Staffan Helgesson, General Partner @ Creandum

Happy Wednesday from James Pringle, Hector Mason and the Riding Unicorns team!

This episode sees James Pringle and Hector Mason sit down with Staffan Helgesson, General Partner of Creandum. 

Creandum is one of Europe's top early stage investors focused on Seed and Series A across a range of sectors from fintech to SaaS to devtools to climate tech, consumer tech and, of course, AI. Breakthrough companies that Creandum backed early include Spotify, Depop, iZettle, Klarna, Bolt and Trade Republic. 

n this wide-ranging conversation, Staffan shares the incredible story of Creandum’s origin, starting in the Nordics over 20 years ago, and how it became one of Europe’s most successful and respected venture franchises.

From early challenges to establishing a long-term vision, we explore what it takes to build an enduring VC brand.

In this episode:
🇺🇸 How a trip to Stanford in 1999 inspired Staffan to build a VC firm in Europe
🎵 The early days of Creandum and backing Spotify pre-hype
💰 The strategy behind holding long and building funds for 17+ years
🧠 Advice for emerging managers on picking LPs and thinking long-term
🏦 Building a venture franchise vs. just a firm
⭐ Brand-building in VC and leveraging the power of the portfolio
🤖 The inside story on investing in Lovable, Europe’s hottest new startup
🇪🇺 Why Staffan remains bullish on European innovation despite structural challenges

A masterclass in longevity, strategy, and humility in venture capital—this is one for fund managers, founders, and startup ecosystem nerds alike.

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Have a great Wednesday, The Riding Unicorns team