A Nordic Cleantech Open Publication: Finnish Cleantech Venture report.
A report highlighting the Finnish cleantech start-up scene including analysis by key actors and company descriptions was released at the Cleantech Venture Day. Read it here!
Markku Koivisto is the next Hall of Fame nominee!
Markku Koivisto, Director of UPM ProFi was awarded Cleantech Scandinavia Hall of Fame nomination during the Cleantech Venture Day in Lahti, Finland, on November 4th. He joins two people that are already in the Hall of Fame, Lassi Noponen and Alf Björseth. They have both received this peace of art from raku-artist Dan Leonette who resides in Gotland, Sweden.
The theme of this year’s Cleantech Venture Day is “cleantech goes mainstream”. This will of course not happen by itself, but needs the help of driven individuals in big industrial companies who see business opportunities where others may see threats, or simply costs. We are very happy to give this award to someone who is one of these, often unsung heroes who initiate and change things in their respective companies.
Markku saw tonnes of clean plastic and paper being buried in landfills or burned. Since he hated the idea of buying an expensive raw material and throwing it away he instead turned this into a business area producing good looking and long lasting wood plastic composite, a valuable material very similar to hardwood.
During a tough time, when his company has cut personnel with 5,000 people, he has grown this unit from nothing into 60 people, two production sites, a rapidly increasing turnover and is looking at further rapid growth with sales now covering all of Europe and initial sales also happening in Asia. This business unit is now the fastest growing unit of a parent company UPM, one of the world’s leading forest products groups.
The official motivation is: For changing the way a big company does business by turning waste and CO2 emissions into a business opportunity. The rapid growth of the UPM ProFi business unit shows by example that a cleantech business area inside a company can achieve superior results even in hard times. Markku Koivisto, director of UPM ProFi Business Area has given the Nordic industry an inspiring success case of how a wastestream goes mainstream.
Share This!
Leading group of Industrials and Venture capitalists forms Nordic Cleantech Open Advisory Board
A group of individuals with key positions in their respective industry have entered into an advisory board for Nordic Cleantech Open.
Highly useful because of their knowledge and networks, by taking a seat on this board the group makes a clear statement as to the importance of Nordic cleantech start-up growth.
Alexander Bigge Lidgren of Nordic Cleantech Open comments:
Big interest and high quality on incoming applicants!
As applications are lining up we are starting to get an idea of what will be seen in the final selection. Ecospark is one of the early applicants. They are also a good example so we made an interview with them that you can watch on our Video section. The video will also be displayed in the player at the front page. They have an innovative technology that radically cuts costs and improves the quality of lights in LED
Autodesk sponsors 25 finalists of the Nordic Cleantech Open with software at a value of up to 120.000 Euro each
Nordic Cleantech Open is proud to announce that Autodesk, a leading provider of 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, will be sponsoring the finalists in a grand manner.
The top 25 entrants to the competition will all be accepted in the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program. In this programme Autodesk is supplying up-and-coming cleantech companies with the tools and technologies they need to visualize their ideas, design, engineer, and successfully bring their clean technologies to market. Participants can choose from a collection of Autodesk
The first ever Nordic Cleantech Open is launched today!
If you have just started a cleantech company, now may be the perfect time for you! A start up competition that will identify, upgrade and highlight the very best of the upcoming Nordic cleantech stars is launched today. With official backing in all Nordic countries and heavy involvement from the investment community this initiative aims to have a real impact on the
Alf Björseth enters Cleantech Scandinavia’s Hall of Fame!
Alf Björseth is the founder of Norwegian company REC, one of the world leaders in the solar industry. The company went from idea to a stock listing of 50 billion NOK in little over ten years providing the Nordic region with a clear-cut success story of cleantech growth along the way. Alf moved on to manage Scatec, a cleantech venture capital/incubator focusing on renewable energy and environmentally friendly materials that has new potential world leaders such as Norsun, who attracted the largest cleantech investment in the Nordics in 2009, OceanWind and Scatec Solar in its portfolio.
The official motivation is: “For showing that a Nordic cleantech company can become one of the world leaders in their field. The story of REC provides the Nordic cleantech sector with its biggest success story to date and inspires current cleantech entrepreneurs to believe in a high growth trajectory. By putting good money to even better work, Alf continues to provide a foundation for a whole range of success stories through venture funding and incubation in Scatec.”
Alf Björseth thereby joins Lassi Noponen, chairman and founder of WinWinD in the Hall of Fame.
The Scandinavian Cleantech Hall of Fame awards people that have inspired others in the Nordic cleantech industry, helping to accelerate Nordic cleantech development and growth. It is handed out by Cleantech Scandinavia at its events, it is not sponsored and has no other purpose than the above. A piece of raku art by a well known artist Dan Leonette, residing in Gotland, was handed to Alf Björseth during the Cleantech Capital Day in Oslo, Norway on June 3rd.
Lassi Noponen: the first entry to the Hall of Fame!
During the Cleantech Venture Day in Lahti we gave a special award (a pice of raku art by Dan Leonette) to Lassi Noponen from Finland. This was the first award of this kind and also marked the opening of a Scandinavian Cleantech Hall of Fame, where we will continue to award people like Lassi who have inspired others in the Nordic cleantech industry, helping to accelerate Nordic cleantech development and growth. Lassi was a true early mover in the Nordic cleantech industry. He started cleantech focus investment firm Proventia as early as 2000. WinWinD was the result of a spin-off in that time and Lassi was the chairman of WinWinD when the investment from Masdar Cleantech Fund went into the company.
The official motivation is: “For showing by example that big capital injections from international actors are possible in the Nordic cleantech sector. The investment by Masdar Cleantech Fund in WinWinD was a milestone for Nordic start-ups looking for investors in the commercialisation stage. It was the single largest cleantech investment by far in year 2008 and helped place the Nordic region on the international cleantech capital map.”
