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At Accel, we strive to work with founders who are building iconic, enduring businesses. That requires a certain culture, which provides the emotional fabric that enables and empowers high-performing teams. These cultures are often mission-driven and underpinned by values of diversity and inclusion. Diversity is a mindset and the Slush whitepapers show we all need to commit to a new way forward, or be left behind. This new generation of entrepreneurs are driven as much by their core mission as they are by the need to create shareholder value. Neither they nor we see a reason to compromise between the two.
Sonali de RyckerPartner, Accel
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The last five years have proven that not only can Europe do tech, we can do it on our own terms. Furthermore, the current crisis has highlighted how critical the success of European tech is for the region’s economy as a whole. Now is not the time to rest on our laurels. We need to create a more diverse and inclusive ecosystem, strengthen ties between private and public sectors, and embrace a purpose-driven approach to building and scaling. Forums such as Slush are key building blocks of this ecosystem of tomorrow. We may not be able to meet in Helsinki this year, but that does not mean that European tech does not have to take its eyes off the stars.
Tom WehmeierPartner, Atomico
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The coronavirus crisis and the recent killing of George Floyd have served to illustrate the deep inequalities and systematic nature of racism in western society. Despite its huge growth and success, the European startup ecosystem has lagged on every metric associated with diversity and inclusion. We must commit to drive change in our communities and our businesses – we’re at a point where we need to stop being allies and start being accomplices. We must hold each other accountable for meaningful change and transformation.
Greg WilliamsEditor-in-chief, Wired UK
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Purpose, rather than a badging exercise, needs to be ingrained from the beginning if early-stage businesses are to compete on a global level and speak to today’s more discerning customer. The way we consume is shifting fast. Digital innovation is coming to life across sectors, from how we attend events to the way we exercise at home. Right now, as we rethink the way we lead our own lives, companies changing the way we live, interact and buy are truly having their moment.
Reshma SohoniFounding Partner, Seedcamp
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The Covid-19 crisis is accelerating the future and forcing us to rethink the way we run our societies, economies and lives. Many of the best ideas about how to reshape our world are coming from an emerging generation of European entrepreneurs, focusing on social inclusion and purposeful innovation, as highlighted in Slush’s whitepapers.
John ThornillFounder & Editorial Director, Sifted
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Lakestar is a strong supporter of the Europeantech ecosystem. We believe in Europe. However, the landscape and what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur is changing. The next generation of groundbreaking founders will be more diverse than what we have seen in the past, and guided by a deeper urge to change the world for the better.
Mika SalmiManaging Partner, Lakestar
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People with another background than yourself will naturally broaden your team with additional experiences, an outside perspective, and a different problem-solving mindset. If companies don’t take action on diversity, they will miss out on real assets. This is also why diverse teams ultimately yield higher returns. With this in mind, it is surprising that limited partners are not actively demanding more diverse investments from VCs.
Susanne NajafiFounding Partner, Backing Minds
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While Europe has made huge progress in understanding and admitting there is a problem with diversity and inclusion in the tech sector – action here is key. It is up to all of us to take meaningful, measurable steps, and to hold ourselves accountable, in order for there to be real change.
Suranga ChandratillakeGeneral Partner, Balderton Capital
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Diversity is not subjective liberalism. As a VC, we’re seeing very tangible commercial impact related to diversity and we’re convinced that diversity of thought is crucial to build the most disruptive companies. Slush’s Whitepapers are another reminder that we collectively and proactively need to push for change to shape the entrepreneurial tomorrow in Europe and beyond. We recognize what’s been done to date is not enough – we need to do more.
Fredrik CasselGeneral Partner, Creandum
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If Silicon Valley was the first ecosystem to normalise the idea of entrepreneurship as a high-impact, high-prestige career choice, Europe is quickly catching up. We’re seeing an overdue cultural shift in what it means to be a founder, who the entrepreneurial path is for, and what the scale of impact that can be achieved is. As exceptionally talented, mission-driven founders continue to enter the European ecosystem in force, the potential for revolutionary innovation on a global scale grows exponentially. This is important for economies and societies, because it truly matters what the world’s most talented individuals apply themselves to.
