Venture Nordics Alumni
Get to know our Venture Nordic participants.They have managed a total AUM of around 12 billion euros. They will be in Helsinki May 30 - June 7th to explore opportunities in the New Nordic ecosyst


Venture Nordics Program Alumni
Venture Nordics is Europe’s top program for international investors to explore the opportunities in the New Nordics, the region with the most unicorns per capita after Silicon Valley.
The participants of the two editions are coming from prestigious companies like Global Brains, MUIP, Secways, Fundamentum and many more and manage together 20B+ AUM. Check them out and their thoughts about Venture Nordics Program.

Abhijeet Hivarekar
Co-founder, Haritaki (GP)
Abhijeet is Co-founder of Haritaki, a buyout structure with a roll-up strategy based in Singapore. Haritaki is an environment-focused platform that aims to bring together fifteen to twenty companies under one roof in the coming five years, aiming to become a major player in the Environment and sustainability space. Currently, they are in the process of making the first three acquisitions in the industrial air pollution control sector.
Abhijeet has over twenty years of experience in the financial sector, with a rich background in banking, credit rating, and asset management across esteemed institutions such as Standard and Poor’s, IDBI Bank, UBS AG, Credit Suisse AG, and ABN Amro NV.
Abhijeet joins the Venture Nordics Program to explore:
- Evaluating Helsinki as a potential hub for Haritaki’s expansion into Europe and the strategic deployment of capital in the region.
- Identifying companies that align with Haritaki’s environmental mission to potentially meet and discuss collaboration.
- Seeking opportunities for meaningful interactions with Finnish and European environmental and sustainability-focused funds for potential partnerships and joint ventures.
- Assessing the business landscape in Finland to understand the feasibility and implications of investing in Finnish companies, given Haritaki’s buyout strategy and the need for a supportive legal and corporate environment.
- Investigating the level of interest from limited partners (LPs) and investors in the environmental sector.
- Measuring the commitment of both private and public sectors in Finland to initiatives that have a direct impact on pollution control, energy efficiency, optimum resource utilization, and water management.

Ana Lopéz Soler
Venture Investment Director, Secways (LP)
Ana is the Venture Investment Director of Secways, the Family Office of Pere Hospital. Pere is a former entrepreneur from Girona, Spain, who became a key reference in the Cloud startup field thanks to the exit of his previous company, Cloudways, in 2022. Secways’ portfolio includes some notable direct investments in Europe such as Zefi (Italy), Clypp (Germany), Fundcraft (Luxembourg), OpenQ (Germany), and Ludus (Spain).
Ana has more than 18 years of experience in investment, combining stock market and venture capital experiences. As the Venture Investment Director, she assesses new portfolio opportunities both directly in early-stage startups across Europe and indirectly in funds across different stages and sectors globally.
What Ana targets from the Venture Nordics Program is:
- Gain a deep understanding of the dynamics and key technological drivers behind one of Europe’s top-performing startup ecosystems.
- Build trustworthy relationships with key local investors to share dealflow and enhance Secways’ investment presence in Finland and Nordics.
- Identify synergies between Secways’ portfolio companies and the Nordic market.
- Support local investors who aim to invest in Spain and other European countries outside the Nordic region.

Andrea Böhmert
Managing Partner – SBI Ventures Europe (GP)
Andrea is Managing Partner of SBI Ventures Europe, a new VC fund anchored by the Japanese Financial Conglomerate, SBI Holdings. She also manages the European investment activities of the group and the 21 CVC funds SBI is managing.
Before joining SBI in 2023, Andrea built a 20-year track record in venture capital in South Africa, managing four funds with over 40 investments, and several notable exits. Her next venture is pioneering a VC fund aimed at tackling the diverse challenges and opportunities posed by demographic shifts in Europe.
Andrea’s interests in Helsinki focus on the following areas:
- Identifying companies that align with the Fund’s investment mandate.
- Understand how the key stakeholders (Corporates, Governments, SMEs) in the region are addressing the implications of demographic change and build relationships for future collaboration.
- Investigating the level of interest from limited partners (LPs).
- Connect with Nordic investors to establish co-investment relationships.

Anjani Bansal
Partner and Country Head, Global Brain Corporation (GP)
Anjani is the Partner and Country Head at Global Brain Venture Capital Fund in Tokyo. Global Brain has approx. USD 2 billion AUM and 350+ active investments across the world. He is especially interested in partnering with founders tackling large-scale problems and aiming for cross-border expansion.
Anjani’s career arc has covered software development, impact investments and venture capital. In this journey, he has worked across US and Africa and Asia with global organisations such as Morgan Stanley, UNDP and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Anjani’s objectives in Helsinki include:
- Explore Finland’s deeptech ecosystem to identify technologies with potential applications in Asian markets.
- Build relationships with Nordic investors focused on the Europe-Asia investment corridor.
- Gain insights into policies and regulations in the Nordic region.

