PSV

Is the Nordic region ready to lead the next wave of defense and dual-use technology? ? Despite a 14x growth in the Nordic defense and dual-use ecosystem the past 8 years a new report from Dealroom.co and Danske Bank Growth, reveals that Southern Europe is seeing faster growth. ? Luckily we see indications that Denmark and the Nordics are catching up. As our very own Alberte Schmidt Koefoed are pointing out in the report:?“We’re seeing a noticeable rise in new defense tech startups seeking support, with interest and proposals coming in regularly. This marks a real change from just a few years ago, where defense was rarely a focus for emerging companies.” ? Regional hubs driving the development: ?????Finland: Helsinki leads with a defense-first focus on regional security ?????Sweden: Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Lund favor balanced dual-use strategies ?????Denmark: Copenhagen and Aalborg adopt a civil-first stance ?????Norway: Oslo and Trondheim focus on maritime and offshore defense ? The report also outlines challenges holding us back: regulatory hurdles, talent shortages, and cross-border complexities that slow innovation. Still, with growing investments and a rapidly evolving defense tech landscape, the Nordics are well-positioned to become global leaders in defense innovation. ? What will it take to overcome these challenges and unlock the full potential of the sector? Link in comments to the full report with valuable insights from Daniel Johansson and Lisa Antoine at DG DEFIS at EU Commission, Magnus Hambleton at byFounders, Inka Mero at Voima Ventures, Timo Ahopelto at Lifeline Ventures, Magnus Bergman at Luminar Ventures, Niels Vejrup Carlsen at Final Frontier, Paavo R?is?nen at Maki.vc, Nima Sophia Tisdall at Nordic Makers.

Meet maven and Venture Partner at PSV Hafnium, S?ren Jessen Nielsen!????With over 30 years of experience across tech strategy, venture capital, and B2B sales,?S?ren’s deep-tech expertise is second to none.????? ? A seasoned angel investor in four deep-tech startups and a key figure at energy deep-tech startup Hyme (an EIC Scaling Club member and spin-out of Seaborg Technologies),?S?ren?is set to supercharge our investment screening, capital raising, and strategic moves for our portfolio companies.????? ? His insights span military/space , energy and climate tech, and hardware, fortified by a stellar background with Nokia, Accenture, and Export and Investment Fund of Denmark. S?ren?isn’t new to the PSV Venture house — he first joined as a member of the BoD at #PSVFoundry. He has since expanded his role as a Venture Partner at #PSVHafnium, playing a pivotal part in launching Denmark's first deep-tech fund?????? ? Fun facts: S?ren?has 34 first cousins, got his start in space and military tech, and once competed as a (semi)pro-online gamer??? ? Here’s to S?ren's continued impact alongside?Marianne Hyltoft, Anders Kj?r, Jakob Rybak-Andersen, Maria Emilie Dan? Hoffmann, Agnethe Leonora Hjarn? Boysen, and Susanne Palsten Buchardt??? #PSVHafnium #PSV #PSVventurehouse #Earlystage #Investment #Deeptech #Venturepartner ?

BOOM???The Sifted 75 dropped last week! It’s packed with the fastest-growing startups from the Nordics & Benelux—and guess what? We are thrilled to see #PSVHafnium’s portfolio company Dynelectro taking the spotlight at #5! It’s fair to say that both the fund and the rest of the venture house are incredibly proud of Dynelectro’s growth. Who wouldn’t??????? ? Key highlights of the 75 startups: ???€1.24bn in revenue generated ???4,875 jobs created ???An impressive average of €32.96m in funding raised ? And we’re also celebrating Lunar, who’s ranked at #14—a shining star in our PSV Legacy investments?? ? Want to check out the full list of the region’s fastest-rising tech stars? Check it out - link in comments. #PSVHafnium #PSV #PSVVenturehouse #Sifted75

Join us for the next chapter of Tour de?Ecosystem DTU - Technical University of Denmark?? ? Curious about how ideas and inventions move from classrooms and research labs to the real world, creating jobs and solving societal challenges???? ? Now is your unique opportunity to explore DTU - Technical University of Denmark’s vibrant innovation?ecosystem – a powerful network designed to bridge the gap between university research and the entrepreneurial journey. Strong?ecosystems like ours ensure a seamless transition from groundbreaking ideas to impactful ventures. ? What’s to expect?: ? ???Dive into the interconnected initiatives that make up DTU’s innovation?ecosystem. Besides us at PSV, you’ll meet DTU Skylab, DTU Science Park, DeepTech Alliance, DTU Entrepreneurship, Open Entrepreneurship DK, and more. ? ??Learn how we foster collaboration and ensure cohesion between academia, startups, and venture opportunities. ? ??Discover how you can engage with DTU - Technical University of Denmark’s?ecosystem?— whether you’re a founder, investor, researcher, or simply curious about innovation. ? Sign up right here, and discover where innovation meets impact:?https://lnkd.in/djvzTMqW

