Iceland review - 2015, Síða 113

ICELAND REVIEW 111
grants, with two new fully funded companies
emerging in the past year. The application dead-
line for the next accelerator is April 6.
BUILDING BRIDGES
As Klak Innovit shepherds new Icelandic busi-
nesses into the global marketplace, venture cap-
italists and angel investors are closely involved.
At conferences such as Investor Days, Icelandic
startups present directly to guests, facilitating
the free exchange of new ideas, and the start of
potential relationships. Investors serve as judges
in the business plan competition, and as mentors
in the accelerators. The startup gains the benefit
of the investor’s expertise, and the investor gains
unparalleled familiarity and comfort with the start-
up. Klak works closely with organizations such as
Global Accelerator Network, UpGlobal and Global
Entrepreneurship Week to identify suitable indus-
try and investment partners for Icelandic startups.
In the near future, a new investor newsletter will
feature laser-focused English-language coverage
of the Icelandic startup scene.
ICELAND: STARTUP HOTSPOT
Over the next three years, Iceland’s government
plans to increase its budget for science, research
and innovation. Iceland’s startup community is
“growing more mature,” in Salóme’s words, with
the knowledge and service providers necessary
to support new enterprises with the potential to
benefit all of society. “International investors have
said that they like to invest in Icelandic compa-
nies,” Salóme says, “because of the extensive
team spirit, ambition and dedication to their
ideas.”
COMING SOON: SLUSH PLAY
On April 28-29, Klak joins forces with lead-
ing Nordic tech conference SLUSH to host
SLUSH Play in Reykjavík. SLUSH Play will host
startups from the Nordic region’s fast-expand-
ing gaming and virtual-reality industries, along
with North American investors and media.
Attendance of 250-300 is anticipated; register at
slushplay.com.
NEW ENERGY
Following the success of Startup Reykjavík, Klak
launched Startup Energy Reykjavík (SER) in 2014,
with support and oversight from public, private
and academic partners. SER (startupenergyrey-
kjavik.com) is investing in the ambition and crea-
tivity of its engineers, including many women and
people from diverse backgrounds. The first group
of engineers to go through the ten-week program
credit SER with an introduction to the intricacies
of the business world. The focus of SER is espe-
cially on green energy and Iceland’s renewable
resources: geothermal and wind power products,
and sustainable aluminum processes, are among
the first batch.
Team Startup Reykjavik, 2014.
Ragnheiður E. Árnadóttir, minster of industry and commerce,
hands the Golden Egg to Strimillinn, the winners of
the business plan competition in March 2015.
SPECIAL PROMOTION