They are ready! Are you?

We met with Jeremy McCrohan, Managing Director at Uncommon, and Åshild Aarø, Co-founder and partner at Pando Partners at Medieklyngen to talk about Demo Day Vestlandet 2025.

And did we tell you that these two are the hosts of Demo Day Vestlandet this year? While gearing up for the event, we asked them what we are to look forward to, and why every founder, investor and ecosystem player should be there.

So, what are you most looking forward to as hostess of Demo Day Vestlandet 2025, Åshild?

- Seeing the West Coast take a leap forward as a place where more founders dare to build and more investors actively choose to back them. We know the talent is here, and connecting it with capital is what sparks growth for the whole region.

Why will this be the best Demo Day of all Demo Days?

- Every year Bergen gets a little stronger as a startup hub, but this year the ambition and quality of the companies are clearly higher. We know the capital is there, the challenge is to move it faster into the right companies. I can feel this urgency in the air, and I expect more deals than ever this year.

What are you personally most excited about on the day?

- That moment when a founder and an investor click and you can see a new growth journey begin. For us at Pando Partners it is also about watching environmental solutions from this region get the backing they need to grow at home and expand into Europe.

Jeremy Mccrohan i s looking forward to gathering the most active investors in the region, and the most exciting companies together again in one room to collectively hear and see the exciting progress that's happening in the entrepreneurial scene across the Western part of Norway.

Why is it important to sign up for this event, Jeremy?

 We are already collaborative here in Bergen, but we need to continue to increase that collaboration. We also have extensive dry powder (read risk capital) ready to be deployed from VC’s, CVC’s, Family Offices, and High-Net-Worth individuals but we need more or it, and we need those holding the purse-strings to take on more risk. Wide-reaching events like Demo Day Vestlandet provide an opportunity for investors and key ecosystem actors to mingle, get to know each other better, and gain awareness and understanding of the next wave of innovation stemming from the region. This increased connection amongst regional innovators, partners and investors builds trust, and unlocks capital and opportunities that (if we keep at it) will ultimately lead to a success flywheel. It is crucially important to show support and nurture this nascent but growing ecosystem. Plus it’s lots of fun!!

What are you personally most excited about on the day?

 I am most excitied about hosting with Åshild! and hopefully (🤞🤞🤞) seeing Ove Gjelsvik do another rap song - only this year, I hope he will also include some light break-dancing or crumping moves, to accompany the lyrics. Other than that, I’m looking forward to getting an update on what’s happening at the coal face of the Vestland innovation ecosystem.