Matt CliffordCo-Founder & CEO, Entrepreneur First
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Slush says it well: Each and every company has an impact. This whitepaper serves as an important — and necessary — reminder for founders and investors to assess and measure how they can instill greater, more global change via purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
Christian MeermannFounding Partner, Cherry
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I believe that Diversity and Inclusion is about capturing opportunities, and ensure as investors that companies are formed with diversity at the outset. It’s already proven as the most successful strategy for high-performing teams. Slush’s whitepaper gives us clear data about what’s happening in the ecosystem. It’s time for us to act.
Pär-Jörgen PärsönGeneral Partner, Northzone
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All founders out there are trying to put their dent in the universe, to change the world in some way. Purpose has positive, sometimes non-obvious benefits for example in attracting key talent or retaining customers. As a VC we are slowly discovering how we can balance profit- and purpose-seeking in our ventures, as stewards of the capital entrusted to us.
Jan MiczaikaPartner, HV
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EU is leading on the innovation to fight against coronavirus while redefining entrepreneurship and innovation. EUvsVirus shows how revolutionary innovation can succeed when the whole innovation ecosystem works with the civil society taking advantage of European diversity. It is one example of how the European Innovation Council works with mission-driven innovators and builds rich and diverse communities.
Jean-Eric PaquetDirector-General, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
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I have no doubt we’ll see radical innovation over the next decade, particularly in machine learning, crypto / blockchain and digital health. Technology produced by world-class researchers and practitioners across Europe is defining new industries – fostering an ecosystem to support these advances is one of the most important things we can do.
Toby CoppelCo-Founder & Partner, Mosaic Ventures
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Slush’s whitepaper clearly states how the lack of diversity is harming our ecosystem. Diversity is not just “a nice thing to do”, it should be part of a rational and calculated business decision as research clearly shows that diverse teams perform better leading to long term outperformance. We as an investor recognize it and demand to include diversity clauses in the investment documentation.
Agate FreimaneGeneral Partner, Norrsken VC
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You can’t lead others if you cannot lead yourself. Self-leadership requires a compass, which is hardly available around the corner. Hence, developing and understanding one’s individual purpose is the foundation that allows an entrepreneur to shape our European future. The purpose of a business is made up of the individual purposes of the entrepreneurs within the team.
Christian NagelCo-Founder & Partner, Earlybird
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As an early stage VC fund, we’re acutely aware of the need for, and benefit of promoting diversity across all stages. We strive to do our part and transform theory into action by maintaining an equal gender split across our investment team, and tracking diversity metrics across our group of portfolio founders, whilst also working closely with them on prioritising gender diversity in the build-out of their own leadership teams. That said, we recognise that there is much more to do on the diversity front – going beyond gender and race – and always endeavour to improve.
Spencer CrawleyCo-Founding General Partner, Firstminute Capital
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In seeking to solve the world’s greatest problems by inventing bold new technologies, moonshot companies face a marathon, not a sprint. Just as today’s tech infrastructure seemed like a pipe dream a few decades ago, deeptech such as electric airplanes, self-driving trucks, and mixed reality could one day become part of everyday life – but it takes time. As an investor, I try to consider the current stage of the technology and research because the ones in the right inflection point will enjoy explosive growth and transform industries. The race is on.
Ted PerssonPartner, EQT Ventures
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There is a profound causality between diversity of founding teams, startups solving the world’s most pressing problems, and the performance of these teams and their companies. This has been established in international studies, and the deeper the insights and transparency we get around this, the better. Slush’s work on this is catalytic as they have unique access to first-hand founder data through their extensive community in the Nordics and beyond. Unconventional Ventures is a proud supporter of Slush on creating a deeper understanding and enlightening the ecosystem.
Thea MesselFounder & Managing Partner, Unconventional Ventures
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There is a profound causality between diversity of founding teams, startups solving the world’s most pressing problems, and the performance of these teams and their companies. This has been established in international studies, and the deeper the insights and transparency we get around this, the better. Slush’s work on this is catalytic as they have unique access to first-hand founder data through their extensive community in the Nordics and beyond. Unconventional Ventures is a proud supporter of Slush on creating a deeper understanding and enlightening the ecosystem.
Ilkka KivimäkiFounding Partner, Maki.vc
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Slush is synonymous with the next generation of entrepreneurs. The whitepaper paints a well-rounded picture of the future that this new generation will be driving for. Therefore, it is a careful ‘must-read ‘ for everyone who wants to understand the tech leaders of tomorrow.
Timo AhopeltoFounding Partner, Lifeline Ventures