Future power elite in Aarhus grows out of the startup community

When the startup festival SMIL brings together founders, investors and ecosystem actors in Aarhus today, it takes place in a city where power may be changing. Århus Stiftstidende has just mapped both the current power elite in Aarhus and the potential power elite of the future. The lists were compiled by the newspaper in collaboration with a jury that included Mette Hoberg Tønnesen, CEO of Startup Aarhus. This link is naturally interesting on a day when Startup Aarhus with SMIL is trying to bring together the environments where new companies, relationships and future influence can emerge.

Stiften’s power list shows a city where the established influence still lies with the city hall, the university, foundations, business groups, urban developers and major cultural institutions. At the top are profiles such as Mayor Anders Winnerskjold, Bestseller owner Anders Holch Povlsen, Schouw & Co. director Jens Bjerg Sørensen and AU Rector Brian Bech Nielsen. These are people and institutions with political mandates, capital, organizations and the ability to make big projects happen. But Stiften’s list of the future power elite also points out that a new type of power is emerging around the startup environment. Here, the influence is less formal. Instead, it lies in the ability to build companies, raise capital, gather networks, attract talent and connect Aarhus with international markets.

Read also: Startup festival will drive startups forward, but keeps the Aarhus spirit: “Successes are created together” – TechSavvy

The new power elite differs from the old by not primarily occupying formal positions in city councils, foundations or boardrooms. It consists more of former founders, venture profiles and new entrepreneurs working at the intersection of technology, capital and international scaling. They are profiles like Stefan Rosenlund, Kresten Krab Thorup and Geeta Schmidt, who have built or sold companies and are now applying their experience, capital and networks to the next generation. It’s also founders like Jane Ulsøe, Lasse Kjær, Jakob Lilholm, Sara Schjemte Madsen, Cathrine Reimann and Camilla Swartz who are building companies in AI, SaaS, HR tech, experience economy and digital marketplaces. And then there are capital players like Mathias Brink Lorenz, who with Delphinus Venture Capital will help decide which knowledge-intensive startups will have the opportunity to grow from Aarhus. Together, they paint a picture of a city where the future of influence can increasingly emerge where new, progressive companies are born.

10 profiles of the future startup power elite

Stefan Rosenlund

Former founder of Zitcom and now active investor through Dreamers Collective. He invests in Relewise, Cernel and Understory and represents a new type of business profile in Aarhus: founders who stay in the city and help the next generation. Rosenlund is also one of the profiles behind a new Nordic AI fund of DKK 200 million.

Lasse Kjær

Co-founder of Truestory and Understory. After a DKK 90 million investment, Understory has become a clear example of how Aarhus-based startups can build global platforms from local environments.

Jane Ulsøe

Founder of Roccai, working with AI-powered customer experiences and data-driven product guides. She is part of a new wave of founders making artificial intelligence tangible for businesses – most recently with a multi-million investment for international growth.

Cathrine Reimann and Camilla Swartz

Co-founders of Landfolk, who have turned design, lifestyle and technology into the foundation of an international marketplace for hand-picked vacation homes. They were previously TechSavvy’s Startup of the Week with the story of their journey from Airbnb experience to new vacation rental platform.

Mathias Brink Lorenz

Director of Delphinus Venture Capital, which has raised DKK 600 million for knowledge-intensive startups. With the new Aarhus-based venture fund, the city gets a capital environment closer to research-based companies.

Jakob Lilholm

Co-founder and CEO of Formalize, which has grown from Aarhus to Europe with thousands of customers and offices in several countries. He represents the new generation of B2B SaaS founders with international scale from the beginning – most recently marked by a DKK 225 million investment round.

Kresten Krab Thorup

Co-founder of Humio, which was sold to CrowdStrike for DKK 2.4 billion. One of the most prominent tech founders from Aarhus and again active in new projects in the city. He is also one of the profiles that show how technical depth and international outlook can create global tech successes from Aarhus.

Geeta Schmidt

Former Humio co-founder and now partner at Seed Capital. She connects Aarhus with international venture experience and Silicon Valley perspective – and is an important role model for new founders who want to build globally from the city.

Stefan Overby Stamm

Founder of Prduct, working with product data, suppliers and documentation in a time of increasing EU requirements for accountability and sustainability. An example of tech built for regulation, transparency and supply chains.

Sara Schjemte Madsen

Founder of bclude, which develops digital HR solutions for maternity leave, absence and reimbursement. She represents a type of founder who builds on concrete experiences in working life and translates them into scalable software. Bclude was among the promising fintech startups TechSavvy has previously highlighted.