About us

Backstage Invest is a single family office venture capital investor with focus on direct investments in entrepreneurial scale-up companies based in the Nordics. We are not a VC-fund, but self-made entrepreneurs investing our own money.

Do you have a great new business idea or are you managing a company with strong growth potential in need of capital for scale-up? We give value back to our portfolio companies not only in form of capital, but also by contributing with knowledge and contacts in areas such as business development, strategy, financing, marketing and international expansion.

We have an open mind-set towards looking at new industries. But we only invest our money in proven entrepreneurs with a track record. We want to see proof of concept from real customers prior to investing. That means, we typically do not invest in the very early stages.

Welcome to contact us!

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Philosophy

We seek investment opportunities combining great talented people with execution capability and exceptional growth potential.

We only invest our own money and we invest our own time. We do not pay others to do the job. Rather, we strongly believe in the positive effect of having committed visible owners motivating management and contributing with experience as well a contact network.

We often make our investments in cooperation with other investors. As most professional investors we require an exit opportunity within time. However, we sometimes make investments for the long term.

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Success

Are there recipes for being successful in this line of business?
We believe in the following 10 theses:

  1. People are more important for success than the business concept itself
  2. Always negotiate with the ultimate decision maker
  3. Remember, even the most senior executive is human like everybody else
  4. Before you invest in a venture, think first of who will buy it from you in the future
  5. When a deal has been made, never ever wait, but push for documentation and sign
  6. When it comes to exit, never try to find the peak, divest before
  7. Never invest in weather dependant ventures
  8. Analyse thoroughly, but also follow your gut feeling
  9. Nothing has been achieved before the money is in the bank
  10. Hire people that are more talented than you
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Portfolio

Unlisted investments

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24Storage

24Storage AB (NASDAQ: 24STOR) offers Self Storage to private and corporate customers in the Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö region of Sweden. 24Storage has expanded to become the second biggest operator in Sweden by using a concept based on cost efficiency, the latest modern IT-infrastructure and automated processes providing better and faster customer service. IPO Dec. 2019.

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Animoca Brands

Animoca Brands is a leader in the field of digital entertainment, specializing in blockchain, gamification, and artificial intelligence technologies to develop and publish a broad portfolio of products. The company has a broad portfolio of world famous partner brands.  

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BCB Medical

BCB Medical Oy is the Nordic market leader in gathering and analysing clinical data in digital quality registers via a SaaS-model. The mission is to combine, analyse and illustrate clinical data gathered from various sources and present it in an understandable format so that current and future generations can live healthier lives.
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ETNetwork

ETNetwork provides an infrastructure for digital transaction information from payments. In collaboration with banks and merchants, ETNetwork is implementing an infrastructure for digital receipts in the Nordic region. Everyone wins with digital receipts: consumers, corporations, merchants and the environment.

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Indicio

Indicio makes forecasting simple. Their software suite offers an user-friendly interface giving access to advanced statistical methods without the demand for prior statistical knowledge. Primary fields are Time-Series Analysis, Econometrics and Cognitive Analysis. 

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GP Bullhound Sidecar III, IV & V

Investment firm GP Bullhound is currently managing five Sidecar-funds (I – V) which mainly do investments in digital and technology based companies. Investments include companies such as Spotify, Slack, Klarna, Unity and Revolut, for the full list please visit their website.

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G-Loot

G:loot Global Esports G-Loot is a unique player-to-player platform that has been on the market since 2015. G-Loot is based in Stockholm and is one of Europe’s fastest-growing esports companies. G-Loot lets users compete in esports challenges in the games they already own. During gameplay, the G-Loot PC app runs in the background and monitors the results. 

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Innovation 360 Group

Innovation 360 Group is a developer, marketer and seller of data -driven artificial intelligence (“AI”) and innovation analytics tools to consultants, corporations, municipalities on a global scale. Since inception in 2015, the Company has developed a highly differentiated and proprietary innovation management platform that enables consultants and innovation teams to streamline the process of evaluating core competencies, defining innovation strategies and managing workflows across organizations.
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Klarna

Klarna is a leading Swedish fintech company. With Klarna consumers can buy now and pay later, so they can get what they love today. Klarna’s offering to consumers and retailers include payments, social shopping, and personal finances. Backstage aqcuired a small position in Klarna through the exit from SaaS-company APPRL. 

