Swedish venture faces critical funding gap

Flag of SwedenFor the last five years, Sweden has been the third largest market in Europe for venture capital-backed exits, trailing only France and the UK, according to unquote” data. The nation has consistently ranked among the top five most active markets in Europe for venture investment, taking fourth place in 2012.

Skype, co-founded by a Swede and an Estonian, was first backed in 2004 with a €1.9m capital injection from Draper Investment Company. Seven years and several venture rounds later, Silver Lake Partners, Joltid Ltd, Andreessen Horowitz and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board sold the firm to Microsoft for $8.5bn.

The market’s credentials are clear and its dealflow understood by the rising number of international investors opening offices in Stockholm or expanding their remit to include it. But it could be running on borrowed time.

Read More at Unquote



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