Backing technical ambition early
With roots in Stockholm and presence across Europe, we are a team of founders and operators with a deep understanding of early company building. Combining our own entrepreneurial scars, commercial experience, and over a decade of venture investing, we are committed to partnering with outstanding founders to build generational companies
Emmet King is the Managing Partner and one of the founders of J12, based in Stockholm. He has an active portfolio across the landscape of AI Enablers and Applications, and previously worked with Deasy Labs and Formulate through to their acquisitions.
Before founding J12, Emmet co-founded the consumer fintech company NOWO that went public in 2021. He was part of the founding team of angel investor network DHS in 2015 and has been investing in early-stage companies ever since.
Emmet holds an MSc in Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics.
Alexander Paterson Pochet is one of the Founding Partners at J12, based in Paris. He serves as CFO, Head of Legal and Head of Sustainability. In addition to his work within the fund, he actively supports portfolio companies on regulatory navigation, legal infrastructure, and focuses on teams building towards complex regulated industries.
Before founding J12, Alexander co-founded NOWO, a consumer savings platform that went public in 2021, where he led the legal and financial strategy. He is also one of the co-founders of the angel investment group DHS Venture Partners, investing in Swedish early-stage technology companies since 2015.
Alexander holds an MSc in Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics.
Bo Mattsson is one of the Founding Partners at J12, based in Stockholm. With over 25 years of experience as a founder spanning fintech, data and marketplace platforms, he brings deep operational insights to early teams.
Before starting J12, Bo founded Cint, establishing it as the first global insights data and analytics exchange platform, and scaled it into the global leader with a successful IPO in 2021. He has a number of successful exits behind him including Mangold, Eurotrade, and Nettrade. More recently, he is also one of the co-founders of Hubert, an AI platform for high-volume hiring.
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Maja Shapiro is the Head of Brand, Marketing and Communication at J12, based in Stockholm. She leads the work across brand, marketing, communication, and shapes the presence of J12 amongst the broader ecosystem. She also works closely with the portfolio to ensure a high bar of excellence for design, brand, and supports founders on strategic positioning, storytelling, and public relations strategy. With expertise in brand building and strategic communication, she brings creative insight to early-stage technical teams building category-defining products.
Before joining J12, Maja held roles spanning brand, marketing, and public relations, working with international organisations and brands including Joseph in London, Agency V in Stockholm and Project Playground in Cape Town. Earlier in her career, she served as a political affairs intern at the United Nations in New York, focusing on human rights and education across Africa.
Maja holds a BSc in Political Science and Human Rights from Sciences Po, France.
Richard Thornton is an Operating Partner at J12, based in London. He works closely with the portfolio companies on commercial excellence, focusing on scaling revenue, building high performing sales teams, and Go-To-Market strategy. With over two decades of experience as a commercial operator, including over 10 years at C-level, he brings deep operational insight to early stage teams navigating growth.
Before joining J12, Richard served as Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Cint, the global data and analytics company, where he scaled revenue from €2M to over €100M and led the company through its IPO in 2021. He is the founder of Claret & You Consulting, and was previously Managing Director at Ciao Surveys.
Richard is an active angel investor and serves as board member to technology companies, including Potloc and Shepper.
Caroline Hultman is an Investment Principal at J12, based in London.
Before joining J12, Caroline invested on behalf of Alta Advisers, one of the largest family offices in Europe. She previously served as an M&A Analyst at Greenhill, executing transactions across technology and growth sectors. She is co-founder and board member of GAIN, the UK’s largest non-profit focused on increasing female representation in the investment industry.
Caroline holds a BSc in Business and Economics from Stockholm School of Economics