Our People
At BlackWood, we believe our people are our strongest asset. Our team is comprised of investors and entrepreneurs who are deeply connected within the European startup ecosystem.

Bastian Larsen
Mr. Larsen is the Chief Executive Officer of BlackWood and sits on the firm's investment committee.
He previously worked for BlackRock in London, Geneva, and New York, where he co-led global product strategy for the firm's $10bn M&A hedge fund.
Mr. Larsen has an MBA from the University of Oxford and a BSc from Copenhagen Business School.

Thomas Derambure
Mr. Derambure is the Chief Operating Officer of BlackWood.
He previously worked as a senior strategy consultant at Stanwell. Prior to this, he led the development of the leading private security company in Senegal.
Mr. Derambure has an MSc in Strategic Management from HEC Paris and a BBA from HEC Montreal.

Simon Stampe
Mr. Stampe is a Founding Partner of BlackWood and sits on the firm's investment committee.
He is the founder of Bloomingville, which he successfully exited to a US-based PE firm in 2014.
Prior to this, he held positions as Vice President and CEO for several large companies including IC Compays, Levi Strauss & Co., and ID Design.

Claus Stenbæk
Mr. Stenbæk is an advisor to BlackWood and sits on the firm's investment committee.
He is the founder of Keyhaven Capital, a $2bn private equity company based in London. Previously, he was an Executive Director at Danske Bank private equity.
Mr. Stenbæk has an MBA from IE Business School and a BSc from CBS.

Abbas Kazmi
Mr. Kazmi sits on BlackWood’s investment committee.
He is a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur and investor who has been recognized by the likes of Forbes 30Under30, Maserati 100, and many others. He co-founded the Oxford Accelerator and VC fund Collegiate Capital and previously worked at BlackRock. He advises the UK and UAE governments on Web3.0. policy and has been in the space since 2014.
Mr. Kazmi has a MA and a BA from the University of Oxford and is a VC Fellow at LBS’ Newton Venture Program.

Henrik Rossing
Mr. Rossing is Member of the Board at BlackWood.
He is a serial entrepreneur, having founded Fitness World, which he grew into a multi-billion DKK company before selling a majority stake to FSN Capital in 2019 for $400m.
He is also the founder of Wash World and My Home Box.

Jakob Kjelgaard
Mr. Kjelgaard is Member of the Board at BlackWood.
He is the founder of Core Capital, a €2bn+ multi-family office based in Luxembourg. Prior, he was Director and member of management at Credit Suisse.
Jakob has been active within wealth management for ultrahigh net-worth investors since the 1980’s and brings along a significant investing experience from his assignments in the Far East, Isle of Man and Spain.

Aleksandar Grgic
Mr. Grgic is Member of the Board at BlackWood.
He is Director of Space Solutions at Weibel Scientific and Head of Sales for the APAC region. He is also a member of the Steering Committee for the Danish Defence and Security Industries Association.
Previously, he was an assistant professor at DTU - Technical University of Denmark.

Bo Koch-Christensen
Mr. Koch-Christensen is Head of Investor Relations at BlackWood.
Prior to this, he was an Investment Director at Bambwa Group. He previously held leadership roles at TechBBQ, Accelerace and served as a Sergeant in the Royal Danish Air Force.
Mr. Koch-Christensen has an MSc in Corporate Strategy from St. Gallen & an MSc in International Marketing from Copenhagen Business School.

Valentijn Verberk
Mr. Verberk is an Investment Associate at BlackWood.
He previously worked as a research assistant within the economics department of Copenhagen Business School.
Mr. Verberk has an MSc in Advanced Economics & Finance from Copenhagen Business School and a BSc from Maastricht University.

Joachim Enegaard
Mr. Enegaard is an Investment Analyst at BlackWood.
He previously worked as head of partnerships at Millennial and served in several leadership positions within the Royal Danish Guards.
Mr. Enegaard is studying an MSc at Copenhagen Business School, from which he has a BSc in International Business.

Pina Laux
Ms. Laux is an Investment Analyst at BlackWood.
She previously worked as a Business Innovation Analyst at 1886Ventures. Prior to this, she was a Concept Developer at Full Moon Group.
Ms. Laux is studying an MSc at Copenhagen Business School and has a BSc in Economics from Maastricht University.

Jonas Madsen
Mr. Madsen is a Partnership Manager at BlackWood.
He previously worked at Presidents Summit, a portfolio company of Nova Founders Capital, focusing on client management, business conferences, and sales in London. Here he organized Summits with +5.000 business executives in Copenhagen.
Mr. Madsen is a BSc student in International Business at CBS.

Karin Pattyranie
Ms. Pattyranie is a Marketing Manager at BlackWood.
She previously worked with client relations and sales at Teamcubate, a startup helping startups grow faster. She was Head of Communications for MarketingLab and also worked in PR at L'Oréal.
Ms. Pattyranie is studying an MSc at Copenhagen Business School, from which she has a BSc in Business Administration & Service Management.

Want to join?
BlackWood is always looking for passionate and driven individuals to join our growing team.