Backstage AB
Family officeStockholm · Seed–Late Stage · 2 people tracked
Investment thesis
Backstage is the investment arm of a Swedish single family office that has invested its own capital since the 1980s, rather than operating as a traditional VC fund. It backs proven entrepreneurs leading Nordic scale-ups with strong growth potential, requiring evidence of real traction and growing revenues, so it avoids very early-stage deals. The firm favors technology-driven opportunities and steers clear of highly capital-intensive sectors. Investment decisions follow its 'Seven Pillars of T': Team, Trust, Track Record, Traction, Timing, Tech and Trajectory. As active, hands-on owners it supports management with experience and network access, frequently co-investing alongside private investors and VC funds, and generally seeking a viable exit path over time.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
Team · 2 people
from public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 17 of 43 portfolio companiesConsumer ×7SaaS ×5AI & Machine Learning ×4E-commerce ×4Fintech ×4Marketplaces ×3Crypto & Web3 ×2Data & Infrastructure ×2
HQs:Sweden×9Finland×1Hong Kong×1United States×1
Investments · 43 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathA leading Swedish self-storage operator; IPO 2019, later acquired and now operating as Green Storage (exit).
Animoca Brands invests in blockchain and digital asset projects across gaming, infrastructure, culture, and real-world asset categories, with a portfolio of 600+ companies and a focus on Web3 ecosystem development.
B2B MarketplacesCrypto & Web3GamingSector Agnostic
Yat Siu(Founder & CEO)Robby Yungin
Co-investors2080 Ventures500 GlobalA'Z AngelsAdit Ventures Management, LlcAlpha Wave GlobalAppWorks Ventures+37 more
An influencer marketing SaaS platform acquired by Klarna in 2021 (exit).
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
BCB Medical is a clinical data analytics company that collects, processes, and analyzes real-world health data from hospitals, healthcare professionals, and patients to support evidence-based treatment decisions.
Data & InfrastructureDigital HealthHealthtechHelsinki, FI
Co-investorsInnovestor Ventures
Career Karma helps individuals explore and compare career training programs and matches them to education pathways based on their interests, financial needs, and learning preferences.
EdTechFuture of WorkMarketplacesSan Francisco, US
Timur Meyster(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Ruben A. Harris(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Artur Meyster(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Ruben Harris(Founder)in
Co-investorsBackstage CapitalChaos VenturesFlucas VenturesOssian CapitalTrousdale VenturesVista Venture Partners+7 more
Carl Ek Fastigheter is a private real estate development company that builds residential housing in Stockholm and Uppsala with a focus on sustainable construction.
Climate TechConstruction TechPropTechStockholm, SE
Online gambling innovator behind Kwiff, a sports-betting and casino app using a proprietary in-house built platform.
Euroflorist operates an online marketplace connecting customers worldwide with a network of over 54,000 local florists to deliver fresh flowers and gifts.
Direct to ConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesMalmö, SE
Peter JungbeckLars Hedberg
Greenely offers a platform that lets households control, optimize, and reduce their electricity costs while earning from their energy automatically.
CleantechConsumerEnergyIoTSaaSSweden, SE
Co-investorsbyFoundersLuminar VenturesKorys
Haypp Group is an e-commerce company selling nicotine pouches and snus online, serving consumers shifting from combustible tobacco to smokeless products.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceHealthtechRetail Tech
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
Indicio is a forecasting and scenario planning platform that lets companies apply multivariate models incorporating external market, economic, and consumer data to their internal forecasts, with automated model building, backtesting, and driver explainability.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Frans Andersen(Co-Founder & CEO)David(Co-Founder)Daniel(Co-Founder)
Co-investorsHard Yaka
IPercept provides condition monitoring and predictive maintenance for CNC machines, collecting motion and vibration data via a smart device on the machine's kinematic chain to detect developing faults in components like axes, spindles, and joints.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningDeep TechIoT
Karoly SzipkaAndreas Archenti(Professor)
Co-investorsJ12 VenturesLuminar VenturesRunwayFBUAI Fund
A pioneer VC fund in Sweden; management buy-out in 2004 (exit).
