The Nordic Pitch SXSW: Three out of five of the best Nordic startups are Edtech

The Nordics are producing the most unicorns per capita in the world. They have fostered companies like Spotify, Opera, Klarna and Kahoot. In 2017 $881,5 million was invested in Nordic startups. Who are the new Nordic startups to watch?

Join us on March 13th for The Nordic Pitch at SXSW, where five of the best startups from the Nordic deck will get to pitch to a heavyweight investor panel and by invite only attendees of investors, media and Nordic startup founders.

We are excited to announce that the startups who will present at the showcase are: No

Isolation (NO), Penstable (DK) , LexploreSweden (SE) , Diwala (NO) and Mightifier (FI).

The startups have been selected by a highly qualified Nordic jury, consisting of investors and founders. The jury believe that these companies provide sustainable solutions to societal issues and represent the best of the best in the Nordic startup eco-system. Three out of five startups are Edtech companies, evidence of a buzzing and innovative edtech scene in the Nordics.

This event will be a unique opportunity to meet and mingle with investors, media and nordic startups.

This event is powered by Oslo Business Region and SAS Scandinavian Airlines.

Community partners include The Nordic Web, Oslo EdTech Cluster, TheFactory,

STARTUPLAB, SUP46, Start-Up People of Sweden, Danish Sound, Media Evolution,

Icelandic Startups, Nordic Impact, Nordic Innovation House, Nordic.ai, Business Sweden,

Norwegian Consulate-General, Houston, Business Finland, ArcticStartup, Norway Health

Tech, TechBBQ, Swedish Edtech Industry

Some info on the startups:

No Isolation (Norway):

Pitcher: Karen Dolva, CEO and Founder

No Isolation is a Norwegian startup founded in October 2015. The company tackles

loneliness and involuntary social isolation by building tailor maid communication tools for

people living in vulnerable situations. Their first product is AV1, a robot created to help

children and young adults with long-term illness participate in their everyday life, is currently

helping 300 children and young adults in 8 countries. In November 2017, No Isolation soft

launched their second product, KOMP, a one-button computer for those unable to use a tablet

or smartphone.

The jury believes that Dolva, accompanied by her robots, captivates audiences locally and

internationally, and assure to make the Nordics proud at SXSW.

Lexplore (Sweden):

Pitcher: Lars Lengquist is the Head of Brand, design and Communications at Lexplore.

Lexplore offers an objective screening method, using AI and eye tracking technology, that

can rapidly identify children at risk of reading difficulties in the first years of primary school.

The method supports confident decisions on whether an individual needs supplementary

support, and if further assessment is necessary. The results also tell about the reading level of

all students tested, which give opportunities for follow ups, evaluation over time and data

driven decision making for school leaders. Lexplore is today at the Swedish and US markets.

And heading for the UK in spring of 2017.

The jury believes that by helping identify dyslexia earlier than other methods, Lexplore can

have a positive impact on society. By using their research and great technology they will

provide dyslectics with a better support system, having a long term impact on the individuals

work ability.

DIWALA (Norway):

Pitcher: Thea Sommerseth Myhren, CEO and Co-Founder.

Diwala is a digital economy platform for refugees, powered by blockchain, that enables

refugees to build their identity, skills and recourses. By developing an identity for refugees,

Diwala will improve the supply chain for impact organisations with data driven reporting.

Thea and her brilliant team combine their hearts, passions and skills to innovate and optimize

the social impact business of tomorrow. Thea Sommerseth Myhren, CEO and Co-Founder.

Thea's masters degree from the Creative Business School Hyper Island, focused on the

innovation opportunity for blockchain technology. She gathered a team for the UN Women

Hackaton event in May 2017 and here, the Diwala concept was born.

The jury believes that Diwala is providing a unique solution to the current refugee crisis and

the ongoing discussion on immigration. By using blockchain, Diwala identifies refugee’s ID

and skills whilst in camp and thus help expedite their integration into new communities.

Penstable (Denmark):

Pitcher: Niels Fibaek-Jensen is co-founder and CEO

Penstable is a Danish fintech startup specialized in sustainability and impact in the pension

space. We believe that we should invest our pension savings in creating a world, that we

actually want to retire in. We build pension savings exclusively built on sustainable

investments, and allow customers to see how their money can have a positive impact on our

planet and society, even while saving up for retirement.

The jury says that Penstable sets out to prove that there is no trade-off between sustainability

and return. They have created an alternative to classic pension products, built on sustainable

investments in line with the UN Sustainability Goals.

The Mighty United (Finland):

Pitcher: Mervi Pänkäläinen , Co-Founder and CEO

The Mighty United is a company that builds kids’ belief in their own future. Award-winning

Mightifier® is a positive peer communication tool with measurable impact for classrooms.

Mervi is a passionate innovator with a background in design thinking and change leadership.

The jury believes that the Mightifier app leads to an improved class environment, less

bullying, reduced stress levels and increased wellbeing for children around the globe. The

app is already being used in many countries, but will soon be available to many more.