Ashish Kumar
Co-founder and General Partner, Fundamentum (GP)
Ashish Kumar is a tech founder turned venture capitalist currently leading Fundamentum as a General Partner, a growth stage venture fund in India, and deploying out of their Fund II with a total size of €200M to lead investment rounds with 10M-25M tickets. His journey began at Microsoft in the USA, followed by founding three tech companies in India, two of which were successfully sold. His latest achievement is completing the fundraising for Fundamentum’s new fund, targeting companies poised to lead their markets. Ashish has played a key role in investments like Spinny, PharmEasy, FarEye, and WishLink.
Through the Venture Nordics Program, Ashish seeks to understand the venture ecosystems in Europe, focusing on innovative products with potential in India. He is keen on exploring partnerships and investment opportunities that align with the Europe-India investment theme:
- Find innovative products with global and Indian market potential.
- Explore investment opportunities in Finland/Europe to gain an advantage.
- Connect with European/Nordic investors interested in the Europe-India investment theme.

Celine Schulze
Co-founder, Narwhale Ventures (GP)
Celine is co-founder of Narwhale Ventures, a strategy for direct investments in early-stage sustainability-driven blue economy startups. As the ocean is the largest carbon sink, it plays a crucial role in climate mitigation and adaptation. Innovations are currently unlocking the ocean’s potential to provide sustainable food, transportation and goods. Celine and her team have invested over EUR 1.2 billion in SME.
Through the Venture Nordics Program, Celine aims to become an active member and investor in the Finnish startup scene. She seeks to broaden Narwhale Ventures’ horizons in the New Nordics and amplify its presence among ocean-related startups, potential investors, and supporters of their blue vision. Her vision for Helsinki:
- Lead Narwhale Ventures’ expansion into the Finnish and Baltic startup scenes.
- Network with Finnish investors sharing a passion for innovation and sustainability.
- Build collaborations with Finnish academia and research for tech advancements.
- Support Finnish ocean-tech startups with capital and strategic guidance.

Christian Bjelland
Managing Director, Redesign Health (GP)
Christian is a Managing Director at Redesign Health, a company creation platform that has built over 70 healthcare startups. Redesign Health has launched 65+ software and services businesses, reaching over 15 million patients across areas like cancer care, cardiology, mental health, and more. With $1.3 billion raised from top investors, it has delivered strong returns and created 2,000+ new jobs.
Before joining Redesign Health, Christian co-founded Trident, a private equity fund, and helped launching Hello Alfred, a real estate tech platform. At Hello Alfred, he led growth efforts, expanding the team to over 100 employees. Earlier, he worked in Lazard’s Power, Energy, and Infrastructure group on M&A and restructuring deals. Christian holds an AB from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Christian is looking to:
- Understand the healthcare needs of the Finnish market and investors’ appetite for venture studio model in the digital health space.
- Build and strengthen networks with local investors, startups, and institutions, especially in the healthcare industry.

Felicity Meyer
Investment Manager, BoxOne Ventures (GP)
Felicity leads BoxOne’s investments in cleantech, foodtech, and agtech sectors. BoxOne Ventures is a privately held investment firm that focuses on early-stage companies across the most impactful, interesting and fast-changing sectors.
Felicity actively supports the BoxOne portfolio, leveraging her experience in managing lab operations for Boston’s top biotech accelerator and leading teams at two evolving startups. As a McGill Sustainability Education Fellow, she developed a new research-based graduate course, and as a Fonds du recherche du Quebec Grad2VC Fellow, she promoted research commercialization in Montreal’s universities.
Felicity is both an avid climber and skier. She holds a Master’s in Bioresource Engineering from McGill University, as well as a B.S. in Chemistry and B.S. in Physics from Simmons University in beautiful Boston, Massachusetts. She is:
- Interested in exploring Finland’s opportunities and fostering collaborations between North American and Scandinavian VCs,
- Connect with fellow investors focused on deep tech approaches to cleantech.
- Gain insights into Finland’s agtech landscape, its opportunities, and challenges.

