The newsletter
Stockholm Growth & Fintech: who reads it, and how companies get featured
What the newsletter covers, who is on the list (counted, not estimated), how features work, and how it relates to The Belonging Economy podcast.
The short answer
Stockholm Growth & Fintech is a newsletter on Stockholm fintech and B2B growth, written by Alexandra Grisanti and published on Substack since December 2025. It is where the Operator Network's speaker calls and event invitations go out.
On 22 October 2026 it had 1,215 subscribers. 94% use a work email address, across 633 organisations, and 193 work at 53 banks, including 29 at Nordea. The Operator Network's podcast, The Belonging Economy, is recording next. Features are editorial and never sold.
What it covers
Two things, usually in the same issue: what is shifting in Stockholm and Nordic fintech, and the go-to-market plays that are working for the companies selling into it. It is published roughly once a week. Recent issues have covered:
- how the boom in Nordic loan aggregators and embedded lending is squeezing banks' lending margins (4 October 2026);
- why October is sales-call month in Sweden, with 17 psychological frames for fintech sales and a downloadable playbook (11 October 2026).
The newsletter is also how the Operator Network finds people. Speaker calls for spring 2027 conference panels went out in the 11 October issue, and readers receive invitations to Operator Network events.
Who reads it
Substack doesn't record job titles, so we describe readers by the organisation in their work email address. These figures come from the subscriber export of 22 October 2026.
| Organisation | Type | Readers |
|---|---|---|
| Nordea | Nordic bank | 29 |
| Worldline | Payments | 20 |
| LHV | Baltic bank | 11 |
| Jyske Bank | Nordic bank | 10 |
| Barclays | International bank | 10 |
| Raiffeisen Bank International | International bank | 10 |
| HSBC | International bank | 9 |
| ClearBank | International bank | 8 |
| Danske Bank | Nordic bank | 7 |
| Citi | International bank | 7 |
| Visa | Payments | 7 |
| Enfuce | Payments | 7 |
| SEB | Nordic bank | 6 |
| ING | International bank | 6 |
| Lloyds Banking Group | International bank | 6 |
| Mastercard | Payments | 6 |
| Lunar | Nordic bank | 5 |
| Coop Bank | Nordic bank | 5 |
| Shift4 | Payments | 5 |
| Wise | Payments | 5 |
The rest of the readers work mostly at fintechs, at consultancies and IT firms that serve banks, at investors, and at ecosystem organisations such as Copenhagen Fintech.
Two honest caveats. First, open figures are as reported by Substack, and some email apps register an open automatically, so treat the open rates as an upper bound. Second, some large banks are barely on the list yet: Swedbank has one reader, and Handelsbanken and SBAB have none.
How features work
Each issue can feature people and companies from Nordic fintech: a founder's point of view, a company entering the Nordics, a speaker before a panel. Three rules apply:
- Features are editorial. Nobody pays to be featured, and clients of Alexandra Studio cannot buy coverage.
- The reader comes first. A feature has to teach readers something about the Nordic market, not just announce a product.
- You get the link the day it goes out, so you can share it.
To suggest a feature, email alexandra@alexandrastudio.se with who you are, what your company does in Nordic fintech, and the topic you could speak to.
The podcast
The Operator Network's podcast is The Belonging Economy: conversations about the post-AI world and why people are meeting in real life again, recorded in Stockholm with the speakers from our Luma events. Founders and operators from Nordic fintech are natural guests. The same rule applies: guests are chosen for what listeners will learn, and appearances are not sold. If you have something the Stockholm tech scene should hear, the email address above is the way in.
The Belonging Economy: the podcast and newsletter
Alexandra also writes The Belonging Economy, a personal newsletter launched in early 2026 about community, belonging and in-person marketing. Recent issues have covered marketing tips for B2C fintechs, what makes a cult brand, and whether Meta ads work for B2B.
From November 2026 it is also the Operator Network's podcast, about the post-AI world and why meeting in real life is coming back, with guests from our events. Operator Network features and speaker calls still go out in Stockholm Growth & Fintech. About the podcast.
Two newsletters, two jobs
Stockholm Growth & Fintech: Nordic fintech market and go-to-market, Operator Network features and speaker calls. Subscribe.
The Belonging Economy: the post-AI world, community and meeting in real life, and the Operator Network's podcast. Subscribe.
Questions people ask about the newsletter
What is Stockholm Growth & Fintech?
Stockholm Growth & Fintech is a newsletter on Stockholm fintech and B2B growth, written by Alexandra Grisanti and published on Substack since December 2025. It covers market shifts in Nordic fintech and the go-to-market plays shaping results, and it is where the Operator Network's speaker calls and event invitations go out.
Who reads Stockholm Growth & Fintech?
On 22 October 2026 the newsletter had 1,215 subscribers. 94 percent use a work email address, across 633 organisations. 193 readers work at 53 banks, including 29 at Nordea, and 89 work at 20 Nordic and Baltic banks. 86 work at 22 payments companies, including Worldline, Visa and Mastercard. The rest work mostly at fintechs, consultancies and IT firms that serve banks, investors and ecosystem organisations.
How engaged are the readers?
74 percent of subscribers opened at least one issue in the six months to 22 October 2026, and 51 percent opened one in the last 30 days, as reported by Substack. Some email apps register opens automatically, so these figures are an upper bound.
Can a company pay to be featured in Stockholm Growth & Fintech?
No. Features in the newsletter and on the podcast are editorial. They are not sold, and clients of Alexandra Studio cannot buy coverage.
How do I get featured or invited onto the podcast?
Email Alexandra at alexandra@alexandrastudio.se with who you are, what your company does in Nordic fintech, and the topic you could speak to. Features and podcast guests are chosen for what readers will learn, not for who is a client.
Is Stockholm Growth & Fintech the same as The Belonging Economy?
No. The Belonging Economy is Alexandra Grisanti's personal newsletter on community, belonging and in-person marketing, launched in early 2026. It is separate from the Operator Network and from Stockholm Growth & Fintech, and Operator Network features do not appear there.