This year’s Venture Arena was a resounding success – 374 guests, 26 pitching companies and hundreds of new meetings between investors, business angels, entrepreneurs and people who wanted to contribute their expertise.
– We are incredibly pleased with the enormous response,” says Catharina Sandberg, CEO of LEAD.
Venture Arena is an annual event where the supply of skills to the region’s start-up companies is in focus. Together with Swedish Scaleups, LEAD opened up the event this year to business angels and investors, which meant two stages; one for skills and one for capital.
– Many of the visitors moved between both stages and during the breaks there was an opportunity to mingle with each other and the companies, says Emma Krantz, project manager at LEAD.
Frida Wygler, CEO of LEAD company Radar Reticence, was one of those who pitched on the capital stage and then had the chance to talk to investors during the mingle.
– It was a very rewarding day for us as a company. I think the high visitor pressure is due to the fact that there are companies in our region with a huge technological edge. It’s very cool,” she says.
Mattias Weinhandl, business angel and entrepreneur, was there to listen to the pitching companies.
– It is through collaboration that you build value and it is very gratifying that the interest in Venture Arena was so great this year,” he says.
The event was organized by LEAD in collaboration with Swedish Scaleups and funded by Region Östergötland and LiU Holding.
– “Venture Arena is one of the most important flagships in our region in terms of capital and skills supply. We are more than satisfied with the day, concludes Johan Lilliecreutz, CEO of LiU Holding.
