Fredrik Cassel

Stockholm, General Partner

Fredrik is one of our General Partners based in Stockholm. He’s one of our most passionate product-first investors and is always looking for exciting solutions to huge problems.

After my studies in engineering physics, I wanted to get as far away from theoretical knowledge as possible. My curriculum was so removed from reality that I was dying to get closer to consumers, the market, and business. I went to work for a media company as this was an industry that had to put a new product into the hands of consumers every day and constantly re-earn their trust. I still admire this craft and it’s probably the root of my product obsession - I have a soft spot for entrepreneurs who put their users first.

Gemma, Fred, Michelle, and Beata in London

The media company I joined happened to own the largest search engine in the Nordics, which I ended up running. One day, our product leader approached me and said: “Look, there’s a company called Google that has launched a self-serve advertising product called Adwords. Should we build something similar?“. We went for it; and it was a complete disaster. Adwords had a slow start in the US too but in the Nordics there was no way we could breathe life into this market. Our tech was inferior, our product not good enough and our customers weren’t ready. I felt firsthand that there’s an enormous benefit to being the best-funded, the fastest, and based in the right geographical location. Whilst the Nordics had many strengths, at that time there was no access to capital and there was a slower pace of technological innovation. It was clear that the epicenter of the tech world was elsewhere, and I was determined to bring myself closer to it.

Daniel, Simon, and Fred

I met Staffan as he was just starting Creandum in 2003. He told me that he wanted to back individuals building technologies that were capable of changing markets. He only had global category leaders in mind. I was immediately sold and applied as an Analyst. Even though we now have other titles, I am still an analyst at heart. 

Sabina and Fred together with KRY

I’ve never been driven by the ‘making money’ part of what we do. To me, financial returns are a byproduct of something much more exciting: Meeting and gaining conviction with outstanding entrepreneurs, working together through the ups and downs, seeing teams level up and pull through.

Fred together with Nick, Beata, Gemma, Peter, and Richard

Looking back over my twenty years with Creandum, I know for a fact that my achievements are a direct result of the collective efforts of the team. Our company's culture has undoubtedly enriched my capabilities as an investor, reinforcing my belief that real greatness is achieved together.

Johan, Jesper, Carl, and Fred

As an entrepreneur, there are a thousand things you can do. We help to focus on the few things that drive value and are critical in building a company. Being an investor doesn’t mean knowing everything - not at all. But we pride ourselves in knowing individuals who do know and help to get priorities straight and always raise the bar. 

There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing how technology in the hands of the right entrepreneurs can be an incredible force for change and for good and I for one cherish the privilege of supporting these innovators on their journey to success.

Depop that shit!

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