The Nordic innovation scene is moving fast. AI-native startups are emerging at speed, collaboration is increasing, and new companies are forming with fewer constraints than before.
In this episode of Simply Briefed, Kristine speaks with Adrian McDonald, CEO of Epicenter, about what these signals actually mean when looking into 2026. They explore the growing gap between founders building with AI from day one and enterprises navigating security, skills, and structural friction.
Rather than focusing on isolated success stories, the conversation looks at what it takes to turn individual wins into shared momentum — and whether the Nordics can build systems that scale innovation across companies, industries, and borders.
Turning an idea into something real is never just about timing or technology — it’s about understanding what truly matters. In this episode, we open up the early-stage world with Jon Kåre Stene, Partner & Co-founder of Skyfall Ventures and former COO of Oda.com.
Skyfall Ventures is an Oslo-based pre-seed and seed-stage VC investing in ambitious founders building technology with global potential.
More at: https://www.skyfall.vc/
Together, we explore why some ideas survive the AI wave while others stay concepts, how real problems become the backbone of strong companies, and what signals investors look for long before there’s traction.
Key topics
How early-stage investors read signals long before traction
Why real problems matter more than clever ideas
How AI tools shorten the distance from idea to impact
What makes founders stand out in fast-moving environments
Why some ideas gain momentum while others disappear
The mindset behind spotting “10% moonshot” potential
The culture shift inside the modern startup ecosystem
We also touch on two references from the conversation:
Chris Sacca on Dialectic: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6o9q6GKgiphuyWK3KqZR1s?si=3VObI5wfQb-BUdr6YshCZA
Coteau on team size and efficiency:https://open.spotify.com/episode/7h8ctH9qH746Dj20h0QDIx?si=7LnMjO9yQqCKQ6qCp0cZ_w
This episode isn’t just for founders — it’s for anyone curious about how innovation actually works today, when AI tools lower barriers and the time from idea to impact has never been shorter.
How early-stage investment actually works - A quick cheat sheet based on the episode:
Pre-seed / seed / Series A — the earliest stages of a startup, long before profitability.
Venture capital (VC) — investors provide funding in exchange for ownership, betting that a few wins pay for the many that don’t make it.
Valuation — an updated estimate of what a company is worth at each funding round.
What VCs look for today — data, distribution, margins, and a real problem worth solving.
“50x case” — an investment that could realistically grow fiftyfold.
Why so many startups fail — 8–9 out of 10 don’t succeed, which is why VCs search for early signs of exceptional potential.
Follow Simply Briefed for more insights! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcast, connect on LinkedIn, and join the conversation.
Guest: Jon Kåre Stene Skyfall Ventures
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
Most of us feel like we’re late to the AI game — but research says otherwise.
McKinsey shows nearly 80% of companies have started using AI, yet only one in ten have scaled it strategically. Thomson Reuters adds that fewer than a quarter have a clear AI strategy, while PwC finds that budgets and ambitions are rising faster than results.
In this episode, host Kristine Lium talks with Linn Solvang — AI enthusiast and founder of Passion4Fitness — about what AI readiness really means. Linn shares insights from helping Norwegian businesses assess their readiness and turn curiosity into action.
Together, we explore:
The gap between personal and professional readiness
Why organizations stall between intention and action
How openness and sharing speed up adoption
Guest Bio: Linn Solvang — AI enthusiast and founder, Passion4Fitness
Linn Solvang is an entrepreneur driven by curiosity — exploring how AI can make a real difference in everyday business.
What began as a personal experiment to make her own company, Passion4Fitness, more efficient quickly became a journey into what’s possible when curiosity meets technology.
As she saw the results, Linn began sharing her experiences with others — showing that AI isn’t just for tech companies but a tool any business can learn from and grow with.
She now helps others see how AI can unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation, and smarter ways of working.
With her natural curiosity and hands-on approach, Linn has become a voice for practical AI adoption — bringing together entrepreneurs and professionals to test, learn, and build confidence in using AI to take their businesses forward.
Keywords: AI adoption, AI readiness, digital transformation, Nordic business, leadership
AI isn’t just a tool anymore — it’s becoming part of the team. HR analyst Anna Carlsson joins Kristine Lium to explore what happens when AI becomes a true coworker — and why the future of HR will depend on understanding data as deeply as people.
