Aarhus New effort to attract more investors to Aarhus startups

Aarhus Municipality is now stepping up its efforts to attract more investors to the city’s entrepreneurs. The city council has adopted an extraordinary initiative to retain, attract and activate more investors – both Danish and international – in a market where capital has become more reluctant.

The initiative will be implemented in partnership with the startup organization The Link and builds on the Aarhus Investor Summit, which will play a central role as a flagship for investor activities in the city.

The municipality announces this on its website.

Capital shortage hits local entrepreneurs

Startups play a growing role in Aarhus’ economy, both in terms of jobs, innovation and sustainable growth. But the global downturn is hitting here too: The Danish Export and Investment Fund reports declining venture investments, and according to The Link, many local business angels have full portfolios, while national investors are less visible in the city than before.

This trend is compounded by geopolitical uncertainty and lower valuations, making fundraising more difficult for growth-ready startups.

In recent years, Aarhus has seen several major initiatives to strengthen the ecosystem. Most recently, Aarhus University Research Foundation, HEARTLAND, Norlys and Salling Group have launched Delphinus Venture CapitalFuel for startups' rocket ride. Venture capital is pro investors who create pool funds to seek innovation, and to mentor. It is high risk, high reward journeys. More – a new fund focused on knowledge-intensive innovation and research-based startups.

Despite this progress, the city council believes that targeted efforts are still needed to ensure access to venture capital across stages.