​SUP46 rings Nasdaq Opening Bell in New York with NordicMade friends

For the second year in a row SUP46 has traveled to NYC together with our NordicMade friends. On October 11, a Nordic delegation of growth entrepreneurs and startup ecosystem leaders rang the NASDAQ Opening Bell at Times Square in New York. The bell ringing was a celebration of the second #NordicMade trip to New York, with the purpose to build traction in the Nordics as one of the leading startup and tech regions globally. Simultaneously, a €1.5M Nordic fund was launched.

Organized by Slush, together with the most prominent Nordic startup community leaders, the #NordicMade trip is this week bringing 11 Nordic entrepreneurs to New York to help accelerate their business, strengthen the cooperation between the Nordic hubs, and make the Nordic startup scene better known on the East Coast of the U.S.

Opening the NASDAQ Stock Exchange acted as the official kickoff for the trip. The opening bell was rung by Pia Elmegård from #CPHFTW, Denmark. The opening keynote was given by Helga Valfells, CEO of NSA Ventures, Iceland, and Steering Board Member at Rising North.

Valfell’s keynote was also the official launch of Rising North, a €1.5 million fund to support the internationalization of the startup ecosystem in the Nordics over the next three years. Projects to be funded under Rising North will boost the Nordic region towards a global startup ecosystem.

“In the Nordics we work hard, we are extremely loyal to our company or our cause and we love technology. It is therefore no surprise that the Nordics have produced a string of very successful technology companies. During the last five years, the Nordics, which account for only 4% of the European population, have produced over 25% of all European exits,” Valfells said in her speech.

The delegation at NASDAQ included Leadfeeder, PromoRepublic and Solu from Finland; Iris AI and DXTR Tactile from Norway; Corti and Zigna from Denmark; It’s My Styl and Optolexia from Sweden; and Watchbox and Sling from Iceland. The startup organizations included Slush, Aaltoes and Startup Life from Finland, SUP46 from Sweden, Icelandic Startups from Iceland, #CPHFTW from Denmark, as well as MESH Norway and Startup Norway.

During the next three days, the Nordic growth companies are showcased to East Coast venture capitalists and tech media, such as Google Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, White Star Capital and the Wall Street Journal. The goal is to build bridges and create opportunities for the Nordic founders to expand their business to the U.S.

#NordicMade press photos