Nordic scalers - A study of drivers of growth and barriers to scaling of Nordic companies

The Nordic region has the potential to become one of the leading scale-up hubs in the world. Drawing on internationally comparable data, this report shows that in all the Nordics the number of scale-ups per capita is well above the EU average.Indeed the scale-up density for the Nordic region is almost on par with the UK and Switzerland – two renowned scale-up nations. Finland, Sweden and Iceland rank especially high.But the analysis also documents a significant gap between the Nordics and two scale-up champions: the US and Israel.Thus, on average Nordic countries have 5 scale-ups per 100,000 inhabitants, while in the US this figure is close to 8, and in Israel it is 12.If the Nordic region is to narrow the gap between it and the US and Israel it is vital that founders of1. Executive Summary scale-ups, investors and policymakers in all of the Nordic countries have comprehensive knowledge and insights on the key challenges and barriers that Nordic scale-ups face at different stages of growth.Even more importantly, all of the key actors will need to understand how successful scale-ups manage to meet and overcome key barriers for growth.Based on more than 50 interviews with CEOs and founders of Nordic scale-ups, and representatives from the investor side, this report provides new and detailed insights into common traits and challenges among Nordic scale-ups.