Rainer Sternfeld joins NordicNinja VC as Managing Partner

Leading Estonian entrepreneur and technology executive returns from Silicon Valley to help build a bridge between Japan and the Nordic-Baltic region, by investing in mission-driven companies with cutting edge technology in mobility, healthcare, energy, insurance, robotics, AI, geospatial, and climate risk. Prior experience as General Manager of Trusted Data Platforms at Intertrust Technologies and founder of Planet OS, and experience in international organizations a key asset.

Rainer Sternfeld, an Estonian entrepreneur and technology executive, is joining NordicNinja VC’s partnership. Rainer has extensive experience in building data-driven technology businesses, and working with diverse cultures between Silicon Valley, Europe, and Japan. Before joining NordicNinja, Rainer served as General Manager and Vice President of Trusted Data Platforms at Intertrust Technologies, where he helped to launch the Intertrust Modulus Trusted Data Rights Management Platform, and focused on ecosystems in renewable energy, parametric insurance, and climate risk. In 2012, Rainer founded and led Planet OS, a leading geospatial big data company focused on interoperability, virtualization, and analytics of distributed data sets until its acquisition by Intertrust in 2017. Prior to founding Planet OS, Mr. Sternfeld led new business initiatives and operations of ABB Baltic States, including designing the world’s first nationwide fast-charging infrastructure for electric cars, deployed in Estonia.

“We are pleased to welcome Rainer as a Managing Partner at NordicNinja, where he will focus on building heart-to-heart relationships between Japan and the Nordic-Baltic region,” said Tomosaku Sohara, NordicNinja’s Managing Partner, adding: “His expertise in building data-driven businesses and his Silicon Valley experience is extremely valuable, and has a wide network around the world to help our portfolio companies take their businesses to a global market.”

Rainer has extensive experience in international organizations, serving on the Board of Directors of the World Ocean Council, as a contributor at the White House Open Data Roundtable. Mr. Sternfeld is a 2017 Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council, an advisor to the early angel fund Superangel, hosts a regular podcast “Global Estonians”, and is a Board Director at Eesti 2.0, a nonprofit dedicated to inspire and teach Estonian students to build companies and learn to program. He has co-designed the Statue of Liberty of Estonia, and holds a MS in Mechatronics from Tallinn University of Technology.

“NordicNinja represents the special relationship and mutual understanding between Japan and the Nordic-Baltic region, which has the drive, outstanding talent, and sense of purpose that can produce meaningful companies that benefit society,” Rainer said, adding: “While I will miss my Intertrust family, I am excited to be working with the newly-formed NordicNinja team on this mission.”

Rainer will split his time between NordicNinja’s hubs in Tallinn, Stockholm, and Helsinki, and will travel frequently in the Nordics and the Baltics, to meet and work with entrepreneurs in this vibrant and innovative region.

About NordicNinja VC

NordicNinja VC started with over 100 million euros in January 2019 and is backed by Japanese blue-chip companies, Honda, Omron, and Panasonic, as well as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. It aims to support scale-up goals in the Nordic and Baltic region through supporting the region’s startups expand into and develop business opportunities in Japan. NordicNinja VC is an official auxiliary name of JB Nordic Ventures Oy, which is a Helsinki-based joint venture by JBIC IG Partners and BaltCap. JB Nordic Ventures provides investment advisory to JB Nordic Fund I SCSp.

For more information:

Claes Mikko Nilsen
Investment Director
Nordic Ninja VC
+358 5049 13001
claes.mikko@nordicninja.vc