Fredrik Harestad

Venture Capital Unlocked

Business EN ↓ 6 episodes

Voice of Growth: Unlock Lessons from Investors, Domain Experts, and Founders Shaping the Future. Behind every ambitious startup lies a transparent ownership structure. Listen to how we break down why a precise cap table and thoughtful equity incentives are crucial for raising capital, engaging team members, and scaling effectively. Unlock your cap table management and set your company up for long-term success.

Author

Fredrik Harestad

Episodes

#6: INVESTOR: Balancing Vision and Reality in Startup Fundraising || Arve Fresvik 28.10.2025 58:35

Venture Capital in today’s AI-dominated, sustainability-pressured market? In this episode, we sit down with Arve Janbu Fresvik, Founding Partner at Momentum, a VC firm backing climate tech and early-stage startups across Europe. Arve breaks down how impact-driven investing is evolving, why strong founder teams still beat big markets, and how AI is both a tool and a threat for startups. With a deca...

#5: INVESTOR: Vetting a Startup for Long-Term Value Creation || Arne Tonning 14.10.2025 58:11

What really matters when raising venture capital: a polished pitch deck or the founder behind the startup? Alliance Venture partner Arne Tonning, reveals what early-stage investors actually look for in startup funding decisions. He breaks down why founder quality beats traction, the hidden rules of due diligence, and how Nordic startups can stand out to VC investors. With 15+ years of experience i...

#4: INVESTOR: How to Build a Startup Ecosystem for Industrial Tech Companies || Tor Bækkelund 30.09.2025 1:02:34

In a world of fast-moving tech, why are major industries still falling behind? Co-founder of Runway FBU, Tor Bækkelund, takes us through his journey from engineer to venture capitalist, building the next generation of industrial tech startups. He then reveals why 90% of industrial data is unused and how to build a startup ecosystem that goes beyond just capital. Get to understand the mindset neede...

#3: INVESTOR: The Smart Fundraising: Equity, Timing, and Hidden Risks || Helga Valfells 16.09.2025 1:00:13

Founders keep getting it wrong about fundraising, pitch decks, and cap tables. Helga Valfells, founding partner at Crowberry Capital, shares the biggest mistakes startup founders make when trying to raise seed funding in today’s competitive landscape. With hard-won lessons from backing over 50 early-stage startups across the Nordics, she revealed why cap table strategy, startup equity planning, an...

#2: INVESTOR: VCs should focus on building, not just raising money? || Finn Persson 02.09.2025 1:05:32

How do venture capitalists actually decide which startups to fund? Sitting down with Finn Persson, founding partner at Spintop Ventures, we unpack what really happens behind closed doors during a seed round. Finn breaks down Spintop's tollgate-based investment process, including how they evaluate over 1,000 pitch decks each year to find just a few winning startups. He reveals what founders o...

#1: INVESTOR: Ilkka Kivimäki || Building and Backing Bold Ideas 19.08.2025 1:02:11

In our first episode, we sit down with Ilkka Kivimäki, founding partner at Maki VC and a cornerstone of Finland’s startup ecosystem, to unpack how early-stage funding decisions actually get made. Ilkka brings raw insight from building multiple startups, selling one to SAP, and backing over 60 companies through one of the Nordics’ most founder-aligned VC funds. He talks openly about why most founde...