Nordic startups have raised $3.8B in VC investment so far in 2024, with a total of $5.8B forecast for the year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and demonstrating resilience. Two-thirds of VC capital invested has come from international investors, the highest share to date, indicating continued belief in the Nordics' reputation for high-quality, scalable startups. The Nordics startup ecosystem has increased 16x in value in the last 10 years, now worth a combined $552B, with the number of unicorns growing from 9 in 2014 to 82 in 2024. Energy remains the most funded startup sector for the third consecutive year, raising $1.2B in 2024, while enterprise software startups have already surpassed their 2023 VC investment level. The Nordics have produced 82 companies valued or exited at over $1B, with over 100 VC-backed exits expected in 2024, primarily via strategic M&A to large corporates or Private Equity. Notable exits include acquisitions by AMD, Coloplast, and DoorDash. Debt financing is also significant for capital-intensive hardware/physical businesses, with notable rounds for Northvolt and H2 Green Steel. Nordic VCs have raised $1.6B in new funds so far in 2024, and over $10B in the last five years. The US and UK are the biggest foreign single country sources of capital. Sweden has raised the most VC investment in 2024 YTD, while Sweden and Denmark are among the top 10 leading European ecosystems by VC investment. Leading sectors for VC investment in 2024 YTD include Energy, Health, and Enterprise Software, with key segments being industrial technology, urban tech, and advanced materials.