What if your next teammate wasn’t human?
As AI systems start to work alongside us, organizations face a major shift: how do we lead, recruit, and design culture when machines become part of the team? Anna explains why the HR function of the future is about data, design, and ethics — and how that changes leadership and culture.
Key topics
Organizations haven’t really changed — but our coworkers have.
HR’s new role: connecting people, purpose, and technology.
About the guest
Name: Anna Carlsson
Title: HR Tech analyst, advisor, and founder of HR Digi Background: With 20+ years across IBM, consulting, and digital transformation, she helps HR leaders connect people, technology, and strategy. Recognized among the Top 100 Global Voices in HR Tech.
Personal quote:
“What drives me is making complexity understandable – helping people feel confident, not overwhelmed, by technology. I’m passionate about building the skills and structures HR needs to lead in a digital era – with clarity, courage, and care.”
A quiet shift is happening in our devices—and it’s changing how we work, collaborate, and trust AI.AI isn’t just a tool we open—it’s becoming something that quietly supports us in the background.
In this episode of Simply Briefed, we’re joined by Michel Bouman from Microsoft to explore what happens when AI is built directly into your tools—and even your devices.
We dive into how invisible AI, hardware integration, and Copilot+ are reshaping:
productivity
privacy and trust
AI adoption in cautious organizations
emerging roles and human-in-the-loop responsibility
This conversation goes beyond the Microsoft ecosystem—offering takeaways for anyone exploring how assistants, agents, and automations are reshaping the way we work.
🎧 Part of our series on Assistants, Agents & Automations.
Follow Simply Briefed for more insights! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcast, connect on LinkedIn, and join the conversation.
Guest:
Michel Bouman is the AI Powered Workplace Lead for EMEA & APAC at Microsoft, where he drives innovation within the Teams engineering org and the broader Copilot ecosystem.
With 20+ years of experience in digital transformation and collaboration technologies, Michel empowers organizations to explore how AI, trust, and usability intersect at scale. His focus: building intelligent workplaces where assistants and automations enhance—not replace—human contribution.
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
Automation isn’t new — but it’s evolving fast.
In this episode of Simply Briefed, host Kristine Lium explores what automation really means in today’s workplace, why consistency may matter more than speed, and how to decide where automation truly creates value.
Drawing on insights from Nordic companies like Normain, this episode breaks down:
The difference between task and process automation
What it takes — and costs — to automate
The guardrails that keep humans in control
And how to recognize when automation actually supports your expertise
Stay tuned until the end for a look ahead: agents, assistants, and how to navigate what’s coming next.
Keywords: Automation · AI · Agents · Assistants · Knowledge Work · Human in the Loop · Future of Work · Nordic AI
Key Topics
Consistency over speed · Defining processes · Automation readiness · Costs vs. value · Human oversight · Practical use cases
Stay tuned until the end for a look ahead: agents, assistants, and how to navigate what’s coming next.
Follow Simply Briefed for more insights! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcast, connect on LinkedIn, and join the conversation.
Guest: Simply Briefed Host Solo episode
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
Voice tech is changing how we work. Tandem Health’s Oliver Åstrand joins us to explore what happens when we stop typing—and start talking to our tools.
We’re entering a new phase of human–machine interaction. Not with clicks. Not with swipes. But with our voices.
In this episode, we talk to Oliver Åstrand, co-founder and CTO of Tandem Health—a fast-growing health tech company using voice technology to radically reduce admin in healthcare and give clinicians back their time.
From the evolution of speech recognition to the role of large language models, we explore how voice is reshaping real work—starting in the treatment room. We also unpack the challenges of privacy, personalization, trust, and tone—and what it means when machines don’t just listen… but respond.
Key Topics
Why Tandem Health built a voice-first product—and what it’s changing
How voice improves focus and presence in clinical care
The emotional friction (and relief) of talking to machines
What success in speech tech really looks like
The future of voice, trust, and digital conversation
Whether you’re in healthcare, design, product, or just curious about what comes after the keyboard—this episode is for you.
