Founders Startup Day: Investment

What Does It Really Mean to Raise External Capital? On January 22, startups from the Founders Loft portfolio and entrepreneurs from our network gathered at our offices at A Working Lab for a workshop focused on investment and fundraising. The morning was filled with knowledge sharing, valuable discussions, and practical insights into what it really means to raise external capital—beyond pitch decks and valuations.

Together with Almi Invest and our business coach Johan Örneblad, participants gained valuable perspectives from the investor side, along with practical advice for navigating future fundraising journeys. The session focused on understanding what investors are looking for, how to build long-term relationships, and how founders can prepare for the investment process with a strategic and sustainable mindset.

During the workshop, we explored several key aspects of fundraising, including:

• Why the founding team is often the single most important investment factor.

• The importance of transparency—being open about both successes and challenges.

• Viewing investors as long-term partners rather than counterparts.

• Understanding your market in depth and being able to clearly articulate why your company exists.

• Building relationships with investors early and recognizing that the work before and after the pitch is just as important as the pitch itself.

One of the highlights of the day was bringing together our portfolio companies and entrepreneurs from across our network. By creating a space where founders with different experiences and perspectives could connect, the workshop sparked open conversations, valuable discussions, and plenty of shared reflections on both the opportunities and challenges that come with raising capital.

A special thank you to Linda Elfving and Emma Hanaeus from Almi Invest, as well as our business coach Johan Örneblad, for generously sharing your expertise, experiences, and practical advice to help entrepreneurs take the next step in their fundraising journeys.

The workshop also served as a warm-up for GoWest – Nordic Venture Capital Forum, where many of our startups will continue building relationships and exploring opportunities with investors from January 27–29.

We look forward to following their journey.