The Nordic countries share a lot, but when it comes to funding and building life science companies, each market has its own character. In this panel, venture investors from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway compare their markets. They’ll discuss where each country stands out, what holds companies back, and how the region can work together going forward.

Pekka Simula, Partner, Innovestor Life Science 
Linda Spahiu Elvesjö, Principal, Sound Bioventures
Stephan Christgau, Founding Partner, Eir Ventures
Svana Gunnarsdóttir, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Frumtak Ventures
Farzad Abdi-Dezfuli, Partner, Sarsia

Moderated by: Kristofer Klerfalk, Managing Partner, Life Science Invest

Women’s health is a far broader investment landscape than traditionally perceived. In this session, moderator Cecilia Hallström, PhD, sits down with Anesa Mulabecirovic, MD PhD MBA, manager of DNB Fund Women’s Health, the world’s first actively managed equity fund dedicated entirely to the sector.

Drawing on 15 years of clinical practice and fund management expertise, Anesa will share how DNB builds its investment universe from the biology up, spanning pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and medtech across the lifespan, and what targeted capital means for the future of life science investing.

Fresenius, one of the world’s leading healthcare groups, has launched its own venture arm, Fresenius Ventures. In this session, BioStock’s Jonas Söderström talks to Thomas Thestrup, Managing Director of Fresenius Ventures, about what it takes to build a €200m fund from the ground up.

Backed by a global healthcare group, Fresenius Ventures can offer partners more than capital: industry expertise, networks and a route to the market. Thomas shares his background, the fund’s strategy, and what he is looking for in future investments.

In May 2025, we presented a roadmap for navigating the rising uncertainties of the new US administration. One year later, the map has been redrawn. In this follow-up keynote, Andreas Dirnagl moves beyond initial speculation to analyze the tangible economic consequences of the ”America First” doctrine.

He reviews the actual impact of trade barriers and policy shifts on the bottom line for Nordic life science companies. Which fears materialized, and what is the real cost of protectionism? Based on market data from the first 18 months of the administration, we discuss how successful companies are adapting their strategies to survive and thrive in this solidified ”New Normal.”

In this session, the leadership behind Hansa Biopharma, AlzeCure Pharma, and SAGA Diagnostics share what it actually takes to get major partnerships over the finish line. Drawing on their recent licensing and commercial agreements, they will talk through the practical reality of dealmaking: finding the right partners, handling grueling due diligence, negotiating terms you can live with, and navigating the global market from the Nordics.

Martin Jönsson, CEO, AlzeCure
Renée Lucander, CEO, Hansa Biopharma
Lao Saal, Founder, SAGA Diagnostics and Medical Director, DoMore Diagnostics

Moderated by: Anna Gran, Managing Director, Askel

The Nordic region leads globally in gender equality, public health data access, and innovation capacity, yet women’s health remains an underfunded and underserved market even here. This panel explores how targeted investment across biotech, medtech, and digital health can transform women’s health into a high-growth Nordic industry while closing long-standing care gaps.

Julie Brogren, CEO, Gedea Biotech
Camilla Harder Hartvig, Group Leader Womens Health and Lifescience, Angella Invest
Georgina Askeland, Principal, Hadean Venture

Moderated by: Laura Bejtulai, Strategic Advisor, Fundraising and Operations