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Stein Inge Haaland, CEO at Embla Software Innovation and his team came all the way from Sri Lanka to join Seed Forum Global 2018.
Gamechanger entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators have already registered from Australia, Sri Lanka, China, UK, Dubai, Germany, Romania, Israel, Serbia. Ethiopia. Kenya, Haiti, Panama, Colombia, Mexico, USA, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden & Norway. And many more on the way!
If you are a start-up, investor, accelerator or innovator and consider yourself as a gamechanger, you must register NOW for Seed Forum Global 2019, June 17-18!
Last year 1500+ participants came from 37 countries to THIS TRULY GLOBAL INNOVATION HAPPENING IN OSLO!
Seed Forum Global is the event for GLOBAL INNOVATION GAMECHANGERS! If you think you are one of those who STAND OUT this is the right place!
Do you want to have a richer life and meet some of the most creative and prosperous people out there? Sign up today for Techstars Startup Digest Angel Investor – The state of the art on startup investing.
Seed Forum invites start-ups, investors, accelerators, and innovators from the whole world to pitch at the 2nd Seed Forum Global event in Oslo. Last year 1500+ participants came from 37 countries to THIS TRULY GLOBAL INNOVATION HAPPENING IN OSLO!
Seed Forum Global is the event for GLOBAL GAME CHANGERS! If you think you are one of those, who STAND OUT, this is the right place to pitch!
A “pitch package” to Seed Forum Global 2019 ONLY EUR 299 if you buy now!
More info about the program, speakers, and registration, Please go to Seed Forum Global.
Every Friday we send out a newsletter to more than 8000 Angel Investors around the world, once in a while I post some news here so you maybe can see the value of subscribing. Here you have some of the posts I have been reading the last couple of days and hope you find some relevant stories. Sign up for Angel Investor Startup Digest today.
– Over the past 2 months, 20 Angel Investors have worked closely together with 6 startups screening, mentoring, and evaluating them to decide which one to invest in. Here are the companies…
– The recent spate of workforce trimming by some of the Winnipeg’s largest corporate entities – Great-West Life, IGM Financial, Manitoba Hydro and Bell MTS – is not a signal that the economy is collapsing. But it does provide another warning bell of sorts that significant change is occurring – the digital economy is shaking the foundations of legacy industries.
– With Bitcoin cracking $2,500 per coin recently, it seems everyone has an opinion on what the future of the cryptocurrency is and whether it is a worthwhile investment. The hard truth though is that no one with an opinion on bitcoin is making an informed decision.
– Paris is maturing into an impressive startup ecosystem, attracting foreign talent and funding. Research shows France received more VC investment than Germany in 2016.
– This week I want to recount the story of a high volume early stage investor who described to me his experience with an inefficiency in a gambling market that he sought to exploit.
– The company, which has raised over $3m in total, will use the new funds for product advancement and player enhancements. In conjunction with the raise, Boom Fantasy has acquired Draftpot, a company that had raised $3m in funding, to double its user base.
Despite being busy coordinating GEW Oslo as we speak, we are already starting to plan for 2017 with hopes of creating the best entrepreneurial festival Norway has ever seen. Sign up to follow the process and get the latest news.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is a celebration of the innovators and dreamers, who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human wellbeing. During one week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. Read more about GEW at http://gew.co/gew/about
Recent news:
– GEW South Africa Kicks off A New Chapter. Read more.
– Young Entrepreneurs: Role Models for the New World of Work. Read more.
– GEW Investors: American Investment Officer Talks Untapped Potential in African Startups, Workforce. Read more.
– The theme for this years Summit is “Co-investing, making it work together.” With Nigeria now officially in a recession and most major economies suffering form low commodity prices, working together is the only way forward to unlock capital fast and maximize Africa’s entrepreneurial potential.
– This year’s Creative Business Cup will be held November 20-21, in Copenhagen. 70 National partners have already joined us and are busy planning their National competition in the search for their National Winner.
– During one week each November, GEW Oslo inspires people through activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators.
– GEW started life in the UK and has grown into the world’s largest festival of entrepreneurship. Today the campaign is managed by GEWUK – an independent charity.
