NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
FACT SHEET NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
A LETTER FROM THE CEO
Dear Friends,
We live in a time where entrepreneurship has an important role to play. You can say that we live in a startup era where new companies will impact society and legislation faster than ever before. The Nordic region with its tradition of high level innovation, creativity as well as a strong entrepreneurial spirit can and should play an important part in this new era.
Collaboration has never been more important!
We firmly believe that in the Nordic Startup scene, nationality is not important. But the ex- change of talent and technology is crucial. We want the Nordic startup- scene to be compa- rable to the scenes in London and Berlin, and we believe the best way to do this, is by closer co-operation between the Nordic countries.
The awards stand to represent the entire startup ecosystem - from the startups themselves to the people behind them, and the organisations that work alongside to make the great “We firmly believe that in the things possible. Nordic Startup scene, nationality is not important. But the exchange of Kim Balle CEO and Co-Founder talent and technology is crucial.” Kim Balle, CEO 2 NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
connecting stakeholders in the nordic startup ecosystem
The aim is to inspire, stimulate and recognize entrepreneurship throughout the Nordic region, whilst connecting a community of startup enthusiasts, serial entrepreneurs and mentors from diverse and complementing backgrounds.
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3 Participant countries EXECUTIVE Sweden SUMMARY Norway
Iceland
The Nordic Startup Awards is a unique series of events in the Nordic countries. Since 2012 we have gathered the best of the best from the Nordic startup community, with the ambition to recognise and Finland celebrate all the great achievement of this region. Denmark
AWARDS REACH EVENTS
Every Nordic country holds a National event for the The Nordic Startup Awards features 14 2015 marked the break of a new record for Nordic National finals gathering around 1800 attendees in categories representing startups, individuals Startup Awards: nearly 15000 votes and a staggering all. Key persons and influencers from the startup and ecosystem supporters. We have star-studded 550 nominations across all categories. In 2016 we scene. The Grand Final is held in prestigious venues, jury members ranging from top entrepreneurs to expect these numbers to be even higher. relocating every year. The Grand Final has gathered investors and ecosystem supporters. All this leads around 650 attendees and finalists from all the Nordic to 70 national winners and eventually the very best countries. 14 startup companies and individuals in the Nordic countries. 4 NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
Nordic Startup Awards connects the entire startup ecosystem - from successful and promising startups, investors and journalists to founders and developers.
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PARTICIPANT COUNTRIES
Iceland Vadsz
ísafördur Population: 329,100 Tromsø Finland
Regional winners: 2* Saudharkrokur AkureyrAkureyrii Borgarnes Population: 5,483,533
Keflavik ReykjaviReykjavikk Selfoss Egilsstadir Regional winners: 5* BoBoddø
RovaniemRovaniemii
LulLuleeå
Oulu
Steinkjer
UmUmeeå
Trondheirondheimm FINLAND
Östersund
Molde
Härnösand
SWEDEN MikkelMikkelii Norway NORWAY
HermansverHermansverkk
LillehammeLillehammerr
HamaHamarr Gävle Turku Helsinki Bergen Population: 5,165,800 Falun MariehamMariehamnn Oslo UppsalUppsalaa DrammeDrammenn Sweden Regional winners: 4* Västesterràs
Tønsberg Moss Karlstad Örebrrebroo SkieSkienn StockholStockholmm Stavanger
NyNykköping Arendal Population: 9,801,616 Linköpingen Kristiansand Regional winners: 9* Visby Göteborteborgg Jönköpingen
Denmark AalborAalborgg Växjö Kalmar
Halmstad Viboriborgg Population: 5,678,348 Karlskrona DENMARK Vejle København (Copenhagen) Regional winners: 9* MalMalmmö
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*Winners of Grand Finale from 2012-2015 NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
COMPETITION NUMBERS
online nominations in 2015 national winners 550 70 per year
yearly attendees in all regional winners 1800 for national final 14 per year
attendees jury members 600 at grand finale 22 in 2016
online votes in 2015 Ambassadors 15.000 30+ in 2016
national finalists Advisory board members 350 per year 20+ in 2016 7 NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
TIMELINE
published National finalists are Public voting opens National finals (x5) Nominations open Nominations close Public voting closes Public voting opensPublic voting closes Grand Finale
National level Regional level
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Award Categories
The categories are carefully designed and adjusted each year to secure highly qualified participants reflecting trends and development in the Nordic startup scene.
