First Successful Matchmaking in Singapore

Organized by Ignite Sweden and SISP – Swedish Incubators and Science Parks as part of the Nordic Singapore Innovation Days 2024, the event brought together five investors and nine large companies from the Nordics and the APAC region.

The event introduced a 360° matchmaking concept, where Swedish startups met with leading corporates from the APAC region, joined by Singaporean startups for a dynamic matchmaking session. In parallel, SISP organized an investor matchmaking event, connecting Nordic and Singaporean startups with investors and facilitating connections among investors themselves.

The goal was to explore ways to streamline cross-border investments between the Nordic countries and Singapore.

“I have six matchmaking meetings scheduled for today—four with corporates and two with investors. I’ve already had two meetings, one with Siemens Energy, which we’ve collaborated with before, and one with a Singaporean industry leader in lifting solutions. We’ve already scheduled follow-up meetings,” said Johan Hesslind, CEO of the Swedish company Ekkono Solutions, during the event.

Ekkono Solutions is one of the six climate tech Swedish startups participating at the event, together with Graphmatech, Hopsworks, Mimbly, Quandify, and The Train Brain.

“This matchmaking is the best part of this delegation for me, as I’m here to do business for Ekkono,” added Johan.

Shaping a Future Without Boundaries for Innovation

One of the investors participating in the matchmaking was Harry Krkalo, Co-Founder of GLy Capital Management Ltd, who shared his enthusiasm for the innovative startups he encountered.

“I’ve now met one or two startups that I think are eminently investable. They are looking like they’re tackling something big and have already made some traction in that role. So it’s quite, quite exciting!”

Ignite’s Head of International Projects, Elijah Aldana, was satisfied after a fully scheduled matchmaking day.

“This initiative speaks volumes to the want and need of small innovative countries to collaborate together. Taking a unified Nordic front between Sweden and Finland, we saw an openness from key Singaporean actors that I could have never expected. The matchmaking is more than meetings — it’s about creating a future where innovation knows no boundaries”

Nordic Singapore Innovation Days is a collaborative initiative organized by Vinnova, SISP – Swedish Incubators & Science Parks, Ignite Sweden, Business Sweden, Business Finland, Nordic Innovation House – Singapore, SGInnovate, and Enterprise Singapore. This initiative aimed to lead pioneering efforts, create lasting impact, and pave the way for meaningful innovations and a future filled with sustainable solutions.

Learn more insights on the Nordic Singapore Innovation Days here.