nest copenhagen - inside the world's largest co-living space for entrepreneurs
TRANSCRIPT
Nest Copenhagen A home for the creators of tomorrow
The Nest Manifesto
Founded in April 2014, we’re the world’s largest non-profit co-living space for entrepreneurs.
We’re located in downtown Copenhagen and have
had 31 residents to date.
We receive a new application every other day...
You see, the average age of a Nester is
27 when they move in
Typically, they have been
working as an entrepreneur for 6.5 years.
. The youngest Nester is
22 and the oldest is 38
This means we’re really good at giving each other all kinds of advice from business to life.
With all this put together, we collectively have
162 years of entrepreneurial experience
and have worked on 134 startups.
Out of those 134 startups, Nesters have
founded 72 startups
That’s a lot of companies for 31 people.
and 67% of Nesters have
been in a startup that raised money
So, what are the benefits of entrepreneurs living together?
Nesters are constantly sparring, throwing out new ideas, mentoring and tapping each other’s expertise.
56% of Nesters have worked together on a startup.
Here’s how residents say living in Nest has helped them as entrepreneurs:
“I have been the co-founder of two companies since I moved into Nest. The first startup was with a few of my roommates. It was an
incredible learning experience. The ventures I had attempted before Nest never stood a chance due to my limited knowledge of
business.”
- David Kofoed Wind, Founder of Peergrade.io PhD in Machine Learning
“Shortly after moving into Nest, I was negotiating prices for shipping. I thought I had a good deal, but when I talked about it
at the dinner table, one of my roommates quickly made me realize that I could get a better price. He showed me his deal with
the same shipping company and helped me re-negotiate. The difference in price ended up paying for my first year of rent.”
- Daniel Jensen, CEO, SIE-HUNTING.COM
“Nest keeps my sanity in check. Since moving in, my company opened its first sales office outside of Denmark, we spun off a sister startup in the space of electric transport, and raised €3 million in funding. Living here challenges my startup tunnel
vision and puts life in perspective.”
– Nikolaj Køster, VP of Business Development, Drivr
“Since moving into Nest, our MedTech company °MEQU has really come to life. We have received more than 7 million DKK in funding and are on an exciting journey. Nest has helped me get insights. It’s priceless - like living in a resource-bank filled
with great minds who all contribute with knowledge and greatly expand my entrepreneurial know how.”
- Marie Damgård, Creative Director at °MEQU
“I normally find myself facing very hard problems. Solutions to these problems are often random, intuitive, and frankly innovative. The best place for me to generate ideas and answers are among fellow entrepreneurs – particularly my roommates in Nest. With the condensed amount of experience here, you have some of
greatest mentors in Denmark to come home to.”
- Mark Dencker, Managing Partner, Wiredelta
“We founded our company the day we moved into Nest in April 2014. Since then, we’ve gotten funding, made sales of almost $200,000, and learned a lot. When you see other people also
thinking big around you, you start to do the same thing. You even learn how to do it because you can't help but ask questions.”
- Jannik Lønstrup, Product Manager, Enact
“In Nest, you are willing to give yourself that extra push because you know you have all of Nest’s support if you fail. It is
a very safe environment to talk about your problems, so you become extra open and develop the ability to see a problem
from multiple angles, which often leads to new opportunities.“
- Anna Chan, Business Development, EasySize
“I dream bigger, think bigger, act faster, and work more focused. I know for a fact that nothing is impossible.
Ideas are born global and across industries because this is how we live.”
- Brian Gjestrup, Serial Entrepreneur
Where Nesters work today:
40%
30%
17%
13%
How Nesters are employed:
40% work full time on a startup
30% have a job and a startup on the side
17% are searching for their next project
16 Nesters had a corporate job before entering the startup world.
14 went straight into entrepreneurship.
Educational background
24 Nesters have a Bachelor’s degree
15 Nesters have a Master’s degree
The strongest part of Nest is the community. It’s been hacked to optimize the
entrepreneurial lifestyle.
How we build community:
26 common dinners with all residents
4 annual general assemblies
3 big social events
1 apartment dinner each week and lots of cool social events!
More fun facts about Nesters:
Random achievements: • I lived a year in Kenya with Olympic champions to learn from
the world’s best long distance runners. I was told as child that I would never be able to run. I came back to win championship medals.
• I was hit by lightning on the Great Wall of China
• I run ultra marathons (two so far, 80km the longest)
• I was a professional bassoonist before becoming an entrepreneur
• I motorcycled 3000 km across West Africa
Nest has been studied/visited by:
Nesters have all kinds of skills like: • Machine learning • Visual interaction design • Design thinking/service design • MedTech • Engineering • Software and hardware
development • Web and app development • Advanced mathematics • Open source paradigms • Data analytics • Behavioral design • Creative concept development • Crowd funding • Marketing
• E-commerce • Growth hacking • Incubation/acceleration • Go-to-market hustling • Rhetoric/speech writing • Event management • B2B markets • Social enterprises • Entering emerging economies • Management consulting • Fundraising/sponsorships • Community building • International development • Teaching • Finance and statistics
The Bachelors Degrees • Biomedical Engineering • Business Administration and Information Systems • Business Development Engineer • Computer Science • Digital Media & Design • Economics • Economics & Business Administration • Engineering • Industrial designer • Industrial Engineering and Management • Information Management • International Business X 2 • International Sales and Marketing • International Studies and Economic Development • IT Product Development • Mathematics and Technology • Rhetoric, Fine Arts – Performance • Sales and Marketing • Software Technology X 2
The Masters Degrees • Applied Economics and Finance • Biomedical Engineering • Business and Development Studies • Computer Science • Design • Digital Media Engineering • Economics + MBA Global Banking and
Finance • Finance & Strategic Management • Innovation Management • IT & Business economics • Mathematical Modeling and Computation • Management of Innovation and Business
Development