Startup of product and/or services, with Founder Startup Media Best Accelerator based on research from no funding. Nordic universities. the Year of the Year of the Year Program Startup that has shown Best Investment An individual that has shown An individual or company The accelerator program Best IoT Startup the greatest development notable achievements that has displayed passion that has created the best Startup that has shown the over the last year based on Company over the last year. Notable for the startup scene by environment for growth and greatest development based growth, impact, sales, prod- achievements could be providing insightful and innovation and fostered the An investment company on a technology that focuses uct and/or services. fund raising, great customer impacting coverage as either startups with the best finan- that has displayed the best on the interaction between growth, good financials, a blogger or a journalist. It cial results. investment acumen over IT, data and society. Best Newcomer the last year. This could be great leadership. could be based on stories defined as an exit, early shared with impact, original/ Best Social Tech Startup with up to 2 years of investment of a notable CTO Hero creative angles, persever- Best Exponential age that has shown a prom- startup or realisation of an ance interest in the topic. Startup ising track based on growth, earlier investment. of the Year Startup Startup with a product or ser- impact, sales, product and/or Startup that has shown Best Office vice within the field of social services. An individual that has shown the greatest development Best Business entrepreneurship that have notable achievements with Space over the last year by either created the most impact and a big impact over the last adapting, developing and/ Best Angel An office space that de- or growth. year. Notable achievements or implementing a disruptive serves the recognition for An individual investor that could be accomplishments technological innovation. Bootstrapped has displayed the best in- in product development, its help & services to the startup ecosystem, and for Best Student Startup that has shown vestment acumen in startups fund raising, great customer creating an environment that the greatest development over the last year, based on growth, good financials, and Startup fosters innovation. over the last year based seed stage investments. great leadership. Best student startup idea 9 on growth, impact, sales, NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
winners
2015 Startup Media of the Year Best Professional Investor The Copenhagen Nokia Bridge Neil Murray - ‘The Nordic Web’ Lifeline Ventures (FI) Incubator (DK) Best Accelerator Program (DK) Startup Reykjavik (IS) Startup of the Year Best Startup Journalist Startup of the Year Plain Vanilla (IS) Anders Kanberg - ‘De Seks Hatte’ Best Bootstrapped Falcon Social (DK) (DK) Dirtybit (NO) 2012 Best Student Startup Best Newcomer 2014 Drinkster (DK) Unacast (DK) Best Bootstrapped Founder of the Year LikenShare AS (NO) Designer of the Year Best Office Space Carl Waldekranz (SE) Rasmus Nielsen & Nicolas Mesh (NO) Best Funded Startup Thomsen, SHAPE (DK) Best Service Provider Wrapp (SE) Best Professional Investor FundedbyMe (SE) Developer Hero Creandum (SE) Best International Startup Peter Sunde (SE) Journalist of the Year Zendesk (DK) Best Social Tech Startup Greg Anderson (FI) Founder of the Year Be my Eyes (DK) Best Newcomer Hjalmer Winbladh (SE) Developer Hero Indoor Atlas (FI) Developer Hero Jonas Bruun Nielsen (NO) Startup of the Year Martina Elm (SE) Best Professional Investor Supercell (FI) Best Newcomer Creandum (SE) Founder of the Year Jumpstarter (SE) Kristo Ovaska (FI) Best Service Provider 10 NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
“There are some incredible startups blossoming across the Nordic countries, and the awards are a chance to celebrate what is being achieved, as well as to help put Nordic startups on the map of international business.” - Ulrik Bo Larsen, CEO, Falcon Social
