It’s an exciting start to the week here at Klarna with our very own CEO and co-founder, Sebastian taking a trip to Luxembourg to address the Eurogroup of 27 EU Finance Ministers from across the EU, as an official delegation!

Sebastian’s speech was all about entrepreneurship, Klarna’s commitment to innovation, global competitiveness, and the empowerment of European citizens. If you want to know more, read on for a full download…

We’re turning the world pink! 💗
We are so proud to be a European start-up taking on the US at their own game. In fact, we are one of the few European fintechs to win in the US! And that’s not to mention the other 45 countries around the world where we now operate!

We’re not just a bank, we want to be a digital shopping assistant in your pocket. ✨
We’re on a mission to improve the lives of millions of our consumers, by shaking up the old ways of doing business and bringing in a new era with a truly AI-powered global payments network and shopping assistant. Imagine a future where your digital assistant seamlessly renegotiates insurance, telephone bills, and mortgages. Curbing excess profits in the industry, and making markets work for the consumer. Our vision is to use technology to empower individuals, putting money back where it belongs—in your pocket.

A European First. 🌍
Our vision is in the not-too-distant future to be the first and only bank that offers the same awesome services to all European countries. Imagine a banking experience that transcends borders, fostering unity and financial empowerment for every European citizen.

It’s time to give consumers back the power of data mobility! 🌐
To foster true market competition, Sebastian shared his vision advocating for 100% data mobility. GDPR, while a step forward, hasn’t realized its original purpose. Every company must enable data mobility to provide maximum value to consumers so that tech companies really have to rethink how they treat their consumers.

Let’s grant European start-up employees more equity to help them invest in Europe’s future! 💰
Equity = Prosperity. Sebastian expressed his desire to create a system of European consistency, where start-ups can grant equity to employees, creating more wealthy individuals who will, in turn, invest in the success of other companies, nurturing a cycle of growth. This will boost startup success!

No more unfair American taxes in Europe! ❌
Finally, Sebastian discussed the key to a successful start-up scene is that we must put an end to the unfair tax imposed by US tech companies on European businesses, simply to operate on the internet.

And that’s a wrap for our first EU delegation trip! When Sebastian started Klarna with two friends 18 years ago none of them would have believed that he would one day be addressing the EU as an official delegation! Sebastian was so honored he even wore a suit (well, almost…).