Capital Strategies for a New Nordic Innovation Region
The New Nordics are rapidly emerging as one of Europe’s most dynamic and resilient tech regions. With world-class talent, a deep tech-strong research base and some of Europe’s most active startup ecosystems, the region holds unique potential to power the next generation of European scaleups.
Yet to convert innovation capacity into global market leadership, the region must unlock more long-term, risk-tolerant capital. With accelerating deep tech breakthroughs, major green and industrial transitions, and shifting EU capital frameworks, the New Nordics, – spanning Sweden, Estonia and the wider Northern innovation corridor – can serve as a testbed for next-generation investment models that blend public ambition with private capital.
This session brings together policymakers, investors and ecosystem leaders to explore how the region can mobilize capital at scale and position itself as a unified Nordic-Baltic innovation powerhouse.
Key Topics
How the New Nordics can lead Europe in capital market innovation
Unlocking institutional capital, including pension funds, for venture and growth investment
Financing the next generation of scaleups across deep tech, climate tech and industrial transformation
Estonia and Sweden as complementary models: speed, policy innovation & long-term capital capacity
Building a New Nordics capital corridor that strengthens Europe’s competitiveness globally
Agenda
14:00 Welcoming remarks - Enterprise Estonia
14:05 Release: Data Insights - A new shared picture of the New Nordics investment landscape
Fresh data and insights on startup and scaleup activity across Sweden and Estonia – revealing where capital is flowing, where bottlenecks remain, and how the region can position itself as Europe’s most investment-ready innovation corridor.
Speakers:
Kati Pärn, Nordic Partnerships Lead, Startup Estonia
Stina Lantz, CEO, SISP & Sweden Startup Next
14:20 Panel - “How do we build a globally competitive New Nordics capital region?”
14:40 Mingle & fika
Audience: Startups, scaleups, international investors, ecosystem
This event is brought to you by a collaboration of Enterprise Estonia, Invest Estonia Startup Estonia & Sweden Startup Next.
Please note: This is an on-site side event at Techarena 2026 that requires a ticket to enter Strawberry Arena. The side event is independently organized and run by the host of the side event. Please direct any questions (or praise!) to the event organizers.