Falcon Social Ulrik Bo Larsen, CEO and Founder, Falcon Social Startup of the Year 2015 “Winning Nordic Startup of the Year in 2015 solidified Falcon Social offers a platform for social media Falcon Social as a disruptive force in the tech world. management, helping clients to explore the full We’ve since gone onto grow our headcount by 54%, potential of social media marketing and instill a and added new offices in Berlin and Budapest to our social-first thought process in their employees. existing bases in Copenhagen and New York. It’s The company was founded 2010 in Copenhagen been an amazing year for us, and we’ll be changing and employs over 200 staff working in offices in the game even more 2016. New York City and Copenhagen. We love the Nordic Startup Awards because they highlight the Investors: Northcap Partners, Target Partners & Nordic region as a hub of creativity and innovation. There are some Prime Ventures. incredible startups blossoming across the Nordic countries, and the awards are a chance to celebrate what is being achieved, as well 11 as to help put Nordic startups on the map of international business.” NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
Plain Vanilla Lix (form. Unipegma) Supercell Startup of the Year 2014 Best Newcomer 2014 Startup of the Year 2012
Plain Vanilla Games, the company behind Lix is an app where students can buy Supercell is a mobile game developer ultra-hot trivia app QuizUp, is an Icelandic textbooks at cost price and read the based in Helsinki, Finland, with offices in Game Studio based in Reykjavik Iceland textbooks while using tools to take notes, San Francisco, Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing. and in San Francisco. Plain Vanilla was highlight, search, and collaborate. The Since its founding in 2010, Supercell has founded late 2010 and published it’s first app consists of a bookshop, an e-reader, brought four games to the market; Hay title, The Moogies with Chillingo on the and several tools. Day, Clash of Clans, Boom Beach and App store in November 2011. In January Clash Royale. Supercell employs 180 2016 they raised $7.5M and their total eq- socalled ‘SUPERCELLIANS’. in October uity funding is $40.07M in 6 Rounds from 2013 Supercell formed a partnership with 21 Investors. SoftBank, as the single biggest sharehold- 12 er with a 51% stake in the company. NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
Neil Murray StartupReykjavik MESH Startup Journalist 2014 Best Accelerator Program 2015 Best Office Space 2015 MESH is the first coworking space in Oslo, Neil Murray won the award for his StartupReykjavik is a mentorship-driven and has become the leading independent achievements with the media Nordic Start- seed stage investment program running initiative for Norwegian entrepreneurs. up Bits, which covers early stage entre- a 10 week long program in Reykjavik, Ice- From 2013 to today they have grown from preneurship and provides insights into life land once each year, with the opportunity 200 m2 to 4000 m2, from 2 to 30 em- as an entrepreneur, the business behind to pitch to angel investors and venture ployees, from 10 members to 300 mem- startups, and trends relevant to the start- capitalists at the end of the program. bers, from hosting 0 events to 500 events up environment. Selected companies or ideas get $18,500 a year, from a coworking space to a co- in seed funding from Startup Reykjavik working space with a maker space, a cafe, Invest ehf., a 100% owned daughter com- a nightclub & an event department. They pany of Arion Bank. 13 get around 50.000 visitors in the building each year. NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
ALL NATIONAL winners
