Setting the stage for 2026. A look at how far we’ve come and the regulatory hurdles that remain.

• P Peter Kofler, Chairman Danish Entrepreneurs

The New Nordics excel at starting companies but face systemic hurdles in growing them at home. Our region holds world-class innovation inputs, yet our primary deficit lies in cross-border connection rather than true capability. This opening fireside chat takes a macro-level view of regional integration. We will explore how the Nordics can move beyond accidental, person-dependent cooperation toward a standing, unified market framework. Secretary General Karen Ellemann joins the stage to discuss the political will, structural frameworks, and cross-border leadership required to actively front-run upcoming European regulatory transformations.

• S Stina Lantz, CEO at SISP
• K Karen Ellemann, Secretary General at Nordic Council of Ministers

While Europe grapples with a massive late-stage funding chasm, the Nordics suffer from an acute growth-stage capital void that forces our best scaleups to relocate value abroad. This panel brings together ecosystem builders, investors, and regulatory pioneers to dissect fresh, exclusive data on the region's deepest bottlenecks. From the legal realities of establishing a unified "Nordic-Inc" to designing a multi-billion-euro pan-Nordic fund-of-funds, we examine the precise structural fixes required to turn our fragmented national systems into a single market engine.

• S Stina Lantz, CEO at Swedish Incubators & Science Parks
• M Mikkel Sørensen, CEO at DTU SkyFactory
• S Sigrid Rajalo, Acting Undersecretary for Economics and Innovation at Estonia's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications
• J Jón Ingi Benediktsson, Senior Advisor at Iceland Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education
• M Mala Valroy, Founder & General Partner at Thursday VC

In this keynote, Peter van Sabben (CMO, Dealroom) shares exclusive data on how unlocking institutional capital can transform Europe's startup landscape. Discover how a strategic shift in pension fund allocations can fuel the next wave of tech champions, boost long-term economic growth, and secure Europe's digital and financial future.

• P Peter van Sabben, CMO at Dealroom

Europe invests $21B in late-stage VC vs. $133B in the US. How do we build a genuine pan-European IPO market and reframe M&A as a sign of ecosystem health?

• K Karolina Kukielka, Founding Partner at Vastpoint
• T Trine Winther, CEO at Danish Business Angels
• S Stine Mølgaard, Partner at Alliance VC
• P Peter van Sabben, CMO at Dealroom
• D Daragh Brown, Senior Regional Representative at European Investment Fund

In this exclusive fireside chat, Denmark's Minister for Economic Growth and Taxation, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, sits down with moderator Peter Kofler to pull back the curtain on the government's economic agenda.

• P Peter Kofler, Chairman at Danish Entrepreneurs
• J Jakob Engel-Schmidt, Minister for Taxation and Economic Growth at The Danish Parliament

We've seen the first steps, but what is the next leap? A deep dive into the "Entrepreneurship Package 2.0" - focusing on talent attraction, tax incentives, and making Denmark the undisputed launchpad for global unicorns.

• T Torsten Vittrup Dalegaard, Head of Strategy & Policy at Danish Entrepreneurs
• F Freja Brandhøj, MP & Spokesperson on Entrepreneurship at Liberal Alliance
• M Mathilde Bressum, Spokesperson on Entrepreneurship at Venstre
• S Steffen Helledie, MP & Spokesperson at Radikale Venstre
• C Christian Arnstedt, Founder & CEO at Blazar Capital

For any ambitious founder, expanding across Europe means navigating 27 different sets of corporate laws, tax systems, and administrative hurdles - a costly regulatory nightmare that gives US counterparts a massive head start. Could a single, unified EU legal framework - the proposed "28th Regime" - finally level the playing field and allow European startups to scale seamlessly? (More to be announced soon)

• P Peter Kofler, Chairman at Danish Entrepreneurs
• A Arba Kokalari, Member of Parliament at EPP
• H Henrik Dahl, Member of Parliament at EPP
• S Sara Rywe, General Partner at byFounders

In an era of intensifying global data friction, European startups face a delicate high-stakes balancing act. How do you scale using global cloud infrastructure while remaining fiercely compliant with stringent EU privacy and data protection standards? Navigating the reach of the U.S. CLOUD Act alongside Europe's push for digital sovereignty has transformed from a legal checkbox into a core strategic challenge for high-growth tech companies.

• P Peter Kofler, Chairman at Danish Entrepreneurs
• A Alexandru Voica, Head of Corporate Affairs & Public Policy at Synthesia
• A Adina Schildt Gillion, General Counsel at stealth-stage AI startup
• P Pernille Tranberg, Co-Founder of European ThinkTank DataEthics.eu
• L Louise Lund Henneberg, Deputy Tech Ambassador at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

As the European Union shifts its regulatory gaze toward the consumer landscape, the incoming Digital Fairness Act aims to completely reshape how platforms interact with their users. By cracking down on "dark patterns," manipulative design architectures, and hidden subscription traps, Brussels intends to shield consumers and level the playing field against Big Tech. But where is the line between consumer protection and innovation friction? Will these strict design rules empower European startups to win on trust, or will they introduce another layer of costly compliance that hampers early-growth scaling? This session dissects the operational realities of building global consumer apps under the EU's evolving digital paradigm, exploring whether new fairness mandates act as a structural shield or a startup bottleneck. (More to be announced soon)

• P Peter Kofler, Chairman at Danish Entrepreneurs
• H Heini Zachariassen, Founder at Vivino & Vota
• N Natasha Friis Saxberg, CEO at Danish ICT Industry Association

While founders and investors continue to flock towards AI, software and fintech, some of the world's biggest challenges - and potentially biggest business opportunities - exist in industries such as maritime, logistics, energy and critical infrastructure. So why don't we see more startups emerging from sectors where Europe and Denmark already hold global leadership positions? What does it take to build new companies in global, regulated and capital-intensive industries? And are founders and investors overlooking some of the biggest opportunities hiding in plain sight?

• C Cecilie Lykkegaard, CoSense
• L Lotte G. Lundberg, Managing Director at The Danish Maritime Fund
• S Susanne Eskildsen, Associate Director for Start-Up & Innovation at EIFO
• C Christian Bonfils, CEO and Founder at Copenhagen Commercial Platform

Summarizing the day's takeaways with a focus on "Innovation First" legislation.