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Kwiff

Eaton Gate Gaming is an online gaming start-up founded by Unibet founder Anders Ström. Eaton is the company behind Kwiff, a fast-growing sports-betting and casino app in the UK market. The mission is to re-invent sportsbetting using a fully proprietary and in-house built platform and product. The customer experience is a differentiated intuitive app providing extra incentive to play.
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Maison Heinrich

Maison Heinrich holds the exclusive commercial rights to market and sell the spirits brand XANTÉ on the North American market. XANTÉ is an exquisite combination of the sweetness of ripe pears and the intensity of a fine cognac. XANTÉ is one of the top selling super premium liqueurs in the Nordic market. Altia Plc acquired the brand from the Tilander family in 2012 (excluding the commercial rights for the US and Canadian export markets).

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Haypp Group

The Haypp Group (NASDAQ: HAYPP.ST) is spearheading the global transformation from smoking to risk-reduced alternatives. With origins in Scandinavia, the company has leveraged its leading position, along with its category and e-commerce experience, to widen its positive impact to the USA and a range of European markets. With ten e-commerce store brands the company served more than 500,000 consumers during 2020. IPO Oct 2021.

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Truecaller

Truecaller (NASDAQ: TRUE:ST) set out to make it possible to know who’s trying to contact you, and also tell you when not to pick up your phone. Today, hundreds of millions of app users later, Truecaller’s business concept has expanded to delivering trust in a broader sense by making communication safe and efficient. No matter if it’s in the beginning of a call, in the middle of a transaction or at the end of a signature. IPO Oct. 2021.

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True Global Ventures

True Global Ventures (“TGV”) is a portfolio international early-stage funds formed by leading technology entrepreneurs-turned-angel- investors. In partnership with family offices in Europe, the United States and China, TGV leverages the personal networks and expertise of its investors to support the next generation of superstar entrepreneurs. The funds are focused on business opportunities built on highly scalable Internet, software and mobile applications.

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Varenne

Varenne invests mainly in unlisted entrepreneur-led Nordic growth companies seeking expansion capital as well as a long-term financial co-investor and equity partner in order to continue developing the portfolio companies at a fast pace.
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Zound Industries

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Zound Industries designs and develops speakers and headphones under the brand names Marshall, Urbanears and adidas. With a strong focus on innovative technology and user-centered design, Zound has gone from strength to strength since first hitting the market in 2008, launching a range of iconic, award-winning products.

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Exits, examples

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aPPRL

Influencer marketing SaaS platform. Acquired by Klarna in 2021.

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Peter F. Heering

World famous alcoholic beverage brand. Acquired by Koninklijke De Kuyper (Holland) in 2017.
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TradeExtensions

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) within sourcing optimization. Acquired by Coupa Software (NASDAQ: COUP) in 2017.
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Park Lane Restaurang & Nattklubb

Leading nightclub in Gothenburg. Management Buy-Out in 2016.
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Kajskjul 8

Dinner Show Restaurant. Managment Buy-Out in 2016.
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Orc Group

Software and trading systems for the financial markets. Acquired by Nordic Capital in 2012 (exit).
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HD Resources

Outside Broadcasting (OB), TV-production. Acquired by Neqst in 2012.
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The Xanté Company

Leading spirits brand in the Nordics. Acquired by Altia Plc in 2012.
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NeoNet

Pioneer in Direct Market Access (DMA) for trading on stock exchanges globally. IPO 2001, acquired by Orc Software 2010 (partial exit)
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Sidewalk Express

Pioneer in public Internet terminals and digital signage. Acquired by Speed Services in 2009.
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Ark Travel

At the time Sweden’s largest privately owned business travel agency. IPO 1999, acquired by Carlson Wagonlit 2005 (exit).
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ITP-Invest

Early VC-fund in Sweden. Management Buy-Out in 2004.
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Trevise Bank

Private Banking & Wealth Management. Acquired by Unibank in 1997.
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Owell

Trading in IT hardware. IPO 1993, acquired by WM-Data in 1995 (exit).
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Contact

We have offices in Stockholm and Gothenburg. Welcome to contact us!

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Fredrik Tilander

Managing Director
Primary point of contact

Birger Jarlsgatan 9
SE-111 45 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: +46 8 517 587 40
Mobile: +46 705 120 230
E-mail: fredrik@backstage.se

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Jörgen Tilander

Chairman

Visiting address:
Geijersgatan 1 B
411 34 Gothenburg

Mailing address:
Box 3097
SE-400 10 Gothenburg, Sweden
Tel: +46 31 81 57 10
Mobile: +46 705 90 22 42
E-mail: jorgen@backstage.se