Speaker: Mari Luukkainen

Session: Navigating the Funding Landscape

About Mari

Principal @Icebreaker.vc

Meet Mari at DeepEST 2024, a pivotal figure in the Nordic deep tech startup ecosystem and Principal at Icebreaker.vc, where she oversees a portfolio of over 100 startups. 

Over two decades, Mari has been a driving force behind the growth of numerous startups, leveraging her expertise in affiliate marketing and growth strategies. Her knack for nurturing businesses from their early stages to securing significant funding rounds has made her an invaluable asset in the startup community.

At Icebreaker.vc, Mari’s role extends beyond mere investment; she is deeply involved in guiding early-stage companies in the Nordics and Baltics, helping them realize their potential in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. Her notable collaborations include work with Freska, Paxful, and Yousician, demonstrating a diverse and impactful portfolio.

Mari’s passion extends to social impact through Herizon.io, a non-profit she founded to create tech opportunities for immigrant women, showcasing her commitment to inclusivity and empowerment in the tech sector.

A pioneer of ‘growth hacking’ since its nascent days, Mari continues to champion this approach, focusing her talents on startups striving to make positive changes and uphold Nordic values of work-life balance and equality. Her presence at DeepEST 2024 is a testament to her dedication to fostering a new generation of New Nordic tech ventures that are not just successful, but also socially responsible and equitable.

Mari Luukkainen

What is Icebreaker.vc doing?

Founded in 2016, Icebreaker has invested in over 50 fast-growing tech startups built by domain expert founders from companies like Rovio, Nordea, Pipedrive, Eniram, IBM and BCG. In addition to the fund, Icebreaker also runs a community of more than 1000 founders and pre-founders with 5+ years of relevant industry experience and the will to start, build or join strong tech companies.

With the initial ticket sizes of €150k – 800K Icebreaker provides enough funding for companies to get to a position of strength and avoid post-accelerator limbo without having to resort to disreputable sources of capital and unfriendly deal terms.

Witness DeepEST 2024

Online and onsite tickets are available now!