# Ted Persson
Ted Persson is a venture capitalist and Partner at EQT Ventures in Stockholm, where he has been part of the fund's founding team since 2015 and leads its DeepTech practice, known for investments in [Einride](https://www.edgepedia.org/einride), Heart Aerospace, The Exploration Company, evroc, and Frontify.[1](https://pw.eqtgroup.com/about/people/ted-persson) His investing centers on robotics, simulation, advanced AI, quantum computing, and climate technologies, and he has described his test for a company as whether it "could play a major role in a science fiction movie in a positive way."[2](https://www.businessinsider.com/eqt-ventures-new-partner-finding-high-growth-companies-new-tech-2020-2)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Firm and role | Partner, EQT Ventures, Stockholm; leads the DeepTech practice[1](https://pw.eqtgroup.com/about/people/ted-persson) |
| Joined EQT Ventures | 2015, founding team[1](https://pw.eqtgroup.com/about/people/ted-persson) |
| Background | Founder and product designer, ~15 years in startups across Europe, the US, and Asia[3](https://nordeep.com/speaker/ted-persson/) |
| Selected investments | The Exploration Company, Einride, evroc, Frontify, Heart Aerospace, Nothing, Sana Labs, SEEQC, 1X[1](https://pw.eqtgroup.com/about/people/ted-persson) |
| Exits credited | Hubs (to Protolabs), Baffin Bay Networks (to Mastercard), Sonantic (to Spotify)[3](https://nordeep.com/speaker/ted-persson/) |
| Fellowship | Kauffman Fellows, Class 25, mentored by Hjalmar Winbladh[4](https://www.kauffmanfellows.org/fellows/ted-persson) |
## Career before EQT
Before joining EQT, Persson was a founder and product designer and has been an active part of the Nordic startup ecosystem since the late 1990s.[1](https://pw.eqtgroup.com/about/people/ted-persson) A 2026 conference bio states that he spent 15 years founding and scaling startups and digital consultancies across Europe, the US, and Asia.[3](https://nordeep.com/speaker/ted-persson/)
## Role at EQT Ventures
Persson joined EQT Ventures in 2015 as part of its founding team.[1](https://pw.eqtgroup.com/about/people/ted-persson) The Kauffman Fellows directory records that since helping set up the fund in 2015 he has led the firm's investments in about a dozen companies, and lists him as a Partner based in Stockholm and a member of Class 25, serving his fellowship under the mentorship of [Hjalmar Winbladh](https://www.edgepedia.org/hjalmar-winbladh).[4](https://www.kauffmanfellows.org/fellows/ted-persson)
The date of his appointment as Partner is reported differently by sources. [Business Insider](https://www.edgepedia.org/business-insider) reported in February 2020 that EQT Ventures had appointed Persson as a partner to continue looking for startups that will change the future, with a focus on "moonshot investments" including the VR/AR company Varjo, the Swedish self-driving vehicle company Einride and the electric aviation company [Heart Aerospace](https://www.edgepedia.org/heart-aerospace).[2](https://www.businessinsider.com/eqt-ventures-new-partner-finding-high-growth-companies-new-tech-2020-2) A self-reported career history on LinkedIn instead dates his promotion from Operating Partner to Partner to March 2019. The firm's team page lists him as Partner without dating the appointment.[1](https://pw.eqtgroup.com/about/people/ted-persson)
His stated investment test is a science-fiction framing: "My guiding force has always been 'could this company be so interesting that it could play a major role in a science fiction movie in a positive way?'"[2](https://www.businessinsider.com/eqt-ventures-new-partner-finding-high-growth-companies-new-tech-2020-2)
## Notable investments
**Einride** is the best-documented deal in Persson's portfolio on his own account. EQT Ventures and Nordic Ninja VC co-led the autonomous electric freight company's $25 million Series A; a $110 million Series B followed, co-led by EQT Ventures.[5](https://tedpersson.medium.com/) The Series C, announced as $500 million of financing in total, consisted of a $200 million equity round co-led by EQT Ventures together with AMF and a $300 million debt facility from Barclays Europe.[5](https://tedpersson.medium.com/)
**The Exploration Company**, a European space company, raised a €40.5 million Series A co-led by EQT Ventures and Red River West.[5](https://tedpersson.medium.com/)
**evroc**, a European cloud infrastructure company, was welcomed to the EQT Ventures portfolio by Persson "through what is probably our largest seed investment to date."[5](https://tedpersson.medium.com/)
The firm's team page lists his further selected investments as Frontify, Heart Aerospace, Nothing, Sana Labs, SEEQC, and 1X.[1](https://pw.eqtgroup.com/about/people/ted-persson) The NORDEEP bio adds Varjo to the list of companies he played a pivotal role in investing in.[3](https://nordeep.com/speaker/ted-persson/)
## Exits
A 2026 conference bio credits Persson with a role in three exits: Hubs, acquired by [Protolabs](https://www.edgepedia.org/protolabs); Baffin Bay Networks, acquired by [Mastercard](https://www.edgepedia.org/mastercard); and [Sonantic](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonantic), acquired by Spotify.[3](https://nordeep.com/speaker/ted-persson/) On his own Medium writing, Persson described 3D Hubs' exit to Protolabs as "the largest transaction ever in digital manufacturing," and also wrote about Baffin Bay Networks' acquisition by Mastercard.[5](https://tedpersson.medium.com/)
## Public positions
Persson is listed as a speaker at Slush 2026, with a bio emphasizing his DeepTech practice across robotics, simulation, advanced AI, quantum computing, and climate technologies.[6](https://slush.org/2026-speakers/ted-persson) He also appears as a speaker at NORDEEP 2026.[3](https://nordeep.com/speaker/ted-persson/)
## References
1. Ted Persson — EQT Group team page, https://pw.eqtgroup.com/about/people/ted-persson
2. EQT Ventures: New Partner on Finding High Growth Companies in Tech, Business Insider, February 2020, https://www.businessinsider.com/eqt-ventures-new-partner-finding-high-growth-companies-new-tech-2020-2
3. Ted Persson — NORDEEP 2026 speaker page, https://nordeep.com/speaker/ted-persson/
4. Ted Persson — Kauffman Fellows directory, https://www.kauffmanfellows.org/fellows/ted-persson
5. Ted Persson — Medium, https://tedpersson.medium.com/
6. Ted Persson — Slush 2026 speaker page, https://slush.org/2026-speakers/ted-persson
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Founders, operators, and investors › Venture and growth investors › European venture › Continental European investors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license