The Nordic hardtech community
For everyone building hard things in the Nordics.
Hardtech is innovative, complex and physical. Nordic Hardtech exists so the people who build it, fund it and enable it can find each other.
The funding map
ALL 175 INVESTORS →Every Nordic investor with documented hardtech investments, plus the grants and public instruments that fund the other half of the road from lab to factory, with their deadlines.
Vasa Angels
Vasa Angels is a Gothenburg-based business angel investment vehicle connected to GU Ventures, co-investing with the state-owned Saminvest and around 22-24 business angels in pre-seed and seed rounds sourced from GU Ventures' incubator.
Northzone
Northzone is a multi-stage venture capital firm founded in 1996 in Oslo, now headquartered in London with offices across the Nordics, Amsterdam and New York, investing from seed through growth stage across Europe and the US. Its portfolio includes Spotify, Klarna, Einride and Black Forest Labs, and it has backed companies through more than 250 investments to date.
Prota Ventures
Prota Ventures is a venture-building and early-stage investment firm headquartered in Chicago, founded in 2016, that invests financial and non-financial capital in technology startups from concept to launch. No Nordic office, partner, or portfolio company has been identified, so its inclusion on a Nordic map is questionable.
Prima Materia
Prima Materia is a Stockholm based investment company founded in 2020 by Daniel Ek and Shakil Khan. It builds and backs a small number of long term technology companies in Europe, with investments including Helsing and Neko Health.
Alsteron
Alsteron is a Stockholm-based, family-owned investment company founded in 2019 that focuses on the Scandinavian market, primarily investing in biotech, digital and technological innovation companies.
EUDIS BAMM
EUDIS BAMM (Business Accelerator) is a public, non-dilutive funding and coaching instrument of the EU Defence Innovation Scheme, run by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space together with a Starburst-led consortium. It selects cohorts of 20 European (EU + Norway) defence-tech start-ups and scale-ups twice a year, giving each a €120,000 seed-financing voucher plus coaching, bootcamps and investor/end-user matchmaking.
VTT Ventures
Venture arm of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland's state-owned applied research institute, spinning off deep tech and industrial hardware startups from its own IPR.
Kost Capital
Kost Capital is a Copenhagen-based venture capital fund investing in early-stage European companies across the food and bioeconomy sector, backed by Denmark's export and investment fund EIFO as sole limited partner. It writes pre-seed and seed checks of 250k to 1M euros into ingredients, nutrition platforms and enabling process technologies, working alongside its sister venture studio Kost Studio.
Seven District
Seven District is a Swedish evergreen investment company that backs entrepreneurs from early stage up to roughly SEK 500 million in turnover, combining capital with hands-on operational support. Its portfolio spans industrial hardware, sensors, connectivity and aerospace alongside software, e-commerce and consumer platforms.
Zenith VC
Zenith VC (Zenith Group AB) is a Stockholm based venture capital firm founded in 2015/2016 by Tommy Jacobson and Caroline Cronstedt. It backs early stage, post revenue Nordic B2B software companies with capital, network access and hands on operational support.
Energimyndigheten
The Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten) is Sweden's public authority for energy research, innovation and preparedness, providing grants and R&D funding to companies, academia and public bodies working on the transition to a fossil-free energy system.
Skagerak Capital
Norwegian venture and growth investor focused on sustainable tech and cleantech innovation.
The ecosystem
ALL 1200 COMPANIES →Who builds, supplies and enables hardtech across the Nordics, from garage startups to industrial giants. Browse by role, phase and vertical.
Akkodis
Akkodis is a global digital engineering company offering smart industry solutions, combining IT and engineering expertise to drive innovation.
Vaja
Vaja develops and supplies a novel solar tracking system that significantly increases both energy production and revenue.
Sapient Perception
Sapient Perception ApS is a Copenhagen-based developer of physical AI sensor systems for UAVs, building '10K' software-defined cameras and an edge AI framework that expand aerial visibility for defense, security, and emergency response operations.
Reshape Biotech
Reshape builds AI- and robotics-powered lab automation robots that digitize and automate microbiology experiments for biotech, agriculture, and food R&D customers.
Qvantum
Qvantum develops heat pump systems equipped with technology that can serve as thermal batteries, promoting decarbonization for the heating and cooling market.
Quandify
Quandify specializes in water flow metering and leak prevention within the water management industry, offering intelligent water meter systems for residential property owners.
Nexstim
Nexstim is a Finnish, globally operating growth-oriented medical technology company. Our mission is to enable personalized and effective diagnostics and therapies for challenging brain diseases and disorders.
Resitu Medical
Resitu Medical AB is a Swedish company that develops instruments for the removal of intact lesions, with devices intended to speed up breast cancer management.
Lövånger Elektronik AB (LEAB)
Provides contract manufacturing services for rugged electronics in demanding environments.
Silex Microsystems AB
Silex Microsystems manufactures customized MEMS devices for medical, telecom, and industrial applications.
Robot Aviation AS
Robot Aviation develops long-endurance, professional-grade unmanned aircraft designed for Arctic and other demanding environments, with deep engineering competence across hardware, software, and system integration.
