As he back-flipped into an ice hole cut into the Baltic sea, Didrik Dege Dimmen drew gasps from onlookers in Oulu, Finland. Waist-deep in freezing seawater, his bare chest inked with his product’s name, the 24-year-old Norwegian proceeded to pitch his smartphone stabiliser to a panel of venture capitalists.

His performance may have clashed with the unwritten Nordic ‘law of Jante’, a cultural norm that ostentation should be frowned upon. But Dimmen went on to win first prize in the 2016 Polar Bear Pitching contest – 10,000 euros ($11,128) and a stay in Silicon Valley – plus global publicity and fresh contacts.

Norwegian entrepreneur Didrik Dege Dimmen takes the plunge while pitching to panel of venture capitalists in Oulu, Finland (Credit: Jarmo Kontiainen)

“It was a highly efficient way of marketing ourselves,” he says. Since co-founding FlowMotion Technologies in Oslo two years ago, the start-up’s increasingly visible public profile has helped attract $1.3m in funding.

Showing off, getting noticed and cultivating a personal brand is becoming increasingly important

While jumping half-naked into ice-cold water is perhaps an extreme way to get funding, it’s part of a trend where showing off, getting noticed and cultivating a personal brand is becoming increasingly important.

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