“The importance of entrepreneurship and its role in society – in terms of creating growth and innovations – is remarkable. Growth creates employment and tax revenues in our societies, and it also enhances the global competitiveness of the Nordic countries. With our expertise and engagement, Nordea is able to support entrepreneurs in many ways and help them grow their businesses,” says Nina Arkilahti, Head of Business Banking at Nordea.
One-to-one meetings between founders and investors
One of the main attractions at Slush 2022 is the Nordea Investor Speed Dating events, where Nordic startups and growth companies are matched with global investors to help drive sustainable growth.
The Speed Dating events run throughout the year and last year resulted in close to 800 sessions. At Nordea, we're passionate about connecting our network to explore the ways we can build a more sustainable and diverse future together and we’re working in close collaboration with the startup ecosystem.
“We are ecstatic to have Nordea collaborate with us in yet another year of supporting the ecosystem for new and growing businesses. Nordea serves as a key link between growth companies and both funding and mentoring, vital elements for any company to scale their business. This is why we are more than happy to once again welcome Nordea to the Slush floor in Helsinki this November,” says Eerika Savolainen, CEO of Slush.
A shared mission
“Slush continues to be our partner for a reason. We have a shared mission – to help companies bring forward innovations that can make this planet just that little bit better. Together with Slush, we are connecting Nordic founders with global investors, enabling them to build scalable platforms for future growth. Our four Startup & Growth units across the Nordics are there to support them with expertise and advice,” explains Nina Arkilahti.
“After two years of Covid challenges, we now face the war in Ukraine, which is affecting human lives, international security, and the global economy. In times like this, Nordea’s support – which includes offering growth loan solutions and helping founders find global investors via our network – is more important than ever. We see our partnership with Slush as a way to help the Nordic ecosystem survive through turbulent times,” says Vesa Riihimäki, Head of Nordea Startup & Growth in Finland.