Chipmetrics
Chipmetrics is a Finland-based semiconductor metrology company that builds proprietary 3D high-aspect-ratio test chips and wafers (notably the PillarHall family) to deliver fast, precise thin-film and conformality measurements for ALD and other deposition processes, serving chipmakers, equipment vendors and materials developers worldwide.
One sharp email, every two weeks.
Hardtech news from the Nordics and beyond, new raises, events worth travelling for, and the deadlines you should not miss.
Open raises
SEE WHO IS RAISING →Raising for something innovative, complex and physical? Apply in five minutes. We curate, and your round reaches the readers of the newsletter, including the investors on the map. The list is open for the first entries.
The podcast
ALL 37 EPISODES →Conversations with the founders and funders of Nordic hardtech.
EP 7 Claes Kjölhede och Airolit: Svensk hardtech ur ett drönarperspektiv
#7 Svensk hardtech ur ett drönarperspektiv Claes Kjölhede , vd på drönarbolaget Airolit , intervjuas live på Evertiq Expo i Göteborg. Vi pratar om hur man bygger avancerade drönarsystem i Sverige – och vad som krävs för att leverera till både totalförsvar och forskningsvärld. Airolit grundades 2017 för att utveckla UAV/UAS-lösningar för krävande industriella användare. Med fabrik i Mölndal, partne
LISTEN →
EP 37 Lisa Eriksson (KTH Innovation) – Building Europe’s Deeptech Pipeline
37. Building Europe’s Deeptech Pipeline Lisa Eriksson , Head of KTH Innovation and CEO of KTH Ventures , joins the Nordic Hardtech Podcast to discuss what it takes to turn world-class research into venture-backed companies. KTH Innovation supports hundreds of founders, researchers and students every year, helping transform ideas into startups across fields such as AI, energy, semiconductors, life
LISTEN →
EP 29 Johan Outinen – Elvy & the Energy Subscription Play: 15 Years of Heat, Trust and Risk [ENG]
#29. Elvy & the Energy Subscription Play: 15 Years of Heat, Trust and Risk Johan Outinen , CEO and co-founder of Elvy Energy , joins the pod to explain why households should lock in their energy for the next 15 years, and how simplicity can unlock the transition. Elvy Energy is rewriting the rules of home energy with flat-rate subscriptions that cover installation, insurance, maintenance, and even
LISTEN →
EP 31 Mala Valroy – Industrifonden & the State of Deep Tech 2025
#31. Industrifonden & the State of Deep Tech 2025 Mala Valroy , Investment Manager at Industrifonden , joins the podcast to share her journey from biochemistry and startups to leading investments in deep tech. With Industrifonden’s unique evergreen model, she breaks down what it really takes to earn a term sheet in 2025, why relationships matter more than pitch decks, and how resilience and sustai
LISTEN →
EP 15 Ola Wassvik & Flatfrog: Att äga vägen till skalbarhet [SWE]
Ola Wassvik , medgrundare av Flatfrog , gästar podden och berättar hur bolaget tog en optisk multitouch-teknik från ett labb i Lund till en global marknad. I dag används Flatfrogs lösningar i allt från klassrum till styrelserum – men bakom framgången finns en annan avgörande faktor: patenten. Med över 300 patent i ryggen använde Flatfrog IP som ett strategiskt verktyg för att skydda sin teknik, sä
LISTEN →
EP 20 Ted Elvhage: Rymdkapital & Expansion Ventures – The Nordic Case for Space [ENG]
Episode 20 – The Nordic Case for Space Ted Elvhage , founder of Rymdkapital and Expansion Ventures , joins us to talk spacetech, hardtech investing, and why Europe needs to catch up. From early bets like Pythom Space to advice for angel investors—this is a fast, sharp dive into one of hardtech’s most complex frontiers. Rymdkapital is a Sweden-based investment firm focused on early-stage spacetech
LISTEN →
EP 13 Giovanni Fili från Exeger: att bygga ett imperium cell för cell [SWE]
#25. Att bygga ett imperium cell för cell Giovanni Fili , grundare och vd för Exeger , gästar podden och berättar hur bolaget tagit fram en helt ny typ av solcell – och byggt en fabrik runt visionen. Det här är berättelsen om hur svensk deeptech trotsar oddsen: från egenutvecklade nanopartiklar och patenterade elektroder till en fullt automatiserad fabrik mitt i Stockholm. Powerfoyle, Exegers ljus
LISTEN →
EP 36 Monica Bellgran – Produktionsänglar & Sveriges bortglömda konkurrensfördel [SWE]
36. Produktionsänglar & Sveriges bortglömda konkurrensfördel Monica Bellgran , vicerektor för innovation vid Mälardalen Universitet och medgrundare av Produktionsänglar , gästar podden för att prata om en av hardtech-världens mest underskattade utmaningar: att gå från prototyp till produktion. Från industrialisering och leverantörskedjor till automation, AI och geopolitik förklarar hon varför så m
LISTEN →
EP 11 Staffan Stymne och T.Loop: Spillvirke för AI-eran
