Success Stories

What started as a way to earn extra cash as a broke art student in London has now grown into Wilde, a Copenhagen-based vintage store focused on helping women rediscover their personal style. Edda, the founder, shares how a love for vintage and a practical approach to business shaped Wilde into what it is today.

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"I’ve been flipping vintage since I was a teenager," Edda says. "It started with flea markets on the weekends, just to make ends meet during art school. But I quickly realized how powerful vintage fashion could be in expressing individuality."

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Growing up in Hong Kong and living in major cities, Edda saw firsthand how fast fashion could dominate wardrobes. Wilde was created as an antidote to that, a space where unique, one-of-a-kind pieces help women embrace their own style with confidence. "Finding your style is important," she explains. "But finding a way to express it can be tough. That’s what Wilde is here for, to make that journey fun and personal."

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Running a vintage shop is a 24/7 commitment. From sourcing items and managing the website to steaming, mending, and measuring garments for online listings, Edda does it all. "By the time the store opens at 11, I’ve already done 20 things," she says with a laugh. "There’s always something to fix, upload, clean, or organize."

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Despite a proven business and growing customer base, her previous bank refused to help finance the next step, a move to a larger space. "We had been making money from the beginning," Edda says. "I thought that would count for something. But they said no, and I realized I needed a new banking partner."

What started as a tiny café in Rydebäck has grown into Lilla Fiket, a beloved local spot serving homemade fika, breakfast, lunch, and catering. Behind the counter is Jessica Liljedahl Marin, whose commitment to local ingredients and Swedish traditions defines everything she does.

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"I make everything from scratch," Jessica says. "I use Skåne butter for my buttercream, Bjäre chicken for the lunch menu, and I always source locally. That’s important to me."

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Originally operating from a small space with no kitchen, Jessica knew she had to either give it her all or give it up. When the opportunity to expand came, she acted fast and turned to Froda after a tip from a LinkedIn contact. "I applied and within no time, I was up and running. It was such a smooth process."

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Jessica appreciates Froda's transparent setup, daily repayment structure, and how seamlessly it fit her cash flow. "You don’t feel the weight of the full loan all at once. It just ticks away in the background while you keep going."

What started as a simple conversation between Nirvana and Sohrab has today evolved into Heartspace. It is now a cutting-edge AI platform that helps fast-growing companies automate their content creation and distribution. Nirvana, co-founder and CMO, shares how an everyday moment sparked an idea that would change everything.

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"We were talking about ideas," Nirvana recalls. "It wasn’t just another thought. It was something we both felt deeply passionate about. I told Sohrab, we have to do this. We can’t wait."

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Together with Sohrab, who is co-founder and CTO, they launched Heartspace with a clear mission: to make high-quality content creation accessible, fast and effortless for marketing teams. "Our AI agent understands our customers’ brands, their industries and keeps track of relevant news. It creates content they can publish with a click or even less," Sohrab explains.

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Like many early-stage companies, Heartspace faced financial challenges. Nirvana explains that they had big plans but needed funding to kickstart them. They needed the capital for both marketing initiatives and product development.

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Sami Kallio has built his name as a freelance furniture designer based in Gothenburg. With a passion for design and craftsmanship, he has gained particular attention for his innovative chairs, which he describes as his great love in furniture design.

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“I focus mainly on chairs. It’s my calling, so to speak. I think the chair is such a complex piece of furniture – you can do so much with it. Some people ask why make another chair when there are so many already. I usually say that there’s always someone out there who hasn’t found the right love,” says Sami.

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Halv Grek Plus Turk is one of our customers who, with support from the European Investment Fund (EIF), was able to secure a business loan with even better terms than usual. The program enables Froda to lend to small business owners to promote growth, equality, sustainable employment, and social inclusion in Europe. Read more about EIF here.

Since 1996, Uluç Telmen has created a unique dining experience at Halv Grek Plus Turk, a restaurant that blends Greek and Turkish flavors from the Eastern Mediterranean. From its beginnings in a banquet hall in Stockholm to a popular restaurant on Jungfrugatan, the concept has grown with a focus on simplicity, quality, and authenticity. Uluç's passion for food and ambiance has shaped a space where everything from mezze dishes to the interior design reflects his background and creativity.

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“I grew up with the food I serve at the restaurant. My grandmother and mother were a big part of the kitchen in the early days, and their dishes shaped our menu. It’s food I’ve eaten at home and that our guests now appreciate,” says Uluç.

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Halv Grek Plus Turk is one of our customers who, with support from the European Investment Fund (EIF), was able to secure a business loan with even better terms than usual. The program enables Froda to lend to small business owners to promote growth, equality, sustainable employment, and social inclusion in Europe. Read more about EIF here.

Lillemor Svensson has made a journey from running a small online shop to building Nordic Natural Beauty, a leading distributor of sustainable, natural, vegan, and organic beauty products in the Nordic market. Her passion for sustainability and quality drives the company's vision of a more eco-friendly beauty industry.

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“When we look at new brands, the most important thing is that they have really good quality but are also sustainable. We examine the management team and the entire company to ensure they have a sustainable focus. This is an important part of offering products that we know are fair,” says Lillemor.

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Nordic Natural Beauty is one of our customers who, with support from the European Investment Fund (EIF), was able to secure a business loan with even better terms than usual. The program enables Froda to lend to small business owners to promote growth, equality, sustainable employment, and social inclusion in Europe. Read more about EIF here.