AI’s game-changing role in SaaS: Insights from Swedish-British innovators

30 January 2025

On 21 October 2024, innovation took centre stage at Fieldfisher in London, where we hosted not one, but two transformative events designed to foster Swedish-British collaboration.

The inaugural Swedish-British SaaS Connect brought together leading SaaS businesses to explore the cutting-edge role of AI in shaping work, law, and marketing. Keynote speaker Danilo McGarry set the scene and Master of Ceremonies Anisah Osman Britton MBE guided us through a thought-provoking programme that left participants inspired and equipped to navigate an ever-evolving technological landscape.

Meanwhile, the Ecosystem Exchange: SaaS Connect  facilitated dynamic connections between Sweden’s rising scaleups and the UK’s thriving ecosystem of investors, entrepreneurs, and industry experts. This sector-specific initiative sparked invaluable knowledge sharing, paving the way for future growth and UK expansion.

Here you can read main takeways of the day from some of the participants, and what they think are the most critical steps businesses should take to stay ahead in the AI-driven workplace.

Sara Landfors, Co-founder & CEO, Normain

Sara, what were your key takeaways from the Swedish-British SaaS Connect?
UK companies are prioritising AI and moving quickly to explore its potential for business transformation, starting with critical use cases. With fewer restrictions from the EU AI Act, they can bring advanced AI to market faster. This creates a great opportunity for Swedish SaaS companies to test new innovations in the UK, using EU/Swedish AI regulation knowledge as guidance.

What is the most critical step businesses should take to stay ahead in the AI-driven workplace?
Avoid getting stuck in over-analysing AI use cases or the technology itself. Dive in with high-impact, high-value applications. The best AI ideas often don’t come from the C-suite but from employees working hands-on, using AI to solve problems they had before AI became available.

Rasmus Adler Wahlberg, Co-founder & CEO, Multiply

Rasmus, what were your key takeaways from the Swedish-British SaaS Connect?
We truly have some amazing AI innovation happening in Sweden, that the UK market is very positive to Swedish products, and that the openness to adopt AI in organisations is very high in the UK. I believe that the scale of UK companies and the depth of UK capital markets make the UK an ideal second market for Swedish AI startups.

What is the most critical step businesses should take to stay ahead in the AI-driven workplace?
Forget what you know about generative AI and start experimenting with using agents for whatever you can in your business. The agentic AI revolution has at least 10x the potential of the generative AI shift, as it can accelerate any type of knowledge work - not just content creation. Allow your team to try new tools, learn by doing, and get excited about being at the forefront of AI.

Alex Harbin, Senior Associate, Fieldfisher
NikhilShah, Director (Legal), Technology, and Data, Fieldfisher

Alex and Nikhil, what were your key takeaways from the Swedish-British SaaS Connect?
The energy in the room was infectious! Optimism about using products to drive meaningful change was palpable. However, sustainable growth must balance ambition with legal and risk considerations. For AI-enabled products, the message was clear: prioritise security and implement practical guardrails, including questioning whether AI is truly necessary to achieve specific outcomes. Thoughtful progress ensures lasting impact.

What is the most critical step businesses should take to stay ahead in the AI-driven workplace?
Good governance is key to thriving in an AI-driven workplace. It ensures that AI is used responsibly, aligns with your values, and avoids legal risks. By improving policies, record-keeping, and upskilling staff, businesses can enhance AI development, procurement, and oversight, while maximising value sustainably. Thoughtful governance fosters safer, and smarter AI integration for long-term success.

VIEW FULL AGENDA AND LIST OF SPEAKERS

See photos from the event