#11. Spillvirke för för AI-eran Staffan Stymne , vd och medgrundare av T.Loop gästar podden och berättar hur de bygger datacenter som både driver AI och balanserar elnätet – med återbruk, överskottsenergi och smart lokalisering som kärna. Med 30 års erfarenhet från energisektorn tog Staffan steget in i tech för att visa att datakraft inte behöver kosta klimatet. I dag bygger T.Loop för den nya era
LISTEN →
EP 34 Max Villman – From Cockpit to Cap Table: Inside Nordic Defense Tech
#34. From Cockpit to Cap Table: Inside Nordic Defense Tech Max Villman , former Swedish fighter pilot and now defense tech investor at Gungnir , joins the Nordic Hardtech Podcast for a grounded conversation on what really matters in modern defense innovation. With first-hand experience from the cockpit and deep exposure to today’s European and Ukrainian defense tech ecosystems, Max shares what fou
LISTEN →
EP 10 Kurt Högnelid och Waybler: Laddlogik för nästa elbilsvåg [SWE]
#10. Laddlogik för nästa elbilsvåg Kurt Högnelid , VD och medgrundare av Waybler , gästar podden och berättar hur bolaget bygger ett laddsystem för lägenheter och kontor – med smart styrning, lokal produktion och ett eget moln i ryggen. Kurt har grundat sju bolag inom medtech, IT och energi, och varit entreprenör i över 20 år. Med Waybler bygger han nu för tillväxt på en marknad som både boomat oc
LISTEN →
EP 8 Helene Winberg och Frontside: När fabriken växer av sig själv [SWE]
#8. När fabriken växer av sig själv Helene Winberg , vd och delägare av Frontside , intervjuas live på Evertiq Expo i Göteborg. Vi pratar om hur man skalar svensk kontraktstillverkning utan PR-maskin och hype, men med djupt fokus på kvalitet och kompetens. Frontside har producerat elektronik i Mölnlycke sedan 1990. Under ett tioårigt generationsskifte tog Helene över ledarskapet i familjeföretaget
LISTEN →Insights
ALL INSIGHTS →What we have learned about building, scaling and funding hard things in the Nordics.
INSIGHT Gillar du podden? Betygsätt den!
Hårdvarupodden har funnits sedan juni 2024. Vi kommer fortsätta expandera under 2025 och fler nyheter kommer inom kort. Podden finns för lyssnarna – inget annat. Så, hur kan vi bli ännu bättre?
READ →
INSIGHT Quantum That Counts: 10 Nordic Quantum Pioneers to Watch
A curated look at ten Nordic companies turning quantum research into commercial hardware and software.
READ →
INSIGHT Vi är live!
På rekordtid (?) har vi gått från idé till handling och skapat Hårdvarupodden.
READ →
INSIGHT Robotics That Count: 10 Bold Builders to Watch in the Nordics
A curated field guide to ten Nordic robotics companies showing where autonomy meets industry today.
READ →
INSIGHT Emilia Brandt on Why Growth Needs More Than Grit: and How Recuro Delivers
Recuro's new CEO explains why smart structure, not brute force, is what actually drives hardtech growth.
READ →
INSIGHT The Unscalable Edge: why hardtech wins by starting slow
Argues that hardtech's early, unscalable phase builds the real-world knowledge that later makes scale possible.
READ →
INSIGHT The Hard Way: The Nordic Way
Nordic hardtech founders keep choosing complex, regulated, physical-world industries over easy, fast-scaling opportunities.
READ →From stubbornness to breakthroughs: the case for difficult founders
Industrifonden's Mala Valroy explains why she backs stubborn, bold deep tech founders over comfortable, consensus-seeking ones.
READ →
INSIGHT Under the Surface: How the Nordic Blue Hardtech Wave Is Rising
Nordic hardtech founders are turning to the ocean, building autonomous dredging robots, tidal kites and subsea sensors to drive a new blue economy.
READ →
INSIGHT The Nordic Heat List: Ten Nordic Companies Turning Heat into Hardtech
Profiles ten Nordic companies turning industrial and household heat into hardtech-driven climate solutions.
READ →
INSIGHT Lovable Just Went Unicorn: But Don't Let Deeptech Starve
A Nordic Hardtech contributor warns that Lovable's software unicorn success shouldn't overshadow the need to fund and support slower, harder deeptech innovation.
READ →
INSIGHT Betting the House on 15-Year Subscriptions
Elvy Energy's CEO explains why flat-rate 15-year energy subscriptions could become the future default for households.
READ →Partners keep this open
The funding map, the podcast, the events and the newsletter are free for the whole ecosystem, made possible by partners who build Nordic hardtech with us.
AI-driven patent filing for tech companies. Protect what you invent, at software speed.
OFFER: Free intro call with Lightbringer's patent team → LIGHTBRINGER.COM ↗Swedish Incubators and Science Parks, the national infrastructure for innovation environments.
SISP.SE ↗Kept accurate by the community
Anyone can suggest an investor, flag an error, or submit an event, a job or a raise. Every suggestion is checked and prepared before it goes live. Nothing publishes unreviewed.
One sharp email, every two weeks.
Hardtech news from the Nordics and beyond, new raises, events worth travelling for, and the deadlines you should not miss.