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12-10-2022 12:29

Nordea Investor Speed Dating brings international investors to the Nordics

It’s a well-known fact that the Nordics have a thriving ecosystem for startups. Many success stories have emerged from there, with Nordea Investor Speed Dating attracting investors from all around the world to find the next big thing. 

Sean Seton-Rogers from PROfounders Capital

For several years, Nordea has been organising investor speed dates for Nordic startups and growth companies looking for equity investors. With Slush coming up, the next speed dates are just around the corner.

We interviewed Sean Seton-Rogers from PROfounders Capital and Julie Lewkowicz from InfraVia Capital to learn more about what they’re seeking from the Nordics.

“PROfounders is a pan-European seed stage fund, and it’s been active in the Nordics since 2011. The Nordics are the top-performing market we invest in, and therefore we're always looking to source investment opportunities across the region,” says Sean Seton-Rogers from PROfounders Capital. 

“In the Nordics, the tech startup ecosystem is becoming increasingly mature, and we’re seeing a growing number of Nordic companies raising Series A and even B rounds. As we invest in Series B and following rounds, this category of companies will shortly reach the stage where they fit in our investment thesis. So getting in touch early is also a way to demonstrate our added value as investors, even before working together,” says Julie Lewkowicz from from InfraVia Capital adds and continues:.

“Being headquartered in Paris, we notably have an interesting edge for Nordic scale-ups willing to expand to France. We’ve built a strong network of large corporates and have a partner fully dedicated to making introductions to help companies with business development.” 

The Nordics are the top-performing market we invest in, and therefore we're always looking to source investment opportunities across the region.

Julie Lewkowicz from InfraVia Capital.

Investors appreciate the curated dates

The Nordea Investor Speed Dating concept has received very good feedback from investors and founders. Overall, investors appreciate the curated Nordic deal flow at offer. Julie Lewkowicz explains: 

“I really liked the format of the event. A 20-minute meeting allows for proper introductions on both sides and a deep dive on the company specifics. As you’re required to pre-select the start-ups you’d like to meet, you’ve already done your homework ahead of the call and can come prepared for an interesting and efficient meeting.” 

“In my case, it was still slightly early for the companies to fit into our investment scope. But I knew this when the calls were scheduled and was nonetheless able to meet with interesting founders and discover exciting businesses. It’s a good way to get to know each other and start building relationships while the companies are getting closer to our scope. In those cases, I always make sure they’re aware that they are still early for us, and I try to introduce them to earlier-stage venture capitalists that could be a good fit for them at their current stage.” 

As you’re required to pre-select the start-ups you’d like to meet, you’ve already done your homework ahead of the call and can come prepared for an interesting and efficient meeting.

Come prepared

The two investors also have a couple of tips for founders thinking about applying for Nordea Investor Speed Dating: 

“I would advise you to come prepared and have a precise objective for the meeting. If the investors you’re meeting are a good fit at your stage, try to engage them and end the meeting with next steps so that you know what to expect. If you’re still out of their scope, I would always recommend trying to seek advice: what they might expect at that stage, if they have recommendations on people you should reach out to (or even potentially some introductions to make), and so on,” Julie Lewkowicz says and continues:

“Take this as the beginning of a long-term relationship. Keep them updated quarterly so that when you go out fundraising, you already know each other pretty well and they are able to move quickly. And hopefully, they’ve demonstrated their ability and willingness to add value.” 

Sean Seton-Rogers adds:
“For founders attending the events, remember the Shakespeare line that ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’. Be clear and concise, and know your metrics. Your goal is to get a second meeting, not to convince someone to write a cheque on the spot.” 

About InfraVia Capital

InfraVia Capital is a €500m+ growth equity fund that invests €15m to €50m in European B2B scale-ups raising their Series B and following rounds. The fund is looking for growth-stage companies that leverage technologies to solve massive and widespread inefficiencies through differentiated and disruptive solutions. They help their companies to scale up and grow until they reach a leadership position within their markets. Their current portfolio includes JobandTalent, Sightcall, Paysend, Foodles, Botify, Ometria, Packhelp, Paack and Xempus.

 

About PROfounders

PROfounders Capital is an early-stage venture capital fund, backed by successful entrepreneurs and focused on investing in technology startups across Europe. In the Nordics, they have supported Small Giant Games (acquired by Zynga), Unity/Applifier (public on NYSE), Moves (acquired by Facebook), Veri.co, and more.

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