– On The Road is a contest that helps give you an inside look at some of the rock star entrepreneurs and small businesses across Canada, as well as showcase some of the great events and initiatives that are happening during Global Entrepreneurship Week in November.
– Future Agro Challenge provides a platform unifying startups, investors, and other stakeholders. The FAC community focuses global awareness, innovation, and dialogue towards finding solutions for the global challenges ahead.
– Richard Branson is one of the speakers at Disrupt INCmty in Mexico City this year. They are bringing together thousands of key entrepreneurs, investors, and organizations of the entrepreneurship ecosystem to share knowledge, create, and stimulate high-impact companies and initiatives, promoting innovating entrepreneurship.
Today we learned that 500 Startups are shooting down their activities in Norway, Sean Percival leaves, and the rest of the team is moving to Sweden. They are one of the leading venture companies in the world and has invested more than 1.6 billion in approximately 1,400 companies.
Sean Percival, Source: 500 Startups
– Sweden has a much greater appetite for risk, and they are much better at marketing, commercialization, and internationalization, says Sean Percival.
– When I tried to raise money for our 15 million USD fund in Norway, there were very few who understood how venture capital works. They did not understand the mechanisms and they did not understand how they got the money back.
For every conversation I had, I started on the minus side, and had to spend time just to get to the starting line, and then I have to continue to get them to invest, he said.
It is tragic that 500 Startups not got underway in Norway. What Sean says, pinpoint our problems related to culture and lack climate for cooperation across national borders inside Scandinavia.
What worries me most is that Norway can have branding issues in the environment in Silicon Valley. It’s like a little duck pond and rumors going fast. This for sure a downturn and emphasizes once again the importance of tax incentives for investors in Norway. I assume that key politicians realize the seriousness now. As entrepreneurs, we must also put pressure on the government.
Norway must have conditions that are competitive and that can secure that startup projects have an opportunity to get financing. I think it’s unreasonable that we give a lot of grants from Innovation Norway, only for the next turn see the company flag out to get investors.
Also, we must all demand that our politicians have a vision for this country? The last thing we need is more commissions and committees. We need action!
Last week over 1000 foreign guests and I arrived in Tallinn for the Estonian ICT Week (27 May -3 June) including the “Industry 4.0 in Practice” conference and the “Green IT” seminar. I will write several blog post from my experience, but as a first taste, I will share a video with some of my pictures from the “Green IT” seminar and beautiful Tallinn.
ICT sector has been one of the most important industries in Estonia, starting with governmental e-services and ending with Estonian startups that are proved to have a global mindset.
Estonia is a tech advanced and agile society that gets things done fast. Therefore, a big effect is expected by encouraging the industrial and ICT sector to work together locally and internationally.
Recently, Malwarebytes, an internet security company founded in the US enlarged their office in Tallinn, because of the excellent location and awesome IT vibe. People from different corners of the world are traveling to work in Tallinn, and they expect to have 60 people in the office very soon.
If you want more information about moving your company to the heart of Europe or investing, you should contact Estonian Investment Agency (EIA), a part of Enterprise Estonia, is a government agency promoting foreign investments in Estonia and assisting international companies in finding business opportunities in Estonia.
United States of America concept with the statue of liberty in front of the New York cityscape at night. Foto: Alexey Rotanov.
Most Norwegian are shocked looking at what is going on in American politics these days. Even the thought that Donald John Trump can end up at the White House is something we have huge problems understanding. Can Michale Moore’s new documentary give us some answers?
At the same time, we see that The Kauffman Foundation suggests policies that protect against entrepreneurial risks and economic hazards (and as they say it) might encourage more people to start companies. Is it even possible to raise such a debate in the complicated political landscape we see in the USA today? In Norway, we know it is critical to have robust safety nets to motivate people to take risks. The region has implemented “the concept of WE” with great success, wich I think is one of the key findings in “Where to invade next.”
Norway is very dependent on America both economically, as a superpower and allied, but maybe most important as a universal defender of some of the most important values in our society as freedom of speech, religion, and free enterprise. With great interest (especially from me) my son and I went to the screening room.
