Nordic Angels press

Europe’s Investors Return to Davos to Confront Fragmentation as Global Competition Accelerates

Nordic angels — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 04:00:00 GMT

DAVOS, Switzerland - January 2026. For the second year, Davos Angels will bring together 50 of Europe’s most influential investors for an exclusive, invitation-only gathering during the World Economic Forum. Convened by Nordic Angels, the purpose is clear: to align the capital, speed, and coordination required to secure Europe’s competitive edge.

Last year’s inaugural Davos Angels Summit concluded with one defining insight:

Europe’s greatest risk is not lack of capital - it is fragmentation.

Investors across the continent agreed that while Europe has abundant talent and resources, it continues to lose strategic ground because it acts through isolated silos rather than as a unified ecosystem. As a result, many of Europe’s most promising companies are forced to scale elsewhere - not because capital is unavailable, but because it is not aligned. The message was clear: if Europe wants to remain competitive, private capital must move with both coordination and conviction.

The 2026 Davos Angels Luncheon builds directly on that momentum, shifting from awareness to action. With the global race in AI, energy, infrastructure, and defence accelerating, the need to mobilize private capital and align Europe’s resources has never been more urgent.

“Without coordinated action, Europe risks losing both its innovation and independence on the global stage,” says Andreas Grape, Founder and CEO of Nordic Angels and initiator of Davos Angels. “Davos Angels is our initiative to unify Europe’s private capital, define what must be done, and act as a collective voice in policy and public debate.”

On January 22, Europe’s leading investors will meet behind closed doors to address one decisive question:

How does Europe build the speed, trust, and coordination required to remain competitive in a world moving faster than ever?

As geopolitical uncertainty grows and global competitors move in a coordinated force, Europe’s fragmentation has become the continent’s greatest threat. Davos Angels aims to accelerate the alignment Europe urgently needs - fast and built on trust.

The 2026 Davos Angels Luncheon is co-hosted with Business Sweden to showcase Sweden’s approaches and solutions to unifying capital as a practical blueprint. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Europe’s and the Nordic region’s innovation and competitiveness.

Press Contact:

Emma Lilliequist
emma@nordicangels.com
+46708268511

About Davos Angels
Davos Angels is an annual gathering with a clear purpose: to unite Europe’s active business angels and strengthen the continent’s position on the global stage. Our vision is to become the unifying force for Europe’s business angel community and, ultimately, a key contributor to Europe’s global leadership in entrepreneurship and investment.
Davosangels.co

About Nordic Angels
Nordic Angels is an independent initiative with the mission to unite angel investors in a high-trust network, catalysing collaboration, sparking innovation, and building a more resilient economy. Founded in 2020, Nordic Angels has grown to become the largest investor network in the Nordics.
Nordicangels.com

About Business Sweden
Business Sweden is Sweden’s official Trade & Investment Council. We help Swedish companies grow globally and international companies and investors to invest and expand in Sweden. Through strategic investment promotion and capital attraction, we strengthen Sweden’s competitiveness and position the country as a leading destination for innovation and long-term sustainable growth.
Business-sweden.com

Nordic Angels samlar Sydsveriges investerare i Malmö – stärkande av det nordiska ekosystemet

Nordic angels — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Malmö, 5 december 2025. Nordic Angels, Nordens ledande investerarnätverk, fortsätter sitt arbete med att stärka det nordiska ekosystemet. Detta gjordes genom att bjuda in Öresundsregionens mest inflytelserika affärsänglar till en exklusiv Nordic Angels Luncheon på La Fonderie i Malmö.

Nordic Angels är en oberoende digital plattform och ett nätverk som förenar Nordens affärsänglar. Organisationens primära mål är att effektivisera investeringar i startups och scaleups. Genom detta skapas långsiktiga förutsättningar för ökad innovation och tillväxt i hela Norden. Nätverket fungerar också som en gemensam yta där investerare kan utbyta erfarenheter. Genom temaluncher, nationella och internationella initiativ, samt sin digitala plattform, främjar Nordic Angels djupare relationer och upptäckt av nya investeringsmöjligheter.

Dagens Luncheon i Malmö är en del av Nordic Angels strategiska ambition att integrera Öresundsregionen med det bredare svenska ekosystemet. Genom att sammanföra investerare över regionala gränser skapas ett nationellt flöde av kapital, kompetens och möjligheter. Detta stärker den kollektiva förmågan att stödja entreprenörer och accelerera den nordiska tillväxten.

“Genom våra initiativ skapar vi ett ekosystem där kapital, kompetens och samarbete kan flöda fritt mellan investerare – och där fler entreprenörer får de förutsättningar som krävs för att växa. Det behövs mer än någonsin. Malmö visade idag exakt hur kraftfullt det blir när vi samlar likasinnade i samma rum.” – Andreas Grape, Co-Founder & CEO Nordic Angels.

Late-stage investments decline, and early-stage increase by fifteen percent – signaling resilience of Sweden’s angel ecosystem

Nordic angels — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Stockholm, 13 November 2025 – According to the third annual State of European Angels 2025 report initiated by Nordic Angels in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Sweden’s startup ecosystem continues to demonstrate resilience and innovation leadership, despite a turbulent investment climate across Europe.

According to the new report, Sweden experienced one of the steepest overall declines in venture capital (VC) investment in Europe in 2024 — down 50% year-on-year, compared to a European average decline of 7%. This drop was primarily driven by smaller late-stage investments, which fell 58%, while early-stage investments grew by 15%, signaling the strength of Sweden’s angel and early-stage ecosystem. Sweden ranks fourth in Europe, accounting for 10% of total European climate tech investments — a sector that saw rapid 28% p.a. growth over the last decade.