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
Klarna is a mobile banking and payments platform that offers flexible payment options, shopping features, and financial management tools to millions of users globally through partnerships with thousands of merchants.
ConsumerE-commerceFintechStockholm, SE
Sebastian Siemiatkowski(Co-founder & CEO)Victor Jacobsson(Co-founder)in
Co-investorsAdit Ventures Management, LlcAlpha Wave GlobalBase PartnersChaos VenturesCNIECP Growth+24 more
Kwick offers a digital receipt and expense management app that automatically registers company card transactions, lets employees report receipts at the point of purchase, and sends automated reports to the finance department.
FintechSaaS
Holds exclusive commercial rights to market and sell Xanté, a top-selling super-premium liqueur, on the North American market.
Marshall manufactures and sells audio equipment including speakers, headphones, and home audio systems for music enthusiasts and consumers.
ConsumerHardware
Co-investorsAltor
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
OpenCard provides an expense management API for Expense Management Systems, delivering real-time transaction data, digital receipts, and per-transaction environmental impact metrics as JSON.
AI & Machine LearningFintechSaaS
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
The leading nightclub in Gothenburg; management buy-out in 2016 (exit).
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
Prisjakt is a price comparison website that lets consumers compare prices on products such as electronics, medicines, and perfumes across online and physical retailers.
ConsumerE-commerceMarketplaces
Co-investorseEquity AB
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
Former portfolio holding (exit example).
Truecaller offers a caller ID and spam-blocking app that identifies incoming calls and filters spam using community-contributed names and on-device processing.
ConsumerCybersecuritySaaSSocialStockholm, SE
Alan Mamedi(Co-founder)inNami Zarringhalam(Co-founder)
Co-investorsKleiner PerkinsOpenOceanAtomicoSequoia CapitalBalderton CapitalIsomer Capital+6 more
Varenne is an investment firm that supports companies on their growth journey.
Volumental provides 3D foot measurement technology and AI-powered footwear recommendation system for retail stores.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareRetail Tech
Co-investorsCNIForward Venture Capitalnode.vcFOUNDER.org
Exits · 2
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioMarshall Groupacq. by HongShan Capital GroupSAVRacq. by Länsförsäkringar Bank
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesHaypp Group · investing.com · Aug 12, 2026
Truecaller · techcrunch.com · Jul 31, 2026
Animoca Brands · cryptobriefing.com · Jun 25, 2026
IPercept · arcticstartup.com · Feb 11, 2026
Klarna · livemint.com · May 19, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Backstage AB made?
- Backstage AB has 42 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO.
- What stage does Backstage AB invest at?
- Backstage AB invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What is Backstage AB's typical check size?
- Backstage AB typically writes checks of $108K – $1.1M.
- What sectors does Backstage AB focus on?
- Backstage AB focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Machine Learning, Consumer, Crypto & Web3, E-commerce, Energy, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Retail Tech, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Backstage AB located?
- Backstage AB is headquartered in Stockholm, SE.
- Does Backstage AB lead rounds?
- Backstage AB typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does Backstage AB co-invest with?
- Backstage AB most often shares deals with Adit Ventures Management, Llc, Alpha Wave Global, Luminar Ventures, among 74 tracked co-investors.
Similar investors
AppWorks is a Taiwan-based venture capital firm and accelerator founded by former founders, backing tech startups across Greater Southeast Asia since 2009.
The Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund is a not-for-profit initiative of Alibaba Group that provides investment capital and strategic guidance to entrepreneurs and young people, focusing on Hong Kong and Taiwan-nexus startups.
SBI Investment Korea is a Korean asset management firm within the SBI Group that operates venture capital and private equity funds, positioning itself as a 'New Industry Creator'.
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm founded by Vinod Khosla.
Advent International is a global private equity firm that partners with management teams to build market leaders through buyouts, corporate carve-outs, and value creation across selected sectors.