Jeremy Scheibböck
Partner, Potrero Capital (LP)
Based in San Francisco, Jeremy is a Partner at Potrero Capital, a single-family office that has made approximately 80 VC fund investments and backed over 400 startups. Jeremy leads investments across diverse verticals, focusing on late seed to pre-IPO stages.
Jeremy brings deep expertise and a passion for impact investing to Venture Nordics. His extensive network includes Angel Investors, VCs, and Family Offices in both the Bay Area and Europe, reflecting his broad industry reach. A recent notable transaction includes a pre-IPO investment in Blacklane. He holds a Master’s degree from the University of St. Gallen. Jeremy is looking to:
- Build a strong foothold in the Finnish and Nordic venture ecosystem by collaborating with local partners.
- Network with the local VCs and Family Offices for future LP and co-investments.
- Gain exposure to the innovative Finnish startup environment.

Jeremy Teboul
Partner, Promus Ventures (GP)
Jeremy is a Partner at Promus Ventures, a global venture capital firm specialised in deep tech, split between the US and Europe. Jeremy invests across deep tech sectors, with a focus on robotics, applied AI, and space technology.
Since joining Promus Ventures, he has partnered with founders from pre-seed to series A such as RobCo, a Munich-based modular cobot manufacturer. Jeremy holds a Bachelor’s degree from NYU in mathematics and a Master’s degree from INSEAD. Before moving to Luxembourg and joining Promus Ventures, he worked in consulting and co-founded an accelerator for early stage startups in New York City helping founders develop software products. Jeremy aims to:
- Broaden his venture network in Finland and in the Nordics.
- Deepen his understanding about the innovation and academic hubs across Finland in areas like space and robotics.
- Meet the relevant local business and financial institutions.

Kristaps Ronis
Partner, Ion Pacific (GP)
Kristaps is a Partner at Ion Pacific, a leading provider of liquidity solutions to the global venture capital and technology ecosystem, with approximately $500M assets under management.
Based in Switzerland, Kristaps specialises in working with European venture capital firms and technology scale-ups, helping them achieve liquidity goals through structured secondary transactions.
To date, Ion Pacific has successfully executed two notable transactions in the Nordics, including the recapitalisation of a Stockholm-based fintech fund and a founder liquidity solution for a global scale-up in the female health and wellness space.In the Venture Nordics Program, Kristaps’s objectives are to:
- Build strong connections with Finnish venture capital funds and technology scale-ups.
- Exchange insights with ecosystem players on regional fundraising opportunities and challenges.
- Understand the liquidity needs of local VC funds and scale-ups.

Linn-Cecilie Linneman
Partner, LUMO Labs
Linn-Cecilie Linnemann brings over two decades of experience as a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, with a track record in business strategy, investment, and communication. She spearheaded the Katapult Group as CEO, an influential European impact venture investor with a portfolio of 173 companies geared towards global climate and ocean positivity.
Linnemann is also a staunch advocate for gender equality, co-founding SHE Conference, and contributes as a board member to companies in the climate and edtech sectors. In the Venture Nordics Program, her aims are:
- Broaden her network and deepen her understanding of the Nordic business environment, especially Finland.
- Engage with individuals and organizations in Finland to explore opportunities in the ecosystem.

Matthew Hicks
Senior Investment Analyst, VC funds, The Church Commissioners for England (LP)
Matthew Hicks represents The Church Commissioners for England in global venture fund investments, emphasising ethical and responsible investment practices. His role involves strategic allocations to transformative startups through top-tier venture funds, with a focus on sustainable growth. At the end of 2022, the Church Commissioners’ investment fund held assets valued at £10.3B.
Joining the Venture Nordics program, Matthew aims to immerse himself in the Nordic innovation ecosystem, identifying opportunities to support and invest in the region’s most promising startups, thereby contributing to the Church Commissioners’ mission of fostering positive social impact. Matthew is looking to:
- Deepen his understanding of the Nordic innovation ecosystem and its key drivers.
- Build and strengthen networks with local investors, startups, and institutions.
- Invest in venture funds that are committed to nurturing high-potential startups in the Nordic region.

Milapsinh Jadeja
Founder and Managing Director, Iroller Capital (GP)
Milapsinh Jadeja, an accomplished angel investor and strategic advisor from India, boasts a global investment portfolio with over 70 companies. His experience spans two decades in senior management roles, complemented by academic achievements in executive education and private equity from U.C.-San Diego & Ahmedabad University. Milap’s involvement in establishing the Iroller Emerging Opportunities Fund Category 1 AIF showcases his commitment to fostering early-stage innovation.
Through the Venture Nordics Program he intends to expand his investment horizon to Europe, seeking to understand the Finnish venture ecosystem’s unique offerings. He is:
- Keen to understand the process and formalities of setting up a fund in the Nordics
- Interested in learning more about the opportunities and benefits Finland has to offer for international VCs
- Meet the European LPs and family offices

