Peter Hartzbech

Peter Hartzbech is the founder and CEO of iMotions, a Copenhagen-headquartered human behavior research software company founded in 2005. iMotions builds a multimodal platform that synchronizes biosensor and behavioral data, including eye tracking, facial expression analysis, EEG, ECG, GSR, EMG, surveys, and other research signals.

In October 2021, Smart Eye announced it would acquire iMotions for USD 46.6 million, and the acquisition was completed on December 1, 2021. iMotions became a wholly owned Smart Eye subsidiary while continuing to operate independently under Hartzbech as CEO. Smart Eye also lists him as Founder & CEO of iMotions in its executive management materials.

Before iMotions, Hartzbech’s public profile includes experience as co-founder/CFO of TEXTALIVE Media Technologies, National Competition Manager at Venture Cup Business Plan Competition, consultant/accountant at Ernst & Young, and platoon commander in the Danish Army. Smart Eye states that he holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School and completed the Advanced Management Program at MIT Sloan School of Management.

As an investor, Hartzbech has backed startups directly and through founder networks. He has described investing for several years before his iMotions exit, then becoming more willing to take risk after the exit. He is also cited as a founding member of the byFounders Fund/Collective, a New Nordic early-stage VC community.

• Hartzbech says he looks for “the right companies with the right product and executing team” where he also has “great passion” for the company.
• His stated direct-investing sweet spots are twofold: very early idea-stage companies where his founder experience can help, and somewhat later startups that have shown proof of concept and strong sales momentum.
• For early investments, he expects a long time horizon, citing 8–10 years before capital is expected back; for later startup-to-scaleup investments, he has discussed a shorter 3–5 year horizon.
• He prefers to help primarily through advice, strategy support, founder sparring, and referrals into his network rather than taking formal board roles, because he remains CEO of iMotions and part of Smart Eye’s executive management.
• Through byFounders, the relevant framework emphasizes Team, TAM, Timing, Traction, Technology, Transformative potential, Transparency, and Tomorrow. byFounders says it invests in early-stage technology companies led by globally ambitious, impact-aware founding teams.
• He has explicitly described reinvesting exit proceeds into the Danish and Nordic startup ecosystem as important for helping the next generation of founders.