Martin von Haller Groenbaek

Summary

I am an IT-lawyer, Tech community builder, Business angel, Open source advocate and startup entrepreneur. In 2018, I was included into the Nordic 100 list (https://thenordicweb.com/announcing-the-nordic-100-2018/) as the only lawyer. The Nordic 100 is an annual list recognising the 100 most impactful and influential figures in the Nordic tech scene each year. Individuals at the forefront of shaping and positioning the region as one of the world’s most important innovation hubs. Furthermore, I spend a lot of my professional time on helping companies on legal and commercial issues with respect to fundraising both through private placements and IPOs and on M&A. Over the last 20 years I have co-founded several startups such as Araneum, one of the first Danish web-companies, with Alexander Aghassipour, co-founder of Zendesk, and with other prominent Danish IT-entrepreneurs such as Thomas Madsen-Mygdal and Nikolaj Nyholm. Today, I spend a considerable portion of my time and energy on advising on legal and commercial issues related to open licensing within open source, creative commons (open content), open data, open APIs and so one. Over the years I have been a key player in the Danish startup scene both as a founder of and adviser to startups and as founder, mentor and activist in First Tuesday, Danish Entrepreneurs Association and Startupbootcamp. In December 2013 I was one of the initiators of the Copenhagen techstartup community #cphftw. I work with IT and new technology from both a legal and commercial perspective. As a partner in Bird & Bird, a leading international law firm within ao. IPR, TMT and Life Science, and today the only international law firm with a presence in Denmark, I advise on international and cross border legal matters and transactions for both large blue-chip firms and SMEs. I am mentioned in the Legal500 guide (http://www.legal500.com/lfe/frames/dk_fr.htm) as a "highly recommended" lawyer in Denmark within IT and eCommerce.