June 2

Invitation:
THE NORWEGIAN VENTURE CAPITAL & PRIVATE EQUITY ASSOCIATION (NVCA)
AND INVESTINOR HEREBY INVITE YOU TO THE NORWEGIAN VENTURE CAPITAL
CONFERENCE ON JUNE 2ND IN TRONDHEIM, NORWAY.
DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET UNIQUE INSIGHTS INTO GLOBAL
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS, AN OVERVIEW OF THE INTERNATIONAL VENTURE CAPITAL
MARKETS AS WELL AS INSPIRATION ON COMPANY COMMUNICATION AND STORY
TELLING.
THE NORWEGIAN VENTURE CAPITAL CONFERENCE IS A MEETING PLACE FOR
INVESTORS, ENTREPRENEURS, ADVISORS AND PUBLIC POLICY MAKERS. THE
CONFERENCE IS AN ANNUAL GATHERING FOR THOSE WITH A SHARED INTEREST
IN SHAPING GLOBAL BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE.
www.nvca.no
www.investinor.no
!
THE NORWEGIAN VENTURE
CAPITAL CONFERENCE 2015
PROGRAM
Conference: 2:00 – 06:45 PM (Registration from 1:30 PM)
Tapas and drinks: Ca. 7:00 PM >
DURING THE AFTERNOON PROGRAM WE WILL:
! Have the scene set by an overview from the Ministry of Finance
! Be inspired by the journey and recent successful exit of the company GasSecure
! Gain valuable insights about the international venture capital markets from
leading venture capital firms Global Catalyst Partners and e.ventures
! Learn more about how to create fast growth for a young innovate company from
the successful Norwegian serial entrepreneur behind the New York startup Tapad
! Receive guidance on the market for investments with environmental impact from
leading pan-European venture capital firm Environmental Technologies Fund
! Be enlightened on how to tell the exciting story of a startup company by London
based communication agency Creation
SPEAKERS:
Jon Gunnar Pedersen, State Secretary - Ministry of Finance
Kate Steele, Executive VP, EMEA & Microsoft Global Client Relationship Lead – Creation
Henrik Olsén, Founder and Managing Partner - Environmental Technologies Fund
Kamran Elahian, Co-founder and Chairman - Global Catalyst Partners
Knut Sandven, Founder and CEO – GasSecure
Jonathan Becker, Vice President - e.ventures
Are Traasdahl, CEO and Founder - Tapad
Moderator and host:
Johan Brand, Co-Founder & CEO - Kahoot!
The Organisers:
The Norwegian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (NVCA) is an independent, nonprofit association supporting the interests of companies and persons active in the Norwegian
private equity industry.
Investinor is a government funded investment company. It targets highly competitive and
promising Norwegian companies aiming for international growth and expansion. Investinor
manages NOK 4.2 billion (EUR 550 million).!!
!
NORWEGIAN VENTURE
CAPITAL
ACTIVE OWNERSHIP – A FOUNDATION FOR GROWTH?
Jon Gunnar Pedersen, State Secretary - Ministry of Finance
Jon Gunnar Pedersen is a State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Finance.
Previously he was a Director and Partner at Arctic Securities ASA.
Mr Pedersen has also, among other positions, been an Advisor at Immobiliare AS,
Director at Orkla Securities AS and Managing Director at Orkla Securities (UK) Ltd.
Mr Pedersen has an MBA, Finance and Strategy, from the Northeastern
University, Boston
and
, History, Economics and Political Science, from
University
.
CREATING BUZZ AROUND INNOVATIVE STARTUP COMPANIES
Kate Steele, Executive VP, EMEA & Microsoft Global Client Relationship Lead –
Creation
Kate Steele has almost 20 years’ experience working in marketing and
communications. Based in London, she is the global lead for Creation’s largest
client, heading a team that covers over 60 markets worldwide. Kate was appointed
EVP of Creation in 2014, moving from sister agency Weber Shandwick.
Kate’s primary focus has been on working with brands in the technology,
professional services and health and wellbeing spaces. Kate has provided
organizations with counsel around corporate communications; b2b engagement;
b2c engagement; employee engagement; issues and crisis management and
philanthropy/CSR. Before starting her career in Public Relations, Kate was a
freelance broadcaster, telling stories and hosting programmes for the BBC and a
variety of regional/specialist stations.
Kate took her MA in English Literature at Cambridge University, where she was
made a Scholar in 1992 and was awarded a further MA in Radio Broadcasting from London University.
INVESTING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Henrik Olsén, Founder & Managing Partner - Environmental Technologies Fund
Henrik Olsén is a founder and Managing Partner of the Environmental
Technologies Fund, one of Europe’s leading growth equity funds focusing on
investing in rapidly growing companies with a big environmental impact. Prior to
founding ETF in 2005, Henrik spent 13 years at GE. Most recently he was a
Managing Director of GE Equity, General Electric’s private equity business, where
he successfully invested in high growth businesses across Europe since 1996.
Previously, he worked for a number of different industrial businesses within GE,
where he focused on mergers and acquisitions as well as post-merger integration
and operational management.
Henrik is a Swedish national and has an MBA from the Stockholm School of
Economics, which included a scholarship exchange with the New York University
Stern School of business. He is the chairman of the European Advisory Board of
the Cleantech Group.
