What would you do with 50 000€ to further develop the Nordic ecosystem internationally?
The Rising North fund is pushing through its last year of financing projects supporting the Nordic startup ecosystem. Marta Sjögren, Principal at Northzone and member of the Rising North Steering Board, has always been passionate about innovation and had a desire to make an impact in the world. The startup community in the Nordic region, of just 26 million people, has during the past years become very tightly-knit. However, through learnings from the VC world, Marta has noticed that there still is a lot to be done in the region to further help the startups grow and take advantage of the unique local ecosystem.
The Nordics have become a global phenomenon as an ecosystem with a strong track record of producing global tech successes. There’s a lot of positive momentum, but more could be done to help connect with other innovation hubs and champion the Nordics as a globally competitive market for tech talent and companies. That’s why the Nordic Council of Ministers financed the establishment of Rising North back in 2016.
“After all, spending countless hours cruising through the beautiful countrysides of Denmark and Germany together with fellow techies cannot be even compared to a hectic day at a conference.” — Marta Sjögren
The goal of Rising North is to fund projects that help the Nordic ecosystem further develop as a globally leading ecosystem. Rising North offers grants of up to 50 000€ for initiatives and projects that help Nordic startups grow internationally. Applications are sent via a simple form on the website and are evaluated once a quarter. A new simplified application platform will be launched in the beginning of February. The next application deadline is March 1st. If you have a great idea that you want to pitch, send it for feedback here.
So far Rising North has funded 26 different projects ranging from events like the Nordic.AI Festival to projects such as Techbikers Nordics. The AI festival, organized last spring in Copenhagen, brought together some of the brightest minds within the AI and ML community to share knowledge and foster new connections. Marta Sjögren participated along with more than 60 other investors and technology enthusiasts on the Techbikers Nordic 420 kilometer bicycle ride from Copenhagen to Berlin. The trip, according to Marta, was a great way meet people from the community in a more intimate setting compared to your regular conference chats. After all, spending countless hours cruising through the beautiful countrysides of Denmark and Germany together with fellow techies cannot be even compared to a hectic day at a conference. Experiences such as these help foster new relationships for years to come in addition to being, of course, a great physical challenge.
Rising North is looking to finance both short term and long term projects that can help advance the agenda. The Steering Board wants to back teams with great ideas and execution plans. Whether you’re looking to further advance the startup immigration policy debate, change legislation on stock options or for example just organize an event around an exciting new emerging trend in tech, we’re want to hear from you!
Apply to get up to 50 000€
Rising North is three-year project funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers and operated by the Finnish Startup Foundation. Applications sent to the fund are evaluated once a quarter with the next deadline being on March 1st. Projects organized jointly by at least three different Nordic organizations can apply for a grant of up to 50 000€. Previous projects and more information can be found at risingnorth.org.
Latest funded projects
Startup Portfolio Presentations — A Berlin and Paris for 30–40 business angels to look for financing opportunities for their portfolio companies and network with the Central European angel ecosystems
Best Place to Work and Live — Attracting talent and interest from the outside world using an interesting video narrative and utilising the tech community for distribution
SXSW by Design 2018 — Bringing Nordic design-driven business to SXSW — the world’s biggest tech-conference
Move to the Nordics — A landing platform for attracting tech talent to the Nordics
The Nordic 100 — Introducing the one hundred most impactful and influential figures in the Nordic tech scene
Nordic Game Jam — Four days of game creation and startup business immersion for the Nordic game industry
Join the Nordics — Attract and retain foreign tech talent in the Nordics with the help of local ambassadors
Startup Guide Nordic — The first ever entrepreneurial travel guide for the Nordic region
Read more about the funded projects on our website.
