Nordic Angels, a prominent network of angel investors in the Nordic region, has appointed Kustaa Valtonen and Peter Vesterbacka as founding members of its new Finnish chapter. Valtonen is recognized for his leadership in the Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel project, while Vesterbacka, a former executive at Rovio Entertainment, played a key role in the global success of the Angry Birds brand. Their involvement marks a step towards strengthening Finland’s role within the broader Nordic startup ecosystem. Nordic Angels plans to host events in Helsinki next year to foster collaboration among investors and support innovation-focused initiatives.
Nordic Angels is an independent initiative founded by Sweden’s leading business angels aimed to develop, strengthen, and streamline the Nordic business sector and startup ecosystem. As the largest investor network in the Nordics, Nordic Angels mobilizes business angels through digital platforms and physical events. The Nordic Angels network, known for fostering collaboration across the region, leverages a comprehensive ecosystem with over 2000 members designed to support angels and investors.
Kustaa Valtonen, the driving force behind the ambitious Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel project, and Peter Vesterbacka, formerly the Mighty Eagle at Rovio Entertainment where he led the Angry Birds brand to global fame, are now joining forces under the Nordic Angels banner. Reflecting on their new undertaking, they stated, “Great things happen when you bring people together, same things happen when you bring angels together. Expect the unexpected!”
Other notable founding members of Nordic Angels include Karl-Johan Persson (Sweden), Chairman of H&M, Jacob de Geer (Sweden), founder of iZettle, Oskari Petas, (Finland), founder of Wolt, Sophia Bendz (Sweden), Cherry Ventures, Nicolaj Højer Nielsen (Denmark), and Susanne Najafi (Sweden), founder of BackingMinds.
Andreas Grape, CEO, who co-founded Nordic Angels together with Ash Pournouri – the founder of the Brilliant Minds conference and the manager behind Avicii, expressed his enthusiasm for the new appointments, “The strength of our network lies in its diversity and the combined expertise of our members. With such formidable leaders as Kustaa and Peter supporting our Finnish initiative, we are set to elevate our impact both in Finland and across the Nordics.”
In line with its expansion, Nordic Angels is organizing several events in Helsinki during the upcoming spring and autumn seasons. These events aim to cultivate deeper connections within the angel investing community and to provide a platform for investors to exchange ideas and resources. The schedule includes exclusive luncheons and will culminate in the Angel Prize gala—an annual celebration that gathers Finland’s leading investors to recognize and award 10 category winners for their contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship.
Grape added, “50 percent of all new jobs in OECD countries come from companies formed less than five years ago. Business angels play a crucial role in society. It is important to create collaboration and forums where they can meet and work more closely with each other. Individual angels have hardly any influence even in groups. But together, they are the most powerful within the business world. Society has much to gain from better interaction among investors in the Nordics. Our events and platforms aim to serve that need.”
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/nordic-angels-welcomes-kustaa-valtonen-peter-vesterbacka/