Guest: Oliver Åstrand, CTO & Co-founder of Tandem Health
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
AI is everywhere, do you even notice it anymore?
From your inbox to everyday decision-making, AI has quietly woven itself into our daily lives. In this episode, Kristine Lium is joined by AI consultant Karin Hamberg Stén to check the pulse of everyday AI adoption.
What do people actually know about AI? How are they using it? And is the pace of change as fast as it feels? Together, they unpack what it really takes to adopt AI beyond testing a trendy tool.
Key Topics
- Why AI adoption isn’t about tools — it’s about mindset shifts
- The journey from fear of AI to curiosity and coexistence
- How AI integrates silently into everyday tools and workflows
- Surprising ways people use gen.AI at work and at home
- Predictions in 2025: from AI agents to workplace norms
- Practical steps to move from AI-curious to AI-competent
Guest: Karin Hamberg Stén — Co-founder, Studio Sten. AI consultant and generative AI adoption specialist.
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
Follow Simply Briefed for more insights. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, connect on LinkedIn, and join the conversation.
We use our devices every day—but do we really know what’s protecting us… or what’s quietly putting us at risk?
In this episode of Simply Briefed, we explore what digital resilience actually looks like in 2025. Spoiler: it’s not just antivirus software anymore.
🔐 Learn the difference between phishing, smishing, and quishing
🧠 Why critical thinking is your best digital defense
🔑 What passkeys and biometrics are doing to replace passwords
🎓 And whether it’s time for a digital driver’s license to help us all navigate better
With insights from:
Stig Myklebust, Nordic Consumer Director at Lenovo
Verner Hølleland, Project Manager at NTNU & Innovation Lead at Nemonoor
This conversation won’t leave you paranoid—it’ll leave you more prepared.
🎧 Listen now and find out:
Are you resilient, or just lucky so far?
75% of professionals now use AI tools at work, and half of them only started in the last six months.
A year ago, we launched Simply Briefed with one idea: AI should be understandable, accessible, and a tool for everyone, not just experts.
Join us as we revisit this first episode with Ingrid af Sandeberg, Chair of Stockholm AI, and talk about how we get AI’s real potential when we stop treating it like magic and start understanding how it works.
🎧 Hit play and see what still matters just as much.
Follow Simply Briefed for more insights! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcast, connect on LinkedIn, and join the conversation.
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
Are you tracking what truly matters or just what’s easy to measure?
In this episode, we dive into how AI is helping make sense of the health data we collect, from sleep and movement to blood tests.
We explore the Saluto app, a tool designed to turn your data into meaningful, preventive health insights. Joined by Peter Vesterberg, we discuss how to move from disconnected numbers to actionable insights that can improve your health decisions.
Tune in and discover how to make your health data work for you!
Guest: Peter Vesterberg
Host :Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
Drowning in health data but it's giving you no value?
Access to health data is a lot easier today, but organizing it remains a challenge. Peter Vesterberg & Per Söderström return to Simply Briefed to explore how AI transforms raw metrics into personal power. Discover citizen-driven health, data privacy realities, and the future of truly understanding your body.
Key Topics
- AI can help make sense of complex health data
- Not all data points provide equal insights, quality matters
- Understanding energy management is crucial for health
- There is no one-size-fits-all solution for health, personalization is key
- Emotional connections to health data can enhance understanding
- Unifying data while maintaining anonymity is crucial
- Unified health measurements can lead to early warning systems
- AI can help navigate uncertainty in health diagnostics
Follow Simply Briefed for more insights! Subscribe here on Spotify, connect on LinkedIn, and join the conversation.
Guests: Per Söderström & Peter Vesterberg
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
Generative AI is crushing creative barriers.
Ask yourself: What do I want to create, and how can the tools work for me to make it happen?
That’s what today’s conversation is about. We sat down with Johan Lopes Helgesson from Adobe to unpack how AI is becoming a true creative partner, lowering the barriers to entry while raising the ceiling of what’s possible.
Whether you see yourself as a creator or just someone curious about where digital creativity is heading, this episode will give you both the background and what's to come.
Key Topics:
Gen.AI lowers barriers for beginners while enhancing capabilities for experienced ones.
Authenticity in creative work is crucial, especially with AI-generated content.
