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

CEO & Founding Partner

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, a BSc from Copenhagen Business School, and was selected as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2023 - Finance.

Thomas Derambure

COO & Founding Partner

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

Founding Partner

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

Senior Advisor

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

Investment Committee Member

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.

Jonas Madsen

Head of Investor Relations

Mr. Madsen is Head of Investor Relations 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. He joined BlackWood in 2022 as Partnership Manager.

Mr. Madsen is a BSc student in International Business at CBS.

Henrik Rossing

Founding Partner

Mr. Rossing is a Founding Partner of 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.

Steffen Saltofte

Member of the Board

Mr. Salftofte is a Member of the Board at BlackWood.

He is the CEO of Zentiva, a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Prague, with a workforce of 5,000. Before joining Zentiva, he led Acino as its CEO from 2018 to 2022, spearheading the company's successful acquisition by ADQ in Abu Dhabi.

Mr. Salftofte holds an MBA from IMD and a BSc from CBS.

Jakob Kjelgaard

Member of the Board

Mr. Kjelgaard is a 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

Member of the Board

Mr. Grgic is a 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.

Rasmus Holt

Platform Associate

Mr. Holt is a Platform Associate at BlackWood.

He started his career at the local office of Valentine McCormick Ligibel (VML), and was subsequently at Academy, a boutique Nordic community exclusively for C25 C-suite executives. At Academy, he led both brand and business development while completing his bachelor's degree. He joined BlackWood in 2023 as Investor Relations Manager.

Before his corporate pursuits, he excelled as a rower on the Danish National Team.

Mr. Holt has a BSc in European Business from CBS & LUSEM and is currently pursuing an MSc in International Marketing and Management at CBS.

Maxime Pasquier

Investment Associate

Mr. Pasquier is an Investment Associate at BlackWood.

Before joining, he co-founded WorkinRacing, creating the first international job platform for the horse racing industry. Previously, he built several ventures in Europe and MENA at FoundersLane, and served as a venture analyst at GlassDollar.

Mr. Pasquier has an MSc in Strategy & Digital Business from ESCP Business School and a Bachelor's degree in Finance from EDHEC.

Lucas Ohrt

Investment Analyst

Mr. Ohrt is an Investment Analyst at BlackWood.

Before joining, he co-founded ‘Unge Iværksættere,’ creating the largest student entrepreneurship organization in Denmark.

Previously, he worked at Innovis VC and completed a traineeship at Deutsche Bank in Wealth Management and Asset Management.

Mr. Ohrt is a BSc student in Business Administration and Digital Management at CBS and has completed a few semesters at IE Business School in Madrid.


Want to join?

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

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