Nobutake Suzuki
President and CEO, MUFG Innovation Partners (CVC)
Nobutake is the President and CEO of MUIP ( MUFG Innovation Partners), the CVC arm of MUFG bank.
Nobutake has joined MUFG Bank in 2018 as a managing director in charge of open innovation of MUFG Group, and he has been the President and CEO of MUIP since January 2019. Before joining MUFG, he started his career as a venture capitalist at Global Brain, an independent venture capital firm in Japan, in 2002, and had experiences of investing in both Japanese and overseas startups and managing KDDI and other corporate venture capital funds.
Nobutake started his career as a banker at MUFG Bank, where he was in the Industrial Research Division in New York Branch, and other divisions. In Helsinki he is looking for:
- Staying up-to-date on the latest startup and tech trends in the Nordics and Europe.
- Strengthening relationships with regional startups and investors.
- Boosting MUIP’s brand awareness in the region.

Rahul Rajani
Partner, Manerama Capital (LP)
Based in London, Rahul Rajani runs his family’s investment office out of Mumbai and Singapore. Apart from the managing the investment practice, he is also developing renewable energy assets across India. The family office are LP’s in multiple venture and private equity funds across different geographies and sectors. Some noticeable direct investments include – Cover Genius(Australia), Vespene(US), H20 AI(US), Cerebras Systems(US)
Since moving to London, Rahul’s interest in the European venture scene has grown, driven by the Nordics’ reputation for engineering excellence and innovative design. With Venture Nordics program, Rahul is looking to:
- Meet with technology pioneers to discuss groundbreaking solutions and market potential.
- Network with organisations and institutions that have been leading in performance WRT capital allocation and ROC.
- Evaluate investment strategies and capital performance of leading institutions in the region.
- Investigate Nordic policies and incentives for fostering investment in innovation.

Vadim Shpak
Managing Director, Vickers Venture Partners (GP)
Vadim Shpak, as the Managing Director at Vickers Venture Partners, brings over seven years of venture capital expertise to the forefront of global business development and investment strategies. His acumen in raising capital for funds and their investee companies is complemented by his prowess in fostering robust investor relations, refining negotiation skills, and implementing strategic management. Committed to innovation and growth, Vadim leverages his vast network and industry insight to champion startups poised to create substantial regional and global change.
Vadim’s hopes for Helsinki:
- Engage with the Nordic deep-tech and life sciences sectors, highlighting Finnish achievements.
- Establish Vickers Venture Partners as a key player in the Finnish and global investment scenes.
- Scout for strategic alliances and co-investment opportunities in Finland.
- Enhance Vickers Venture Partners’ presence in the venture capital realm.

Vivek Dogra
Co-founder and General Partner, Defossilisation Development Fund (GP)
Vivek is the Co-founder and General Partner at DDF – Defossilisation Development Fund, a Swiss climate-tech fund dedicated to eliminating fossil fuel dependencies across various industry sectors. His extensive background in corporate venture building and leadership spans the venture capital and consumer goods industries.
Notably, Vivek has contributed as a Venture Partner at ECBF, Europe’s pioneering circular bioeconomy fund, and established Nestlé’s Open Innovation Hubs in Singapore and London. His managerial expertise is further highlighted by his tenure leading significant P&L responsibilities across Asia for global brands like Diageo, Red Bull, and Heineken. In the Venture Nordics Program, Vivek’s objectives are to:
- Gain a thorough insight into the Finnish/Nordic innovation and venture capital scene.
- Seek out and establish meaningful partnerships.
- Gather actionable knowledge for establishing DDF’s presence in the Finnish/Nordic market.
- Experience life in Finland, embracing the culture of the world’s happiest country.
“Venture Nordics Program surpassed my expectations by helping me build a strong network in Helsinki, connecting with key stakeholders, including potential co-investors, sourcing high-quality deals, and engaging with local tech hubs.”
Jeremy Scheibböck
Partner, Potrero Capital
“The program provided a strong foundational understanding of the VC ecosystem and investment landscape in Helsinki. It also connected us to various organisations such as investors and service providers to help us kick start our investments in the region.”
Nobutake Suzuki
President and CEO, MUFG Innovation Partners
“The first thing that strikes me is the quality of the technical talent in Finland. It’s on par with world-leading ecosystems.”
Matthew Hicks
Senior Investment Analyst, VC funds, The Church Commissioners for England
“The fund sizes here are ideal for scalability and returns, avoiding the performance drag of larger funds.”
Rahul Rajani
Partner, Manerama Capital
“The Venture Nordics program was absolutely wonderful. Each day was unique and valuable, making our time here both professionally productive and personally enjoyable. We couldn’t have asked for more.”
Vivek Dogra
Co-founder and General Partner, Defossilisation Development Fund