1. Creating a Broader
Ecosystem within the
Baltic Sea Region
Ann Plough, COO
International VC Zone

2. Smart Money & Great Ideas
International VC Zone
connecting international investors to
deal flow in the Baltic Sea Region
since 2010

4. What we do for VCs
4
Access to Key Players in each region
• Limited Partners, Local VCs, Angel investors
• Local business communities & public
organizations
• Science & Research institutions
Access across the Baltic Sea Region
Finland Estonia Latvia Lithuania
Sweden Norway Denmark Poland
Russia (St. Petersburg & Moscow)
Ways we serve
• Tailored visits per VC’s goals
• Intro to start-ups fitting VC’s profile
• Events, information, business intelligence
Focus on high-tech
companies
ICT
Life sciences
Clean tech
Physical Sciences
Health tech

5. Here’s what happens
• Access to venture capital financing for promising high tech
companies
• Access to proper late-stage financing, enabling growth on an
international scale
• More significant exits
• Better international contacts
• Access to VCs’ portfolio companies & networks
• Increased quantity and quality of entrepreneurs
• More angel investors

6. And now, from Finland
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0
50
100
150
200
250
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Millions
Annual Comparison 2008-2013*
Angel
International
Domestic
Number
*International VC Zone founded in 2010

7. Finland: trends & developments
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Distribution by Industry 2008-2013
Software
Mobile
Life Sciences
Industrial
Nano
Hardware
Cleantech
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Millions
Investment by industry 2012-2013
2012 (€)
2013 (€)
2012 (#)
2013 (#)
Cleantech Hardware Nanotech Industrial
Life
Sciences
Mobile Software
Rounds 10 3 2 10 15 19 44
Value € 9 M € 1,5 M € 12 M € 11 M € 29,5 M € 111 M € 66 M

8. How do we do it?
• Working together with regional partners
• Developing open lines of communication
between regional innovation hubs
• Providing a steady flow of valuable
information to VCs
• Providing services ”on the ground” to
accelerate path to investment
• And then…getting out of the way

9. Way up North
• How does the Baltic Sea Region attract more
international investors with large funds?
• How do we get their attention?
• How do we make their visits efficient and
valuable so they keep coming back?
• How do we lower the threshold for entry into
the region?
• How do we get ”closer”

10. Together we’re stronger
• 9 countries in small geographical area
• Global-minded start-ups
• Limited regional capital
• Great ideas, big dreams, exceptional talent
• Many regional players supporting innovation
• Most need external financing to grow global

11. Contact Me:
Ann Plough, COO
International VC Zone
ann.plough@vczone.fi
Let’s make the magic happen.
Thank You!