Hampus Jakobsson & Pale Blue Dot

We work globally on sustainability projects, but our heart and home are in Malmö and there’s something special about being locally connected. One of my favorite spots is Ruths, a café where everyone feels welcomed and you’ll find a mix of innovators taking a business meeting at one of the high tables, families our for a meal in the lunch area or freelancers laptopping away in the window. I usually get an oat cappuccino and a medialuna—those delicious Argentinian croissants – and sit at the window. So I can “glo på människor” (people-watch) once in a while. Almost always – you end up sharing ideas with someone interesting. Someone you know who pop in. Or someone you say hi to but don’t yet know in person. That’s actually one really nice thing about Malmö. You get a feeling of being home cuz you easily recognize faces and start saying hello to each other – sometimes before you’ve even gotten to know the person.

One such person is Hampus Jakobsson whom I ever so often spot at Ruths.

The other day, The Drop conference-team was debriefing by the round table over there. Hampus, Karl Philip, Saga & Co were adding to the lively atmosphere of collaboration and innovation. The Drop is an invite only hotspot for the climate tech eco-system and Hampus is doing his fair share of trying to select or deselect the delegates. This conference is different from others as it aims to get the “right” people together for maximal output. How that selection happens? And what the criteria are? You can check out his LinkedIn post describing the challenging position or ask him when you see him.

Well, I for one got curious about learning more about Hampus. After reading his blog and listening to a few podcasts, here we go:

Hampus Jakobsson is a tech entrepreneur turned climate advocate.

After co-founding the successful software company TAT (The Astonishing Tribe*), his focus shifted to a larger cause: addressing the climate crisis.

In a Deep tech stories podcast episode, Hampus shares how he experienced a deep internal shift. He realized that while technology had the potential to create wealth and convenience, the climate crisis represented the most pressing issue of our time. This led him – after a few years of angel investing – to co-found a venture capital fund named Pale Blue Dot. 

This new page enables him to channel his entrepreneurial expertise into a cause that is aligned with his values: tackling climate change by investing in climate tech startups

Pale Blue Dot’s name, inspired by Carl Sagan’s iconic description of Earth, serves as a reminder of our planet’s fragility and the urgent need to protect it. Hampus and his team back startups with the power to reshape industries, whether through sustainable energy, food production, or transportation innovations. They believe that climate tech represents one of the greatest opportunities for growth and impact in our time.

What stands out about Hampus approach is his deep belief that climate action and economic opportunity go hand in hand. His writings reflect a strong sense of urgency coupled with optimism, reminding us that the time to act is now and the future can be brighter if we make bold choices today.

At Big Brain Agency we share this vision, and we use our visualization skills to support sustainability projects worldwide – from conferences to workshops.

Lately we’ve teamed up with environmental anthropologist Ann Eileen Lennert (UiT) to explore and share stories across the Arctic. Her workshops bring us to eye-opening places around the Arctic where youth, elders and participants share knowledge and perspectives. Check out the journey on Arctic Research Diary instagram. Or read more on the Arctic Sustainability Lab.

We’ve been involved in multiple rural initiatives like the Rural Entrepreneurship Forum led by Helena Puhakka-Tarvainen of Karelia University in Finland.

Or the GRUDE Project with Amanda Mannervik (Strukturum) and Kine Jakobsen (Sintef) where we were Live Scribing during the digital sessions. See the latest scribe on their website: Realizing green transition in the rural Arctic through cross-border collaboration

We get to listen to bold ideas and innovations on a regular basis and these projects emphasize how important collaboration is in tackling the global challenges we face.

If you’re someone who feels the drive to make a difference—whether through entrepreneurship or advocacy—Hampus Jakobsson’s journey is a powerful reminder that real change starts with us. The future is something we actively create. One step. One solution at a time.

Thanks for reading and hope we might have sparked some new collaborations 🙂

Mina

Visual Executive

Big Brain Agency

PS. looking forward to a coffee with Hampus at Ruths to see if this story holds in real life 😀

Read more about Hampus via his blog on Medium.

*TAT (The Astonishing Tribe) was a Swedish software company co-founded by Hampus Jakobsson. The company specialized in developing user interfaces and mobile software, particularly for smartphones. It became well-known for its advanced visual design capabilities, creating innovative and interactive user experiences. TAT was acquired by BlackBerry in 2010 to improve the smartphone company’s user interface designs, particularly for its devices. The company played a significant role in shaping the look and feel of early mobile software interfaces.

A few examples of our work below:

Image one: Speaker highlight from A Green Economy & A Blue Economy Greennovation Camp.

Image two: A Rural Future 2040 synthesis from 6 scribers capturing real-time insights during an online conference.