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Team Codest were recently at the STHLM Tech Fest 2019 in Stockholm, where there were 5000 startup founders, investors, designers, developers and journalists in one place. Was it worth taking part in this event? Definitely. Here is a short summary of the conference seen through my eye.
The STHLM Tech Fest 2019 conference has gone down in history. I have no doubt it was a really powerful time. I often participate in this type of event and this was one of the best conferences I have been to in Europe. I remember only one conference that I would rank higher – it took place six years ago in San Francisco and concerned the marketplace. But in any case, STHLM Tech Fest 2019 has given me many interesting experiences that I would like to share with you.
I was impressed with the substantive level of the speeches and workshops in which I took part. They were specific, concise and to the point, focusing on only the most important bullet points. Sometimes at conferences, I leave with a completely different impression. However, I have always heard that Scandinavians are concrete people and that was the case.
Certainly, it is a great advantage that there are many interesting companies in Stockholm. There is one that I remember the most, Refunder, but I’ll tell you about that in a moment. In any case, I always emphasize that participation in conferences is a good place to look for business inspiration. This was also the case during STHLM Tech Fest, where I met positive and open-minded people with a business approach (no bullshit or mumbling) who shared many innovations with the participants.
In Stockholm, there were also VCs, startups and mentors. There were no problems with meeting or talking to someone. Although Nordic culture is pretty close, it was easy to find a spot to meet new people and discuss business ideas. In an earlier article, I wrote that Sweden – in particular Stockholm – creates great conditions for the development of startups. I learned with my own eyes during networking that if you are Nordic company, you always think big, never locally. It is pretty impressive approach.
I would also like to mention the company that made the biggest impression on me during STHLM Tech Fest – Refunder, based in Stockholm. It is a platform for online shopping that gives consumers money back every time they make a purchase. Refunder is the leading Swedish cash-back site and was launched in October 2013. Today, they have over 150.000 participating web stores and are operating in Poland. The main office is located in Stockholm, of course.
Over 500,000 customers in Sweden already use Refunder. Impressive, right? I predict a great future for them. The FinTech industries are developing dynamically, and as the numbers and their six-year activity show, they have found the group of recipients who willingly uses their product. I will definitely watch their development. Fingers crossed.
On a scale of 1–6, I rate the conference level at 5+. The + is for people who are open, with interesting insights and networking. If you are considering attending the next STHLM Tech Fest, do not hesitate.
By the way, I want to mention that on September 18 the WETS conference in Warsaw will take place, aimed at startups, decision-makers and experts from the ecommerce industry. If you would like to meet up to talk to us, let me know. We will be there as a joint speaker with our client Yieldbird. Hope to see you!
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