I know that most Americas also have problems understanding how the Norwegian model functions. Very often you hear the word “communists” used by most right-wing Republicans. Our two countries have very close bonds but are at the same time so different. Have a look at this interview with Michael Moore that maybe puts it all into perspective?
Michael Moore: Norway is unbelievable for Americans. Source: YouTube
After we left screening the conclusion from my son was simple;
I am surprised that the American are treating their own people the way they do, but I still want to go there. My favorite city is Miami.
…and then we talked a lot and still have great discussions going on and he even involved his mom in the dialog. Where is the US going and is there some light in the tunnel?
Following the presidential campaign in the media it looks like the Americans also are struggling to understand what is going on and where the country is heading;
Anger at Wall Street. Anger at Muslims. Anger at trade deals. Anger at Washington. Anger at police shootings of young black men. Anger at President Obama. Anger at Republican obstructionists. Anger about political correctness. Anger about the role of big money in campaigns. Anger about the poisoned water of Flint, Mich. Anger about deportations. Anger about undocumented immigrants. Anger about a career that didn’t go as expected. Anger about a lost way of life. Mob anger at groups of protesters in their midst. Specific anger and undefined anger and even anger about anger.
There is a campaign to deliver a bid for GEC 2019 – The Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Oslo, and maybe if the region wins this battle we should use this opportunity to sell the Norwegian/Scandinavian model and “the concept of WE”? I think both the world and especially America need to know there are alternative roads ahead. We are for sure not perfect here in Norway, but we have some best practices the rest of the world should be aware. And by the way, it was all “made in America”, that gives us all the decisive touch we need to keep up the optimism.
By Berg Moe, March 30, 2016. Serial Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, Chairman Norwegian Entrepreneurs Association Oslo, GEW organizer and TEDx speaker.
Personally, I love Estonia and have been there 27 times since 2003 and here are the main reasons why you also should consider taking the trip to Tallinn.
Estonia is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe over the last decade. Both sales and sourcing possibilities bring Norwegian companies here. There is a good access to EU markets, including 85 million inhabitants in the Baltic Sea Region. The business environment is competitive: highly educated workforce, advanced technologic environment, low taxes.
Nordic countries are the largest investors and trading partners for the Baltic region, Norway has made the fastest growth over the last years. Today, there are over 1000 companies with Norwegian capital and thousands of Norwegian companies with business partners in the Baltics.
Nordic countries are the largest investors and trading partners in the Baltic region, and Norway has made the fastest growth over the last years. Today, there are over 1000 companies with Norwegian capital and thousands of Norwegian companies with business partners in the Baltics.
Estonia is geographically and culturally close to Nordic countries. 75% of Norwegian businesses in the Baltics and Poland are satisfied/very happy with the results according to Deloitte study.
Europe is number 1 market for Norwegian green business globally, as this sector depends on public regulations. The Baltics have EU regulations in combination with extensive EU funding, which are the drivers for the development of the market.
IT cooperation has grown primarily with Estonia, who has focused Norway Grants on green IT – IT for energy, transport, and logistics, production and trade, e-health. These IT subsectors are critical for solving local challenges, as well have global growth potential according to a Ernst & Young study.
Today, Estonia is regarded as one of the most advanced e-governments in the world.
The use of technology and digital services is widespread in both the public and the private sector.
Estonia is the first country to offer e-Residency (a digital identity) to anyone interested in administering business online. e-Residents can digitally sign documents and contracts, verify the authenticity of signed documents, conduct e-banking and remote money transfers.
Estonia’s tax system is unique and the most competitive tax code in the OECD. First, it has a 20 percent tax rate on corporate income that is only applied to distributed profits. Second, it has a flat 20 percent tax on individual income that does not apply to personal dividend income. Third, its property tax applies only to the value of land rather than taxing the value of real estate or capital. Finally, it has a territorial tax system that exempts 100 percent of the foreign profits earned by domestic corporations from local taxation, with few restrictions. More at http://taxfoundation.org/article/2015-international-tax-competitiveness-index
