Anders Gunnarsson started Coeo in Umeå in 2019 for climate reasons. He wanted to take part in conferences around the world without flying there, and thought the existing meeting tools made remote attendance a poor second place. The industry was mildly interested. A year later the pandemic arrived and he had to take his mobile number off the website because he couldn't keep up with the calls.

What separates Coeo from the large meeting platforms is who the experience belongs to. The conference carries the organiser's brand, not the vendor's, and the organiser can charge the people attending remotely. Participants can submit questions in advance, chat in real time and watch every session afterwards, which keeps the content valuable after the day is over.

The company is led by Tinna Sandström and counts Umeå Congress among its owners, which gives direct access to the industry the product is built for.