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# News March 17, 2022: Yabie, Nordtech, Ecotype, Pliance, Storytel and more
- URL: https://www.swedishtechnews.com/news-march-17-2022/
- Published: 2022-03-17T15:59:32.000Z
- Updated: 2023-09-24T15:06:17.000Z
- Description: Here is today's curation of news from Sweden's startup and tech sector, as well as some interesting reads, exclusively for subscribers of Swedish Tech News.
- Author: Martin Weigert
- Tags: Daily (PRO), yabie, Nordtech, ecotype, pliance, storytel, Spotify, orderhero, VEQ, LRF Ventures, exits

Here is today's curation of news from Sweden's startup and tech sector.

💡

This post has been unlocked and made available for free a month after publication.  
  
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**Mergers & acquisitions**

- [Yabie](https://www.yabie.com/) (Stockholm, flexible and mobile POS & payment platform) acquired [Infrasec](https://www.infrasec.se/), Stockholm-based provider of cloud-based solutions for tax compliance & smart payments. Financial terms were not disclosed ([Swedish](https://news.cision.com/se/yabie-ab/r/yabie-forvarvar-sakerhetsbolaget-infrasec,c3525939), [machine translation](https://news-cision-com.translate.goog/se/yabie-ab/r/yabie-forvarvar-sakerhetsbolaget-infrasec,c3525939?%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fsl=auto&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Ftl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fhl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fpto=wapp)).

**Financing rounds**

- [Nordtech Group](https://nordtechgroup.com/) (Stockholm, acquirer of niche software companies): SEK1B (€96M, $106M) from around 20 unnamed existing investors ([Swedish](https://www.di.se/digital/tar-in-miljard-till-kop-av-lonsamma-mjukvarubolag/), [machine translation](https://www-di-se.translate.goog/digital/tar-in-miljard-till-kop-av-lonsamma-mjukvarubolag/?%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fsl=auto&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Ftl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fhl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fpto=wapp)).
- [Ecotype](https://ecotype.se/) (Uppsala, simplifying nature information and digitalizing forestry): SEK8M (€760K, $850K) from VEQ and LRF Ventures ([English](https://veq.vc/2022/03/17/veq-is-now-backing-forest-proptech-company-ecotype/), [Swedish](https://www.breakit.se/artikel/32376/ecotype-fixar-en-saas-losning-for-skogen-ligger-langt-efter)).

\>> Daily updated, subscriber-exclusive Google sheet with all funding rounds raised by private Swedish startups and scaleups. [Request access](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a4JfphPOita15GMQBONzOHQwtkClDHubEkMkpF1b8eM/edit?usp=sharing).

**News from Swedish startups, the tech sector and VCs**

- [Pliance](https://pliance.io/) provides API-based anti money laundering automation for fintechs and other industries. Various high-profile corruption scandals among Swedish companies as well as the sanctions against Russia are fueling demand, says Siam Choudhury, CEO of the Stockholm-based startup ([Swedish](https://www.di.se/digital/hjalper-foretag-att-spara-sanktionslistade-kunder-ser-uppsving-efter-kriget/), [machine translation](https://www-di-se.translate.goog/digital/hjalper-foretag-att-spara-sanktionslistade-kunder-ser-uppsving-efter-kriget/?%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fsl=auto&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Ftl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fhl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fpto=wapp)).
- [Storytel](https://www.storytel.com), Stockholm-based audiobook and ebook subscription service, is laying off 100 out of its 700 employees ([Swedish](https://www.breakit.se/artikel/32377/bekraftat-100-av-700-far-ga-fran-storytel), [machine translation](https://www-breakit-se.translate.goog/artikel/32377/bekraftat-100-av-700-far-ga-fran-storytel?%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fsl=auto&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Ftl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fhl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fpto=wapp)).
- [Spotify](http://www.spotify.com) is recruiting people to work on early-stage, experimental projects related to web3 and blockchain, according to two job ads ([English](https://www.ft.com/content/9e77bf41-5814-4c18-96f6-f800f6b41216) / *FT paywall*, [alternative URL](https://archive.ph/wrWYe)).
- Klarna's acquisition of [PriceRunner](https://www.pricerunner.com/), which was announced in November 2021, has reportedly been approved by Sweden's Financial Supervisory Authority ([Swedish](https://www.di.se/digital/klarnas-mangmiljardkop-av-pricerunner-far-gront-ljus/) / *DI Digital paywall*)
- Kim Fai Kok, Truecaller veteran, shares learnings after his first 12 months as professional angel investor ([English](https://sifted.eu/articles/angel-investing-lessons/) / *Sifted paywall*, [alternative URL](https://archive.ph/RqXT1)).
- Northern Swedish startups can now apply for SEK44M in innovation checks through Vinnova ([English](https://www.techarenan.news/2022/03/17/northern-swedish-startups-can-now-apply-for-sek-44-million-in-innovation-checks/)).
- [Orderhero](https://www.orderhero.se/), Stockholm-based digital solutions provider for restaurants, plans to go public on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market in April at a valuation of SEK55M (€5.3M, $5.8M) ([Swedish](https://www.di.se/digital/restaurangapp-till-first-north/), [machine translation](https://www-di-se.translate.goog/digital/restaurangapp-till-first-north/?%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fsl=auto&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Ftl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fhl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fpto=wapp)).
- The European Space Agency and AI Sweden are opening a space lab in Gothenburg to work on AI in new space applications and applications for Earth observation ([English](https://www.ai.se/en/news/european-space-agency-and-ai-sweden-are-opening-space-lab-gothenburg)).
- E-commerce sales in Sweden dropped by 17% in February 2022 compared to the same period of 2021 ([Swedish](https://www.market.se/affarsnyheter/forsaljning/kraftigt-tapp-for-e-handeln-hogtrycket-mattas-av/), [machine translation](https://www-market-se.translate.goog/affarsnyheter/forsaljning/kraftigt-tapp-for-e-handeln-hogtrycket-mattas-av/?%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fsl=auto&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Ftl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fhl=en&%5Fx%5Ftr%5Fpto=wapp)).

**Other interesting things from the startup/VC world & beyond**

- France-based [Educapital](https://www.educapital.fr/) raises Europe’s largest edtech fund at €100M, targeting €150M, to invest in 20 European edtech startups from post-seed to Series B, with Series A as the main target ([English](https://sifted.eu/articles/educapital-fund-edtech-europe/) / *Sifted paywall*, [alternative URL](https://archive.ph/k6syw)).
- Investor appetite continues to grow for “restaurant tech” companies ([English](https://news.crunchbase.com/news/restaurant-tech-venture-capital-startups-cloudkitchens/)).

**Other interesting things from Sweden**

- The latest Sustainable Brand Index for Sweden has been published. IKEA, Coop and Änglamark occupy the overall top 3\. Swish scores the victory in the "Digital services" category, Matsmart ranks #1 in "E-commerce" ([English](https://www.sb-index.com/sweden)).
- Why is there a Swedish-speaking village in rural Ukraine? ([English](https://www.thelocal.se/20220317/why-is-there-a-swedish-speaking-village-in-rural-ukraine/) / *The Local paywall*, [alternative URL](https://archive.ph/2022.03.17-114831/https://www.thelocal.se/20220317/why-is-there-a-swedish-speaking-village-in-rural-ukraine/)).

+++

That's it for today.