Nordic-based Techarena Secures €1.1Million Funding From BackingMinds

The investment will help Techarena grow its events, launch new programs, and lead pan-European efforts to boost innovation resilience.

Founded in 2014, Techarena connects startups and scaleups from over 120 countries with investors, policymakers, and industry leaders. Its flagship events include Techarena Challenge, TOP46, and Time to Raise, featuring past speakers like Steve Wozniak, Richard Branson, Al Gore, Steven Bartlett, and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.

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In the last three years, Techarena’s revenue has grown by 600%, and over 18,000 founders, investors, and business leaders have joined its events and initiatives in the past year alone.

Susanne Najafi, founder of BackingMinds, said: Europe stands at a critical moment for innovation. Especially in uncertain times, building a resilient Europe is essential. Techarena is at the heart of creating a thriving innovation ecosystem, perfectly positioned to leverage Europe’s massive tech and digital infrastructure investments. We’ve followed the company for over a decade and share a common vision, to make capital and networks more accessible to a broader range of outstanding entrepreneurs. We are incredibly proud to be backing Techarena on their trailblazing expansion.

The new capital will help to accelerate Techarena's international footprint, including events, programs, and other founder-focused initiatives.

Omid Ekhlasi, founder and CEO of Techarena, said: I’ve known Susanne and Sara for a long time and have been one of their biggest fans. Bringing such exceptional entrepreneurs with the right values and bold international ambitions on board felt like a natural next step. With BackingMinds now part of the journey, we continue our mission to support entrepreneurs through a platform that creates real value by enabling growth. Techarena is expanding into Europe with a strong community and the ambition to make a lasting mark.

Analysts project that Europe’s business events and innovation platforms market will reach $124 billion by 2030. With recent acquisitions and major investments on the rise, these platforms are proving to be key drivers of future innovation—highlighting a major opportunity for everyone involved in Europe’s innovation and startup ecosystem.

About Techarena

Techarena’s mission is to celebrate entrepreneurship and give founders a platform to showcase their products and services in front of a wider audience. The competition also shines a spotlight on Sweden and the Nordic region as hubs for innovation and fast-growing startups that are transforming industries globally. Techarena also acts as a connecting space for entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, media, policymakers, and partners.