NORWEGIAN VENTURE
CAPITAL
BUILDING ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES INTO
INTERNATIONAL MAJOR COMPANIES
Kamran Elahian, Co-founder and Chairman - Global Catalyst Partners
Born in Tehran, Iran, Kamran Elahian immigrated to the U.S. in 1972. He received
his degrees in computer science, mathematics and computer graphics from the
University of Utah by the age of 22. In addition, Mr. Elahian studied Integrated
Circuit (chip) design at Stanford University's Honors Program while working as a
design automation software engineer at Hewlett Packard (HP).
As an entrepreneur, Mr. Elahian co-founded ten companies, three of them failed
(e.g. Momenta), six of them produced a total market cap of over $8B (e.g. Cirrus
Logic).
As a VC, Mr. Elahian co-founded Global Catalyst Partners with investments
in the U.S., Japan, China, India and Israel.
Inspired by the indomitable, peace-loving Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Elahian has
developed his own brand of philanthropy; one that makes the most of
modern technological innovations, such as mobile communications and the Internet, to bridge the social
TM
and political differences among people which he has coined as iGANDHI
GASSECURE – EXIT OF THE YEAR?
Knut Sandven, Founder and CEO – GasSecure
Knut Sandven is the founder and CEO of GasSecure. GasSecure develops gas
detectors for the oil and gas market, and its products are being trialed and used
by major operators worldwide. The company was recently sold to Dräger for
more than 40 times last year’s revenue, which gave the venture capital
investors an average annual return of 70%.
Knut has for most of his career been working with new sensor technology and
applications for the oil and gas industry through research and start-up
companies. He has an MSc in Naval Architecture from NTNU in Trondheim,
Norway and MIT in Boston.
VENTURE CAPITAL PERSPECTIVE FROM A TRULY
GLOBAL VC FIRM
Jonathan Becker, Vice President - e.ventures
Jonathan Becker is a Vice President with e.ventures. Before rejoining the
European team in Hamburg and Berlin, Jonathan had been part of the firm’s
San Francisco team.
Prior to e.ventures, Jonathan held several positions within the Otto Group, one
of the largest e-commerce companies in Europe. His duties included the
rollout of a new eCommerce platform for Otto Japan in Tokyo and the creation
of several web applications for the product discovery startup smatch.com.
Jonathan has a technical background holding a degree in Computer Science
and Business Management.
NORWEGIAN VENTURE
CAPITAL CONFERENCE 2015
CREATING GROWTH FOR A YOUNG COMPANY
Are Traasdahl, CEO and Founder - Tapad
Tapad CEO and Founder Are Traasdahl has more than 15 years experience in
mobile and digital content. He is a frequent contributor on mobile advertising
technology for outlets such as CNBC and Bloomberg News, and he has been
featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Ad Age and
other major news outlets. He was recently named EY Entrepreneur of the Year
- 2014 (NY, Ad Tech) and one of Business Insider’s “Most Important People in
Mobile Advertising.”
Traasdahl also currently holds several board positions and heads Spring
Capital, an investment holding company. Prior to Tapad, he founded
Thumbplay, a mobile entertainment service that he grew to more than $100
MM in revenues in less than 3 years before he exited the company (the company, later acquired by Clear
Channel, is now called iHeartRadio). He was previously a senior executive with Telenor Group, an
international provider of telecom, data and media communications services.
MODERATOR AND HOST
Johan Brand, Co-Founder & CEO - Kahoot!
Johan Brand co-founded and is the CEO of Kahoot!, an educational gaming
platform with millions of users world wide. He has over a decade’s
experience merging creativity, innovation and technology. He is a serial
entrepreneur and his work has included high profile projects for brands
including Mercedes, BBC, HP, and Unilever, as well as startups in London
and abroad. He co-founded We are Human a lean co-creative company, that
incubates and develops its own IP, including the innovative EdTech platform
Kahoot!
Recently, Johan launched The Nordic Connection, an entrepreneurial
network based out of London's TechCity, with a focus on creating global
opportunities and connections for Nordic startups. This lead him to
innate the Oslo Innovation Embassy in London, and facilitate he Creative City Alliance between Hackney,
Oslo and Austin signed in Austin 2014.
Johan is a fellow at the Royal Society of Arts (The RSA), a regular speaker and lecturer at universities and
events ranging from the interactive XXSW in Austin, to the political OECD in Paris. He is a BAFTA
Children's Award Jury Member, and winner of numerous awards such as the prestigious Webby People
Choice Award.
The program may be subject to changes.
REGISTRATION:
Due to facility capacity, space is limited and early registration is encouraged.
Registration fee NOK 1200,- (non-refundable).! Please note that all registrations can
be transferred to another company represenative prior to
conference (preferred) or at
on-site registration.
Registration, click here
NORWEGIAN VENTURE
CAPITAL CONFERENCE 2015
Key Contact:
Katrin Haram, Tel. (+47) 90 19 75 78 or e-mail: katrin.haram@investinor.no
Accommodation
Discounted rooms (single room 1195 NOK bookable at Scandic Nidelven Hotel.
For room reservations, please contact Scandic Nidelven Hotel at (+47) 73 56 80 02 or
by e-mail: nidelven@scandichotels.com.
The Room Reservation Identification Number is INOV010615.
Logistics
Airport shuttle bus every 10 minute from/to Værnes Airport and Trondheim City Center,
Monday - Friday. Customized service to all flights departures and arrivals on Saturdays.
T h e Airport shuttle bus serves all hotels in the city center.