Today we have Klementina Österberg from GU Ventures & Ted Persson from EQT Ventures with us 🎙️
Ted is a Partner at EQT Ventures, a 1.1bn multi Stage venture fund with offices spread across Europe and the US. EQT Ventures are investing out of Fund 3 with a total €2.3bn AUM and an established portfolio of 120+ companies and notable investments including Wolt, Einride, Nothing, Anyfin and Candela.
Klementina is CEO at GU Ventures, an early seed investor and incubator in Gothenburg, Sweden, that is fully owned by the Swedish State and is an evergreen investment vehicle. GU Ventures invests in deep tech companies formed out of the research at universities. They are investing up to 200k€, have established over 165 companies, of which 82 are in their portfolio today and notable investments including Bico, I-Tech, Surgical Science, all of which are listed on Stockholm Stock Exchange and Nasdaq today.
We’ve reeled in Klementina and Ted for this episode as a warm-up for our participation at the GoWest Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden 🥳 which is proving to a be a real force in DeepTech punching above its wait just as Gothenburg and Sweden is. We’ll be there as there’s lined up for an incredibly cool investor day counting headlines like:
Fireside chat with Staffan Helgesson, the founder of Creandum
Climate panel with partners from Norrsken, Pact VC and Planet A,
DeepTech panel with partners from Speedinvest, Ventech, EQT and NATO Innovation Fund and thought provoking presentations by Sebastian von Ribbentrop at Join Capital and Nicholas Nelson on The rise of Defense Tech
LP panels with leading pension funds and corporates from the region as well as of course the EIF, Isomer Capital and BFP.
As said, just like the region, GoWest is truly attracting the best of the best. So don’t miss it if you’re into DeepTech 🤖
Chapters
00:00:00 - Introduction to EQT Ventures and GU Ventures
00:02:24 - Klementina & Ted’s Journey in the Venture Industry
00:07:14 - Investing in Deep Tech Startups
00:09:32 - Investing in Startups from Universities
00:11:40 - Investing in Companies Coming out of Academia
00:13:53 - Building Diverse Founding Teams
00:16:14 - The Skills of a Founder and Investor Relations
00:18:24 - Investment Strategies and Cap Tables
00:20:47 - Investing in Post-Internet Companies
00:23:03 - The Need for A Deep Tech Playbook
00:25:14 - Investing in Hardware
00:27:42 - Capital requirements for deep tech companies
00:30:14 - Investing in Deep Tech Startups
00:32:37 - Managing Opportunities in the Sustainable Industrial Sector
00:34:58 - Investment Strategies and Success Stories
00:37:34 - Balancing Expertise and Fresh Perspectives
00:39:52 - Building a Strong Portfolio with Balanced Capital Needs
00:42:04 - The Potential of Biotech
00:44:20 - Managing Technology Risk
00:46:31 - Collaborating with Other Investors as a VC
00:48:50 - Calling for Co-investors at Deep Tech Event
00:51:10 - European Tech Sovereignty
00:53:18 - Drop Us a Review
Considering joining us at GoWest? Here’s what you need to know 🧠
Why GoWest?
Two universities. Eight incubators. Many global brands. Industrial heritage. Gothenburg is at the forefront of research& development and home to emerging industries striving to solve tomorrow’s challenges. GoWest is unique. It is fantastic meeting place for investors, startups, scaleups, talent and other stakeholders who want to engage and don’t want to miss out on the opportunities our industries and deep tech spin outs have to offer.
What can you expect?
There is something for everyone. We facilitate matchmaking and have a dedicated stage for fundraising startups. The hottest topics in deep tech, defense, climate, and health tech will be showcased on the main stage and next year the event will feature a brand-new Deep Tech Investor Day. The Investor Day will add extra value by bringing West Sweden’s investor community together with international peers to discuss current topics and build lasting relationships.
Anything else?
Yes, Gothenburg is one of the fastest-growing regions in Europe and that adds to our competitiveness on the international stage. GoWest enables easy access to our ecosystem and the region's key stakeholders. The conference has a great line up of speakers and topics on the main stage, side events, networking opportunities and more exciting announcements to come.
Some of the firms whose partners will join us in Gothenburg
Investing in Deep Tech & The need for a new playbook with Ted Persson of EQT & Klementina Österberg from GU Ventures