hiring an Investment Manager (DK)
🛠 Michael Gackstatter is hiring a technical co-founder for TODAY, a fintech-AI company (DK).
🌊 Katapult Ocean are hiring an Accelerator Program Manager (NO).
💄 Gina Dirawi is looking for a Chief Operating Officer to join a beauty/retail startup (SE)
dates and action points
→ SAGA DK is looking for new members to join their board (ages 13 - 35 years). Nomination deadline: Sunday 24th February at 18.00.
→ DTU have open seats left (if you are an investor) for their "Investor Meet Up" on February 26 at 15:30-17:30. Front row seats to 5 early-stage startups pitching within EEG, drone systems, robotics + more.
→ Apply for the Malmö Residency a month-long residency that offers people core resources to develop a new idea, start a new project, or find partners to collaborate with.
→ Female Founder Stories, Weds 19th Feb at Startup Sauna in Espoo, Finland.
→ Maiken Paaske, an experienced operator, advisor and investor, interested in taking on new board positions in 2025. Reach out if you have spots available.
→ Scaling Your Company Internationally hosted by AWS + Light. Feb 20th, in Stockholm.
→ FEARLESS by ELLE x Femivest, March 6th at the Oslo Event Hub, Norway.
→ Applications are now open for the DTU Earthbound Nurture Programme, deadline to apply = Feb 23rd 2025.
→ MeasureCamp - the unconference for and by the analytics community - will release their final tickets at 13:00 pm EET, Tuesday 11th Feb. They go in seconds so be online 10 mins before!
→ Apply for Matrikel1’s Community Event Sponsorship, deadline is February 28th.
→ AiSalon Stockholm - AI for Climate, Norrsken House in Stockholm, Feb 19th.
→ “Calling Parents in Male-Dominated Industries: Help Us Explore The Motherhood Penalty!” - CBS Masters students, Kamilla + Iselin would like your input for their final thesis.
Thank you for tuning in! i’m always on the hunt for newsworthy content to bring to the mondayfriday audience. and, if you ask me, the best place is from the community itself. so, please drop your updates above and fill me in on any startup related news in the nordics. additionally, please leave me some feedback so i can keep improving ✨
yours weekly,
kay
* thank god it's (monday)friday
