EWinVC special: Slushin' Through Helsinki

Dear Friends of European Women in VC,

❄️ SLUSH has been the most extraordinary event! Helsinki just pulsated with entrepreneurs & tech celebrities, investors, and everyone diligently working to catalyze innovation and foster ideas that shape our lives. We highly recommend experiencing this incredible atmosphere in the enchanting darkness of Helsinki.

Slush started in 2008 with 250 participants at Aalto University, and since then, it has grown exponentially. Currently, it receives approximately 13,000 visits and its goal remains the same: to focus on the best way to serve startup ecosystems worldwide—especially by facilitating connections between companies, investors, and the general public.

The central theme this year, "sustainability in adversity," mirrors the tough landscape startups navigated due to decreased venture investments. Emphasizing the importance of long-term viability over rapid short-term expansion became imperative. As we approach the year's end, venture investors anticipate a resurgence in deal-making activities in 2024. Read Pitchbook’s take.

Our highlights of this year’s SLUSH edition:

- Listening to Sonali de Rycker of Accel talking about Monzo Bank

- Lubomila Jordanova of Plan A reminding us that climate is a joint team effort

- Meeting friends and talking impact with Marie Ekeland founder of 2050

Fellow entrepreneurs’ thoughts:

“First time at SLUSH and I know it won’t my the last! What an amazing feast of international innovation, energy and connections especially for an emerging fund manager like myself investing in European sustainable and inclusive technologies! Wonderful to attend the EWVC drinks and link with our fellow female GPs! Slush is a peek into the future where technology and diverse humans are in sync solving problems that matter” Faye Walsh Drouillard

“It’s one of the most effective way of getting best startups identified and funded. - I was happy to see that our field green transition and climate tech has gained momentum and it emerged as one of the key themes this year.” Dr. Terhi (TJ) Vapola

“Every year at the end of November or beginning of December, the fantastic tech event Slush is held in wintry Helsinki, attracting 13,000 participants, mainly entrepreneurs and investors from all over the world. You can attend seminars with rock star entrepreneurs telling their story and one-to-one meetings with potential dealflow. Tarja Zu Dem Berg

“The best thing were the side events, great encounters, new connections, random new connections that might lead to new collaborations! Inspiring to meet international crowd with shared values.” Maria Wasastjerna

“Three great days of meeting everyone connected to the Nordic start-up ecosystem. I’ve been coming to Slush since 2014 and It’s heartwarming to see the number of female investors grow every year - I am looking forward to the year that Slush will reach true gender equality - could it be in 2024 ?” Helga Valfells

How we “Slushed” 🤸?

We were super thrilled to partner up with our member, Greencode Ventures with the support of J.P. Morgan (thank you Folake Shasanya Alexandra Wyatt and Holly Comyn ) to strengthen the European female investors community - thank you to all our members and partners and in particular to Tesi and Hellenic Development Bank of Investments for being with us! The view was incredible, the champagne bubbly and conversations inspiring!

Thank you for Imancity Zofia Kłudka Michal Kramarz for organising an inspiring panel and breakfast. Great moderation by Heidi Jern with participation of our Founding Member: Ekaterina Almasque of OpenOcean and 🚀Kinga Stanislawska and Danielle Lawrence-Sandhu

We also attended the WVC:E with Partner Deloitte , community breakfast with a chance to chat and mingle with like-minded investors and founders. The event kicked off with a short discussion on reflections and learnings from 2023.

It was a pleasure to meet with Carolyn Dawson , Linda Klinga , Bart BECKS at SLUSH. We passed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) EIC and European Investment Bank (EIB) booth hoping to catch Michiel Scheffer 🟥 and Jussi Hätönen for a brief chat!

Thank you to Schibsted for the invite to the lunch! Thanks to Sara Myrenfors Kajsa Gatenbeck for organising! Great to meet Matilda Karlsson for the first time!

Scaling Impact: Is Impact Capitalism the Key to Unlocking Meaningful Change? Breakfast by: 4Impact Capital (Pauline Wink), Ananda Impact Ventures (Zoe Peden), 2150 (Margarita Skarkou)

Thank you to Adela VILLANUEVA Risto Väyrynen of The Impact Office (TIO) for organising a fantastic HOI event!

Events like SLUSH are essential and a great push forward decreasing the gap between capital allocation in US vs Europe.

Tom Wehmeier (Atomico) takes us through the state of European tech in 2023. Watch it here.

One final note: In the pre-opening policy debate at SLUSH we were fascinated to discover that the Finnish parliament has had a Committee for the Future since 1993. Considering the current prevalent short-term thinking in politics, it appears to be a commendable initiative to ensure that a dedicated committee is consistently focused on the future and the long-term impact of policies. This forward-thinking approach is evident in Finland's success in education, technology, and R&D over the past decades, at it all comes together at SLUSH.

And that’s a wrap!

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you for all the meetings and energy shared with amazing people. Save the date in your calendar for 2024 - we will meet there again!