"More early stage companies are being started in Europe than anywhere in the world". "For the first time since Atomico first ran its report in 2015, more founders and VCs say they are less optimistic about the future of European tech than they were 12 months previously". These contradictions perfectly captures the spirit of this year's Slush and not least Atomico's State of European Tech report. An oscillation between believing in a bright future for the European startup ecosystem and a devasting pessismism about Europe's competitiveness against the US and China for that matter. From brain drain to funding gaps there's enough to worry about. Unfortunately, the pessimism extends into the Danish ecosystem. Yesterday, danish business paper B?rsen revealed that the numbers of new Danish companies being founded is decreasing. But there's always a light in the dark - as we welcomed Helle Uth, Alexander Viterbo-Horten and Sebastian von Wildenrath Wegmann home from Slush, it was impossible to wipe of their smiles or ignore their excitement. With a community so strong as the one that comes together in Helsinki every year, one can only believe that European Tech can concur everything. Exactly like the State of European Tech report points out. 25% believes that the biggest change for Europe the last decade has been the maturity and development in the ecosystem. #TogetherWeCanPunchAboveOurWeight #PSVventurehouse #Slush24

"Don’t cut off the branch you’re sitting on"??? ? Last week, we shared an article about Peter Michael Oxholm Zigler and team CoCoach raising an investment round. This week, Peter Michael is featured in ITWatch, sharing an important wake-up call for founders on the fundraising journey??? ? Peter Michael highlights a common misconception: The race for the biggest funding rounds and sky-high valuations. Instead, he sheds light on the risk of creating “zombiecorns” - companies stuck with restrictive investor clauses and overinflated valuations that limit future growth?? ? His message is clear: Avoid the money rush. Raise only what you truly need and never more than to reach the next milestone?? ? ???How do founders navigate the balance between ambitious growth goals and sustainable financial strategies? Is it ever worth taking the risk to “go big or go home,” or does slow and steady ultimately win the race? ? ???Read more of Peter Michael's golden insights in ITWatch article (follow the link in the comments)

Nobody in their right mind goes to Helsinki in November????? ? That’s what the banner outside Slush said a few years ago. The thing is nobody in their right mind stays home, when Slush creates one of the most warm, clever, and fun communities for two days??? ? Neither does #PSVTech. Helle Uth,?Alexander Viterbo-Horten?and?Sebastian von Wildenrath Wegmann?are getting ready to flock together with all the other VCs, founders, LPs and startup people. ? Where to find them? ?? For PSV Tech, the summit comes at a great time as the team is moving forward with the?successor?fund, PSV Tech?II, and there’s nothing like being in the thick of it with people who eat, sleep, and breathe tech and investment ???? So, the team is looking forward to reconnecting with LPs and VCs from around Europe to learn, share and get inspired ?? ? See you there? ?? #PSV #PSVTech #PSVventurehouse #startupsummit #slush24

CoCoach, formerly known as Boon, is making big moves??? ? With a recent investment round led by Zenith Ventures alongside our very own #PSVTech, co-founders Peter Michael Oxholm Zigler and Frederik Galskov are expanding into the UK and US with the rest of the CoCoach team. As Peter shares in a new article: "We’re playing for the global stage, and our goal is to become the category-defining player in this space." ? As former co-founder of Autobutler Peter brings his proven track record of scaling businesses to CoCoach, which is set to become the go-to online coaching platform that empowers Fitness & Health experts. The mission is to democratize coaching by making it simple for anyone to create an online business, just like Shopify did for e-commerce. ? Excited to have CoCoach in the PSV Tech portfolio, and we can’t wait to see what’s ahead????Big high fives to the CoCoach team. Read the rest of the article and follow the link in the comments??

“Being an underdog is a huge strength in a world that thirsts for fresh perspectives” says Woba.io founder, Malene Madsen??? ? Malene Madsen is leading by example as a female founder who’s broken through the glass ceiling. In a new ITWatch article, she addresses the obstacles women face, from biases in venture capital to the challenges of building high-growth companies. Today, only a small fraction of Denmark’s venture funding goes to female-founded startups, a gap she describes as a “democratic problem”??? ? For Malene, it’s about more than just growth – it’s about creating lasting change. She dreams of eventually shifting to the investor side to support the next generation of female founders and help build a truly diverse landscape??? ? Diversity in the startup and VC world isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s the key to unlocking innovation and equity????Thank you,?Malene for paving the way for a more inclusive future where all founders can thrive??? Link to the (Danish) article in comments #PSV #PSVTech #DEI #Femalefounders #PSVventurehouse

You’ve met Maria Emilie Dan? Hoffmann, the new and fourth partner at PSV Hafnium — and while she’s an amazing addition to the fund, her recruitment wasn’t exactly smooth sailing??? Today, Finans reveals that this process faced a significant challenge??? When Maria was brought on board, one of #PSVHafnium’s cornerstone investors, European Investment Fund (EIF), had a clause that treated parental leave as a “key person event”. This meant Maria would either have to skip taking leave or it would be considered as her leaving the fund. Not exactly ideal, especially since Maria was already pregnant — and definitely not in line with PSV’s general stance on DE&I????? With a cocktail of persistence, discussion, and collaboration later, the #PSVHafnium team worked with European Investment Fund (EIF) to get the obstacle out of the way – for themselves and Maria, but also for all other future GPs. The story is a great reminder that we can reshape the future of VC one step at a time??? In fact, Maria’s journey is a great reminder of the delicate balance between dedication to your job and the unwavering want to start a family, proving that both can thrive side by side??????? At PSV, we are committed to leading by example in making the VC world more inclusive and equitable — no matter their life stage, gender, or background. With Maria onboard at #PSVHafnium, it’s a win-win-win for her, the team, and for the entire ecosystem??? Read the full article here ?? #PSVHafnium #PSV #PSVVenturehouse #Diversity #DEI