Slush, the world's leading startup and tech event, was held in Helsinki, Finland this year. We were excited to join forces with Samsung NEXT to discuss founder's journeys to get juicy details on what it was like for them starting out, the opportunities they saw, and the challenges they faced along the way.
Adyen - Pieter Van Der Does
Adyen is an online payment company that connects shopper insights between online and physical sales, allowing for more personalized shopper journeys and a more consistent experience at each touchpoint a customer has with a business.
A leading expert with over 15 years experience in the payments industry, Pieter van der Does, was CCO at Bibit before co-founding Adyen in 2006. Since then, Adyen has grown from a startup into a global operation, averaging double-digit annual growth since 2007.
TIER Mobility - Lawrence Leuschner
TEIR Mobility is a Berlin-based startup that operates a fleet of 20,000 electric scooters across 40 cities in 12 countries.
CEO & Co-Founder Lawrence Leuschner is working to position the company as a leading player in the “micro-mobility” market in Europe and globally. Previously Lawrence was the CEO and Co-Founder of reBuy, Europe’s leading online electronics and media retailer.
Ada - Claire Novorol
Claire is Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Ada Health, an AI-powered health guide that helps people understand their health and navigate to appropriate care. Ranked as the number one medical app in over 130 countries, Ada has completed over 6 million health assessments worldwide.
Before founding Ada, Claire worked as a Paediatrician in London before specialising in Clinical Genetics. She has degrees in Pathology and Medicine as well as a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge. Claire is also the founder of Doctorpreneurs, a global community for doctors interested in healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship.
IQM Quantum Computers - Jan Goetz
IQM is building scalable cryogenic hardware for general-purpose quantum computers. The startup is developing high-speed quantum processors which help to reduce the error rates that currently limit quantum computers.
Jan received his PhD on superconducting quantum circuits in 2017 from TU Munich and continued as a Postdoc in Helsinki at Aalto University. As the CEO of IQM, Jan is working to develop a fast lane for quantum computing using innovative processor technology.
Daye - Valentina Milanova
Valentina Milanova is Founder and CEO of Daye. They have developed a pain-relieving tampon, infused with cannabidiol (CBD) extracted from hemp.
Going beyond industry standards, the tampons are medically approved and sustainable, and are sold with a subscription model in sync with the customer’s cycle. Daye are working to transform a taboo market that is saturated by established players and little innovation.
Boom Technology - Joe Wilding
Boom is a Denver-based aircraft company working on the future of supersonic travel. The company is currently working to create 55-seat airplanes that fly at twice the speed of sound, and at prices that compete with today’s business-class fares.
Joe came to Boom with significant experience in the aerospace industry. He played engineering and leadership roles on aircraft and certification programs at Hawker Beechcraft, Adam Aircraft Industries, Eclipse Aviation, and ICON Aircraft. In addition to his work on several experimental and military projects, Joe has led development of several passenger aircraft from start to finish.
Amazon.com - Andreas Weigend
Dr. Andreas Weigend is the author of “Data for the People”. As the former Chief Scientist at Amazon, he helped create the company’s data strategy and culture of innovation. He went on to coach Jack Ma on Alibaba’s data strategy, and in 2018, Angela Merkel appointed him to Germany’s Digital Council.
As advisor and consultant, Adreas now helps organisations ask the right questions, leveraging data and analytics. His clients include airlines, banks, fashion retailers, and healthcare companies.