The future of creativity involves a balance between human input and AI assistance.
Transparency and responsibility are essential in the use of AI tools.
Plus: What is actually the practical differences between creative tools such as Adobe Firefly, MidJourney and DALL·E?
Mentioned in the episode: Content Authenticity Initiative
Follow Simply Briefed for more insights! Subscribe on Spotify, connect on LinkedIn, and join the conversation.
Guest: Johan Lopes Helgesson
Host: Kristine Lium
Produced by: PIMM
What if staying safe online was just about changing a few everyday habits?
In this bonus episode, Hanna Linderstål, Security Profile of the Year 2024 in Sweden, shares her simple, effective steps you can take right now to boost your cyber hygiene.
Key Topics:
-How to create strong passwords
-Avoiding phishing and scams
-Safe browsing on public Wi-Fi
-How to protect your devices and data
-Everyday cyber hygiene routines
Read all tips here!
Guest: Hanna Linderstål
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
Every 39 seconds, a cyberattack hits. But most go unnoticed.
Cybercrime has become a $10 trillion industry, fueled by AI, hybrid threats, and invisible warfare that’s targeting people just like you. In this episode, cybersecurity advisor Hanna Linderstål joins Kristine Lium to break down how today’s attacks work, why breaches stay hidden, and what you can do right now to protect yourself, and your business.
Key Topics:
-Hybrid attacks and invisible warfare
-AI-powered cybercrime and how it works
-The $10 trillion cybercrime economy
-AI security threats and defense tactics
-Cyber hygiene tips that actually matter
Guest: Hanna Linderstål
Host: Kristine Lium
Produced by: PIMM
🎧 Tune in now and find out how to protect yourself and your organization.
Follow Simply Briefed for more insights. Subscribe on Spotify, connect on LinkedIn, and join the conversation.
What if building your own AI assistant was as easy as writing a to-do list?
In this bonus episode, Kristine teams up with Fredrik Sjöberg to create real, working AI agents - no coding, no complex tools, just simple steps and smart prompts for you to use.
Key Topics:
Guest: Fredrik Sjöberg
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
AI is evolving beyond efficiency, when it can work just for you.
In this episode of Simply Briefed, we explore hyper-personalized AI agents with Fredrik Sjöberg, Principal Business Designer & AI Innovator at Fujitsu. What happens when software adapts to you instead of the other way around?
Fredrik shares his insights on ‘selfish software,’ AI-driven ideation, and how hyper-personalization is redefining productivity, creativity, and the way we interact with technology.
Key topics:
🎧 Tune in now!
Follow Simply Briefed for more insights, subscribe on Spotify, connect on LinkedIn, and join the conversation.
Guest: Fredrik Sjöberg
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM
Is it too late to start learning AI? Absolutely not. In this episode, Kristine Lium speaks with Professor Fredrik Heintz about how AI is transforming education—and why getting involved now is essential. From personalized learning to digital trust, this episode is a wake-up call to step in, not step back.
Key Topics:
Guest: Fredrik Heintz, Professor at Linköping University
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Production: PIMM
📚 Ready to future-proof your learning? Follow the show on Spotify and share this with a student, parent, or lifelong learner.
Color shapes how we feel, act, and buy—but what happens when AI starts choosing the palette? In this episode, Kristine Lium talks to Judith van Vliet, founder of The Color Authority, about how AI is transforming color in branding and design. From cultural cues to emotional impact, this is a bold look at the future of color-powered creativity.
Key Topics:
Guest: Judith van Vliet, Color expert & founder of The Color Authority
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Production: PIMM
🎨 Want to decode the future of color? Follow the show on Spotify and share this with a designer or brand strategist.
AI isn’t just for techies anymore. In this episode, Kristine Lium chats with Stig H Myklebust from Lenovo about how AI is moving off the cloud and into your pocket—making it faster, safer, and way more personal. From productivity to passion projects, here’s how to actually use AI in daily life.
Key Topics:
Guest: Stig H Myklebust, Director Consumer Nordic & Baltic, Lenovo
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Production: PIMM
🤖 Curious how AI can actually help you today? Follow the show on Spotify and share with someone still waiting to try ChatGPT.