Sven Sven

Sven Hagströmer is a Swedish financier and entrepreneur best known as the founder of Avanza Bank and Creades. He studied economics at Stockholm University, then worked as a portfolio manager at Gränges AB from 1969 to 1973 and Investor from 1973 to 1980.

In 1981, he founded Sven Hagströmer Fondkommission AB, which later became Hagströmer & Qviberg with Mats Qviberg. Their investment company Öresund was split in 2011/2012, after which Hagströmer became principal owner of the newly formed Creades. Creades was listed on Nasdaq Stockholm’s main market in 2013.

He remains chairman of Creades, where he has served as chairman since 2011, and also chairs Avanza Bank Holding, Avanza Bank, and Biovestor. Avanza describes him as having over 40 years of finance-industry experience and notes that he founded Sven Hagströmer Fondkommission in 1981 and has chaired Avanza since 1999.

Outside investing, Hagströmer has initiated or supported several civic and nonprofit projects, including AllBright and Berättarministeriet, and has been publicly active on entrepreneurship, education, diversity, and equality issues.

• Creades’ stated strategy is to be “an engaged owner” in small and medium-sized companies with both revaluation potential and underlying value-creation potential.
• The firm seeks situations where it can work with management, boards, other owners, and stakeholders to improve growth and efficiency strategically, operationally, structurally, and financially.
• Creades has a long-term horizon and says it has no predetermined exit date; it makes new investments and divestments based on market conditions.
• For listed long-term holdings, Creades normally seeks influence, typically more than 10% ownership and one or more board seats.
• For private long-term holdings, Creades states a typical investment size of SEK 50–500 million, including both majority and minority ownership, plus smaller early-stage private investments.
• Creades’ criteria emphasize significant upside, predictable businesses, sufficient size to matter for shareholder returns, ownership influence, and a Swedish/Nordic focus.
• On deal sourcing, Creades says listed ideas are mainly generated internally, while private-company opportunities come from entrepreneurs, company brokers, investment banks, and the Creades network.