Skip to content
Programme 15–16 April – Main event 15–16 April – Workshops 17 April – Belgian Accelerator Day 17–18 April – Accelerator sessions Side events Studios About the programme Speakers Expo Latest About WCEF – the story so far Partners Practical information Media

Circular investing: redefining risks in the circular economy

Due diligence is a critical process that investors undertake to understand and mitigate investment risks. Current standards still often focus on traditional investment criteria, largely neglecting social and environmental aspects. This workshop aims to address this gap by discussing the integration of circular economy risk factors into the due diligence process. Participants will work together to identify strategies for incorporating circular economy assessments into various elements of company evaluations. The insights gathered during this session will contribute to the development of a public circularity due diligence checklist for early-stage investors.

Organisers: Nordic Innovation and Venture Challenge

Target audience (max. 50 participants*): early-stage investors (angels, VCs, etc.), founders of circular economy companies that have raised or are planning to raise external funding, circular economy specialists

*Please note that workshops are not livestreamed, and they are only available for those in-person participants who have registered to take part in them.

Programme

Introduction

The importance of due diligence standards in finance

Group discussions

Group presentations and discussions 

Summary of key inputs and workshop conclusions

Freyr Friðfinnsson

Freyr Friðfinnsson

Project Manager
KLAK Icelandic Startups

Freyr has dedicated five years to working with KLAK, supporting over 80 startups annually through multiple business accelerators and workshops. Notably, one of their initiatives is Hringiða, a circular economy accelerator established in 2021 in collaboration with global partners such as IBMS and Inspiralia. Additionally, as partners in Venture Challenge, KLAK assists emerging fund managers with their challenges, driven by their passion for evolving the venture ecosystem in the Nordics. Freyr also serves on the board of Nordic Innovation, contributing to shaping the innovation landscape in the region. He has a bachelor's in software engineering from the University of Reykjavik and a master's in entrepreneurship and innovation management from KTH in Stockholm.

Read full bio

Related UN sustainable development goals