2015 Startup Sauna Finland Accelerace Denmark Sting Sweden Argentum Norway Superplus Norway Bokun Iceland Tinc Sillicon Valley Norway Christian Wylonis Denmark Unipegma Denmark Day Cape Sweden Washa Denmark Founders Fund Norway Þórður Snær Júlíusson/ Kjarninn iceland Funzi Finland Georg Lúðvíksson (Meniga) iceland 2014 Greg Anderson Finland AirHelp Denmark Jacob Tjørnholm Denmark Airtame Denmark Jari Jaanto Finland Bala Kamallakharan, Startup Iceland iceland Johan Attby Sweden Betafactory Norway Johan Brand Norway Blendin Iceland Knackeriet Sweden Cph School of Entrepreneurship Denmark Kristján Ingi Mikaelsson iceland Daniel Laursen Denmark Lifesum Sweden David Nikel Norway Lookback Sweden Dimitrij Aleshkov Sweden Maria Amelie Norway Dirtybit Norway Mekano ehf. Iceland Edgefolio Norway MinFarm Sweden Fingersoft Finland Modio Iceland Henrik Torstensson Sweden Next Step Challenge Denmark Icelandic Startups Iceland Ninchat Finland James Pember Sweden Reaktor Polte Finland Kristján Ingi Mikaelsson iceland ReonTech & KPMG - 27 Nýsköpunarhús iceland Leo Gasteen Norway Seriously Finland NewCo Factory Finland Sigurdur Arnljotsson Iceland NSA Ventures Iceland Simen Sommerfeldt Norway NTNUs Entreprenørskole Norway Smartly.io Finland Oleg Podsechin Finland Startup City Denmark Sampo Karjalainen Finland 14 Startup Journey by Boost Turku Finland Søren Halskov Nissen Denmark NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
TrademarkNow Finland Truecaller Sweden Wilhelm Joys Andersen Norway Þorsteinn Friðriksson Iceland
2012 Alex Carabi Sweden Antti Vilpponen Finland Applika Sweden Blaast Finland Brugertest.nu Denmark CFEngine Norway Click a Taxi Denmark Encap Norway Eyrir Invest Iceland FAFU Iceland Georg Lúðvíksson (Meniga) iceland Grunderskolen Norway Henric Holgersson - Entreprenor24 Sweden Ilkka Paananen Finland Innovit, Entrepreneurship Center iceland iZettle AB Sweden Kiosked Finland Lilja Dögg Jónsdóttir, Viðskiptablaðið iceland Meniga Iceland Mette Lykke Denmark Nordic Telecom Finland Northzone Norway Omnicloud Sweden Podio Denmark Rasmus Lerdorf (PHP) Denmark RefinedWiki Sweden Remake Electric Iceland SocialBoards Norway StreamTags Iceland The Eye Tribe Denmark Thomas Madsen Mygdalh Denmark 15 Transfluent Finland Yeos Sweden NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
Each year the participant countries holds a National event for the National Finals gathering over 1800 attendees in all.
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PART OF A GLOBAL NETWORK
Nordic Startup Awards is pat of a global network called Global Startup Awards which connects Startup ecosystems nationally, regionally and globally.
Creating awareness towards Startups globally and establishing events that build bridges, funding possibilities, partnerships and other business opportunities, Global Startup Awards currently resides in 3 regions, 21 countries.
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ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
Country Partners in 5 countries Advisory Board
National Nordic Startup Awards Sponsors ambassadors Team (Copenhagen)
Jury members Collaboration (Regional) partners
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MEDIA NUMBERS
Facebook Twitter Instagram Content (all SoMe) Press
Likes Followers Followers Number of photos: Nordic Articles: 4600+ 1800+ 280+ 5.000+ 20+
Average monthly Website Visits Number of videos international Articles : Average monthly reach produced impressions 30.000+ 5+ 37.000+ 47,6k 100+ 19 NORDIC STARTUP AWARDS
AUDIENCE DEMOGRAPHY
The audience for Nordic Startup Awards communications con- sists of key players within Nordic entrepreneurship and inno- Interests vation such as professional investors, politicians, universities, media, enthusiasts and of course the huge growth segment of Finance Nordic entrepreneurs. Business news Tech news Technology Entrepreneurship Politics Countries Startups Leadership
Finland United Kingdom Denmark 331 1,356 91 Hungary Age & gender Iceland 84 308 Norway India Primary age group 810 United States of America 72 210 25-34 yrs.
Sweden Germany Women Men 448 95 37% 62% 20