Agenda
Main Conference
Tuesday March 4
Breakfast & Registration
9:00 AM
Venue:
Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
Schedule times are estimates and may change
Welcome
introduction
9:45 AM
Welcome
▶︎ Welcome and introduction by today’s MCs.
Kirsten Berken Community Director, Nordic Innovation House Silicon Valley
Marcus Liu Rönngren Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships, Green Transition Initiative
Rebecca Scheel Director, Innovation Norway
9:55 AM
Keynote
▶︎ Storytelling in the world of Emerging Technologies
Susan Lindner CEO, Innovation Storyteller View Bio ▶︎
10:15 AM
Keynote
▶︎ Just?Tech
This isn’t your usual gender equality keynote. In this rapid session Moa will go beyond the conversation on underrepresentation of women and minorities in tech, focusing instead on the full potential of technology itself—what it can create, both in terms of risks and benefits.
There is an urgent need to accelerate gendered innovation in new and emerging critical technology areas. The Nordic expertise in this approach is a competitive advantage that can help us power tomorrow by developing inclusive, impactful tech solutions.
With a growing body of tech enthusiasts neglecting the research highlighting the risks technology poses to gender and inclusion, there’s a pressing need to reach a wider global community.
Moa Persdotter Program Director of ‘Acceleration of deep tech startups, Vinnova View Bio ▶︎
Session 1
Dual Use Technology
10:35 AM
Keynote
▶︎ Why dual use technology development is more important than ever.
Ari Jónsson Supervisory Board Member, NATO Innovation Fund, COO, Videntifier Technologies View Bio ▶︎
10:55 AM
Panel
▶︎ Building strong innovation ecosystems within national security.
A well-developed innovation ecosystem is essential for accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge technologies within defense, security and resilience. Creating the right structures, incentives, and collaborations between government, startups, and industry can significantly enhance the speed and effectiveness of innovation
Heather Richman Gordian Knot/BMNT
Moderator Jenny Elfsberg Director & Head of innovation management division, Vinnova View Bio ▶︎
Derek Kenmotsu Senior Advisor, Global Partnerships, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
Ari Jónsson Supervisory Board Member, NATO Innovation Fund, COO, Videntifier Technologies View Bio ▶︎
11:20 AM
Break
▶︎ Break
11:52 AM
Panel
▶︎ Opportunities for Nordic Dual-Use Companies in the U.S.
The U.S. is a key market for dual-use companies, offering significant opportunities through venture capital, public programs and funding, and partnerships with both commercial and government entities. However, navigating this landscape requires an understanding of market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and effective strategies for scaling.
This panel brings together investors, startups and public agencies to discuss:
What Nordic companies can learn from the U.S. in terms of investment strategies, commercialization, and collaboration.
Pathways to expansion – how to access funding, customers, and strategic partnerships.
Challenges and opportunities in engaging with U.S. defense and commercial markets.
The role of public and private actors in supporting dual-use innovation.
Julie Zinamon Co-founder & COO, LOUVA, Berkeley, HaaS School of Business View Bio ▶︎
Hannah Weber Co-Founder, VP Strategy & BD, HOPO Therapeutics View Bio ▶︎
Kristina Vulgan Managing Partner, Ferocity Capital
Scott Tait Executive Director, National Security Innovation Catalyst View Bio ▶︎
Moderator Maria Brogren Counselor for Science, Innovation, and Higher Education, Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C. View Bio ▶︎
12:17 PM
Pitch
▶︎ Company Pitch
12:24 PM
Lunch
▶︎ Lunch
Session 2
AI & Semiconductors
AI is evolving rapidly, both in the cloud and at the edge.
This session explores how new capabilities—is making AI faster, more efficient, and more accessible across industries. Join experts as they discuss breakthroughs that are shaping the future of industries enhanced by new AI capabilities.
1:26 PM
Keynote
1:41 PM
Panel
▶︎ Succeeding with AI in the cloud and on the edge.
Valerie Chan Co-founder and CEO, Persimmons View Bio ▶︎
Pär Håkansson VP, Corporate Strategy, Nordic Semiconductor.
Babak Soltanian CEO, Tayen.AI View Bio ▶︎
Darryl Weatherspoon CTO, Aquabyte
Moderator Sohini Roychowdhury Engineering Leader, Ads and Personalization, Meta View Bio ▶︎
2:06 PM
Pitch
▶︎ Company Pitches
2:19 PM
Panel
▶︎ Investment Strategies in the AI and Semiconductor Sectors.
Opening remarks Magnus Bergman Board Member, Nordic Venture Network
Lu Zhang Founder and Managing Partner, Fusion Fund View Bio ▶︎
Magnus Bergman Founding and General Partner, Luminar Ventures
Natalia Burina Venture Partner, Storm Ventures View Bio ▶︎
Shankar Chandran Partner, Walden Catalyst View Bio ▶︎
Moderator Alexander Bergo Innovation Norway
2:59 PM
Pitch
▶︎ Company Pitches
3:07 PM
Break
▶︎ Break
Session 3
Quantum Technology
In this session we will tune into quantum technology as an emerging field. We will discuss the current state of quantum, what the quantum future looks like and talk about how the Nordics and the US can collaborate on this agenda across industry, academia and venture. Join us for an inspiring keynote presented by Sam Stanwyck from NVIDIA followed by a panel session with leading quantum stakeholders across business, research and venture capital.
3:29 PM
Keynote
3:49 PM
Panel
▶︎ Evolving the Nordic & US quantum ecosystems
Sam Stanwyck Group Product Manager, Quantum Computing, Nvidia View Bio ▶︎
Kasra Nowrouzi Head of Hardware, Advanced Quantum Testbed, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory View Bio ▶︎
Lars Jensen Founding Partner, Scale Capital View Bio ▶︎
Jonathan King Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Atom Computing View Bio ▶︎
Moderator Daiana F N. Davis Senior Innovation Advisor, Innovation Centre Denmark
4:33 PM
Podcast
▶︎ Pre-launch of Nordic Visionaries - Come Join the Party!
With Susan Lindner & Daiana F. N. Davis
5:00 PM
Reception
▶︎ Consular Networking reception.
Sponsored by the Consulates of Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Denmark.