Knut Frängsmyr
About Knut Frängsmyr
Knut Frängsmyr is a Swedish executive based in Stockholm. He holds a Master of Laws from Uppsala University and a Master of Laws in European Intellectual Property Law from Stockholm University. Before Klarna he was Head of Legal at Modern Times Group.
He spent about eleven years at Klarna, where he held roles including Chief Legal Officer, CTO, CFO, COO and Deputy CEO. In 2023 he was appointed CEO of Avanza. Avanza withdrew its suitability assessment of him about a week after he started, following dialogue with the Swedish FSA.
In March 2025 he joined Epidemic Sound as Chief of Music and later became COO. His LinkedIn profile also lists a role as Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy CEO at Qred. He is Chairman of Treyd and Elvy, and Treyd says he has chaired Mollie, Budbee and CDLP.
Crunchbase lists four personal investments: Elvy, Maintract, OnBuy and upSWOT. NFX Signal lists the same four, dated from 2021 to 2025. They are mostly seed rounds, plus one Series A.
He has not published an investment thesis that we could find.
Matters, a Stockholm startup, announced a $5M pre-seed round in October 2026. Per Österström founded it in April 2026. It is building an AI-native consumer bank that combines neobank services with an AI advisor.
Swedish angel Jakob Johansson anchored the round. Frängsmyr took part alongside Douglas Stark of Voi, Johan Bladh of Röko, Patrik Tran of Validio and Per Widerström of Evoke. His individual cheque in Matters has not been disclosed.
His public record is early-stage: pre-seed and seed rounds, plus one Series A. The companies are in fintech, payments, marketplaces and e-commerce, and they are mainly based in Sweden and the UK.
NFX Signal lists an angel investment range of $5K to $50K with a $25K sweet spot. That is a third-party listing, not a statement from him. We found no public statement from him on what he looks for in founders.
- Matters: AI-native consumer banking platform from Stockholm; took part in its $5M pre-seed, announced October 2026.
- Elvy: seed round, February 2025 per NFX Signal; he is also Chairman of the Board.
- Maintract: seed round, March 2023 per NFX Signal.
- OnBuy: Series A, July 2021, listed under e-commerce and marketplaces.
- upSWOT: seed round, March 2021; its platform helps banks and SMEs analyse business strengths and weaknesses.
- signal.nfx.com/investors/knut-frangsmyr
- crunchbase.com/person/knut-fr%C3%A4ngsmyr
- arcticstartup.com/matters-raises-5m-pre-seed
- thepaypers.com/fintech/news/matters-emerge-from-stealth-with-usd-5-mln
- investors.avanza.se/en/media/press/2023/knut-frangsmyr-appointed-new-c
- euromoney.com/article/2cgfc88vt7y1flv7ezuo0/opinion/avanza-renews-sear
- corporate.epidemicsound.com/press-and-media/opinions/2025/knut-frangsm
- treyd.io/blog/treyd-appoints-former-klarna-deputy-ceo-knut-frangsmyr-a
Investing activity
Knut Frängsmyr appears in 1 AI deal tracked by the Lounge deals desk. The rounds are mostly Pre-seed, with a median round size of $5M. The most recent is Matters (Pre-seed, $5M, Oct 2026).
Knut Frängsmyr most often invests alongside Per Widerström, Douglas Stark, Johan Bladh and Jakob Johansson, and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Knut Frängsmyr
Who is Knut Frängsmyr?
He is a Stockholm-based executive and angel investor. He spent about eleven years at Klarna, finishing as COO and Deputy CEO. He later held roles at Epidemic Sound and Qred.
Has Knut Frängsmyr invested in AI startups?
Yes. He took part in the $5M pre-seed round of Matters, an AI-native consumer bank, announced in October 2026.
What stage does Knut Frängsmyr invest in?
His public investments are mostly pre-seed and seed, with one Series A in OnBuy in 2021. His focus is fintech, payments and marketplaces.
What check size does Knut Frängsmyr write?
He has not stated a check size publicly. NFX Signal lists a $5K to $50K range with a $25K sweet spot, which is a third-party estimate. The size of his Matters investment is undisclosed.
Which companies has Knut Frängsmyr backed?
Public databases list Matters, Elvy, Maintract, OnBuy and upSWOT. He is also Chairman of Elvy.
Is Knut Frängsmyr an angel investor?
Yes. Knut Frängsmyr invests personally as an angel.
What AI companies has Knut Frängsmyr invested in?
Knut Frängsmyr's AI investments include Matters. The 1 round on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Knut Frängsmyr invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Knut Frängsmyr has invested at Pre-seed, with a median round of $5M.
Who does Knut Frängsmyr co-invest with?
Knut Frängsmyr's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Per Widerström (1 deal), Douglas Stark (1 deal), Johan Bladh (1 deal), Jakob Johansson (1 deal) and Patrik Tran (1 deal).
How can founders reach Knut Frängsmyr?
Founders on Lounge can see Knut Frängsmyr's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Knut Frängsmyr to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.