Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is spread over 14 islands and has a great blend of history and culture. It is often cited as one of the top three most successful startup hubs in Europe and has served as the starting ground for world-renowned companies such as Spotify, Klarna, and iZettle. Within the city, there are growing tech companies across a broad range of verticals and a solid second generation of startups that have grown to respectable sizes, who are taking inspiration from international successes. Overall, Stockholm has abundant and affordable engineering talent, as well as an international outlook, a tech-savvy society with good broadband, and a government that contributes to the startup ecosystem.
This week-long immersive study tour is designed to supplement your prior knowledge and experiences in Copenhagen with learnings from one of the Nordic’s most innovative cities. In Stockholm, you’ll meet with both emerging and established startups, as well as incubators/accelerators and investors and others within the startup ecosystem. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to connect directly with startup founders in the process of building their companies, an invaluable experience that will serve you well as you launch your own venture during the course.
Tour Objectives
- Meet with founders of successful (and unsuccessful) startups to learn first- hand from their experiences
- Gain an understanding of the various players — startups, investors, incubators/accelerators, and others — in the entrepreneurial ecosystem
- Present your teams’ business ideas to a venture capital firm for constructive feedback on your business idea
Possible Activities
- Visit a startup incubator, such as Antler
- Engage in professional discussions with founders by asking questions about strategies and lessons learned in building a new venture
- Meet with venture capital firms to learn more about their investment approaches and criteria