PRIVATE Venture Capital with a nordic focus
Backstage Invest is the venture capital investment arm of a Swedish Single Family Office. We focus on direct investments in entrepreneurial scale-up companies based in Sweden, but with a Nordic mandate. We are not a VC-fund, but self-made entrepreneurs investing our own money. We have done so since the 1980s.
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 are firm believers in the power of technology, but have an open mind-set towards looking at new industries. We invest our money in proven entrepreneurs with a track record. We want to see proof of concept from growing revenues and strong traction before investing. That means, we typically do not invest in the early stage phase.
Welcome to contact us!
Philosophy
We seek investment opportunities combining great talented people with execution capability and exceptional growth potential.
Our evaluation of investment opportunities rests on what we call the ”Six Pillars of T”.
[Team x Track-record x Traction x Timing x Tech x Trajectory]
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 co-invest with other private investors or VC-funds. As most professional investors we require an exit opportunity within time. However, we sometimes make investments for the long term.
Success
Are there recipes for being successful in this line of business?We believe in the following ten theses:
- People are more important for success than the business concept itself
- Always negotiate with the ultimate decision maker
- Remember, even the most senior counterpart is human like everybody else
- Before you invest in a venture, think first of who will buy it from you in the future
- When a deal has been made, never ever wait, but push for documentation and sign
- When it comes to exit, never try to find the peak, divest before
- Never invest in weather dependant ventures
- Analyse thoroughly, but also follow your gut feeling
- Nothing has been achieved before the money is in the bank
- Hire people that are even more talented than you are
Portfolio
Unlisted investments
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 and also investments in other Web3 gaming companies such as The Sandbox.
BCB Medical
BCB Medical Oy gather real-world data for medical effectiveness and treatment quality through an integrated proprietary platform. They combine, analyze and illustrate clinical data from various sources and present it in an understandable format.
Joining forces with Swedish company Health Solutions in 2021, the now revolutionize the way clinical data impacts people’s lives.
DH anticounterfeit
DH Anticounterfeit’s software platform serves global owners of intellectual property and brands in protection against counterfeit. The platform is used by teams who want to streamline, digitalize and professionalize their operations, case & project management, intelligence & data analysis, collaboration, communication & reporting of anti-counterfeiting activities.
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.
Greenely
Greenely is a software enabled energy company that helps its customers to optimize their electricity consumption. They offer a software solution that covers home automation, smart electric vehicle charging and smart information. Join Greenely to save energy!
Indicio
Indicio makes forecasting simple. Their software suite (SaaS) 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.
Klarna
Klarna is a leading Swedish fintech company. Klarna reinvented the concept of buy now and pay later in online shopping. Klarna’s offering to consumers and retailers include payments, social shopping, and personal finances. Backstage aqcuired a small position in Klarna through the divestment of SaaS-company APPRL to Klarna.
G-Loot
By building a multi-platform e-sport solution, G:loot brings competitive gaming to the maximum number of players, regardless of their skill, status, or aspirations. All users have the chance, not just to compete, but to shape their own e-sports experience.
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.
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 multiple B2C e-commerce store brands the company serves hundreds of thousands of customers. IPO Oct 2021.
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 and government bodies 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.
Kwiff
Eaton Gate Gaming is an innovator in field of online gambling. It is the company behind Kwiff, a fast-growing sports-betting and casino app. The mission is to re-invent sportsbetting using a fully proprietary and in-house built platform and product.
Maison Heinrich
Maison Heinrich holds the exclusive commercial rights to market and sell the spirits brand XANTÉ on the North American market. XANTÉ is one of the top selling super premium liqueurs in the Nordic market. Altia Plc (today Anora) acquired the brand from the Tilander family in 2012 (excluding the commercial rights for US/CA.)
SAVR
SAVR is a fast growing savings- and investment platform providing low fees and full transparency. On their way to become the next investment powerhouse in Europe, SAVR offers an investment platform that empowers people to save in an engaging and simple manner.
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.
True Global Ventures
True Global Ventures (”TGV”) is a global technology equity Venture Capital Fund with focus on Web3 technologies incorporating blockchain as competitive advantage. TGV is built by a group of serial entrepreneurs with a solid track record of investing their own money together with Limited Partners (Backstage being one of them). Portfolio companies includes Animoca Brands, The Sandbox, Chromaway among others.
Varenne
Volumental
Volumental offers a fully integrated suite of 3D scanning and data tools to optimize fit. They bring together everything needed to take the guesswork out of sizing for shoppers. The products power retail scanning, mobile scanning, personalized recommendations, and digital marketing tools.
Marshall group
In 2023 Marshall Group was created by bringing together Marshall Amplification, UK and Stockholm-headquartered Zound Industries. Since 2010, Zound Industries has been bringing the Marshall brand to a global consumer audience through its range of headphones and wireless speakers sold in over 90 countries. Marshall Group is set to continue as a global challenger in the audio technology sector.
Exits, examples
24Storage
Leading self storage operator in Sweden built on the latest modern IT-infrastructure and automated processes . IPO Dec. 2019 (NASDAQ: ”24STOR”). Acquired by TIAA in 2021 by public buy-out.
aPPRL
Influencer marketing SaaS platform. Acquired by Klarna in 2021.
Peter F. Heering
TradeExtensions
Park Lane Nightclub
The leading nightclub in Gothenburg. Management Buy-Out in 2016.
Kajskjul 8
Orc Group
HD Resources
The Xanté Company
NeoNet
Sidewalk Express
Ark Travel
ITP-Invest
Pioneer VC-fund in Sweden. Management Buy-Out in 2004.
Trevise Bank
Owell
Contact
We have offices in Stockholm and Gothenburg. Welcome to contact us!
Fredrik Tilander
Managing Director
> Primary point of contact <
Visiting adress:
Norrlandsgatan 10, 1st Floor
SE-111 43 Stockholm, Sweden
Mailing adress:
Box 7327
SE-103 90 Stockolm, Sweden
Tel: +46 705 120 230
E-mail: fredrik (a) backstage.se
Jörgen Tilander
Chairman
Visiting address:
Geijersgatan 1 B
411 34 Gothenburg
Mailing address:
Box 3097
SE-400 10 Gothenburg, Sweden
Tel: +46 705 90 22 42
E-mail: jorgen (a) backstage.se