“Periods like this make investors more selective - but also more strategic,” says Andreas Grape, CEO & Co-Founder of Nordic Angels. “The data shows a clear shift from chasing deals to creating lasting impact. Collaboration and capital pooling among investors is needed now more than ever, and that’s exactly what we’re unlocking at Nordic Angels.”

“Sweden continues to be one of Europe’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems, even in a challenging investment climate. While total VC investment fell sharply, the increase in early-stage activity shows that Swedish angels and early investors remain active and optimistic about the long-term potential of the country’s startups,” says Nicolas Schmidt, Managing Director & Partner at BCG in Stockholm.

Despite the decline in total VC value, Sweden remains the largest Nordic market, accounting for around 5% of all European VC investments. Stockholm continues to solidify its position as a leading AI and energy innovation hub, home to emerging tech powerhouses such as Lovable, Legora, and Sana.

Sweden Punching Above Its Weight in Industrial and Climate Tech

According to the report, Sweden significantly outperforms its size in sectors where Europe holds structural advantages. The country ranks among the top five markets in Europe for both Industrial Tech and Climate Tech investments.

Industrial Tech: Sweden is the second-largest market in Europe for industrial tech VC, representing 16% of total European investments, second only to the UK.
Climate Tech: Sweden ranks fourth in Europe, accounting for 10% of total European climate tech investments — a sector that saw rapid 28% p.a. growth over the last decade.

“The Nordics are proving that resilience and innovation can coexist,” says Ash Pournouri, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder of Nordic Angels. “What’s emerging here will define Europe’s future industries. Now is the time for angels to lead, scale impact, and back the ideas that move society forward.”

A European Context: Angels Are Scaling and Professionalizing

Across Europe, the angel investment landscape continues to grow and consolidate into larger, more professional networks, with average deal sizes having risen by 7% per annum since 2020.

Overall, and despite easing inflation and lower interest rates, global uncertainty remains at a decade high, with investors shifting towards safer, late-stage bets both globally and in Europe. While this shift underscores a cautious sentiment in the market, Europe’s strong fundamentals provide grounds for optimism. Foreign investor participation in European VC increased from 36% in 2023 to 45% in the first half of 2025, driven mainly by North American investors, whose share rose from 19% to 27%.

To unlock the full potential of its early-stage ecosystem, the report calls for greater risk-taking—backing exceptional founders with redefining ideas—and enhanced collaboration both across the continent and between angels and VCs, enabling more startups to scale successfully from within Europe.

About the Report

The State of European Angels 2025 is a comprehensive annual analysis of Europe’s early-stage and angel investment landscape. Initiated by Nordic Angels in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the report combines quantitative data from leading financial databases with qualitative insights from prominent investors and ecosystem leaders across the continent.

Download full report

Press Contact:
Emma Lilliequist
emma@nordicangels.com
+46708268511

About Nordic Angels

Nordic Angels is an independent initiative with the mission to unite angel investors in a high-trust network, catalyzing collaboration, sparking innovation, and building a more resilient economy. Founded in 2020, Nordic Angels has grown to become the largest investor network in the Nordics.

Angel Prize Summit: Nordic Leaders Shift Focus from AI Optimism to Urgent Need for Coordination

Nordic angels — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 04:45:00 GMT

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, October 24, 2025 — The inaugural Angel Prize Summit brought together over 300 Nordic investors, business leaders, and policymakers in Stockholm who arrived optimistic about AI but left focused on the urgent need for coordination.

The closed-door summit convened leaders from the AI, energy, infrastructure, defence, and capital sectors to address fragmentation across the Nordic region. Speakers included Karl Nehammer, Vice President of the European Investment Bank; Erna Solberg, former Prime Minister of Norway; and Peter Bartram, Chairman of MW Group and former Chief of Defence, Denmark.

Pre- and post-summit polling showed a shift in participant priorities. Before sessions began, "AI" and "competitiveness" dominated responses when leaders were asked what would most impact the Nordic region. After a day of discussions on AI, energy, infrastructure, defence, and capital deployment, "cooperation," "collaboration," "coordination," and "political leadership" rose to the top.

Discussions pointed to a shared conclusion: that Nordic countries need better structures for working together to maintain competitiveness and build resilience.

Former Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg called for renewed political courage:

"Populist politics have overtaken long-term thinking on energy. We must protect the Nordic energy market from being fragmented by short-term political decisions."

Karl Nehammer of the European Investment Bank emphasised the strategic stakes:

"Energy is the base for investments in innovation, and in these times, energy investments also mean investments in independence. Security and competitiveness are two sides of the same coin. We need a systemic approach with energy, infrastructure, and security all belong together."

Peter Bartram, former Chief of Defence for Denmark, reframed the modern challenge:

"Modern conflict is no longer armies fighting armies; it's societies up against societies. We need a whole-of-society approach—investors, innovators, and institutions working together to build resilience."

Next Steps
“The summit proved there’s a clear willingness to collaborate. Now it’s about setting the right structures in place to actually execute,” said Ash Pournouri, Co-founder & Chairman of Nordic Angels.

"What has started is a shift from fragmented initiatives to a shared direction. The next phase is turning that alignment into concrete action," added Andreas Grape, Co-founder & CEO of Nordic Angels.

Angel Prize Summit serves as the foundation for continued Nordic coordination. Nordic Angels leads efforts to develop solutions for cross-border collaboration in capital deployment, strategic infrastructure, and policy alignment.

Press Contact
Emma Lilliequist
emma@nordicangels.com
+46 70 826 85 11

About Nordic Angels
Nordic Angels is an independent initiative uniting angel investors in a high-trust network to catalyse collaboration, spark innovation, and build a more resilient Nordic economy. Founded in 2020, Nordic Angels has grown to become the largest investor network in the region.