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 154 INVESTORS →Every Nordic investor with documented hardtech investments, plus the grants and public instruments that fund the other half of the journey from lab to factory.
Active Invest
Active Invest Sweden AB is a family-owned Swedish investment group founded by Johan Enocson that combines a wood-industry division, Surewood Industries, with an investment arm holding around 30 companies across various sectors.
Kongsberg Innovation
Norwegian innovation hub and early-stage investor supporting high-tech industrial startups.
Energetik VC
Energetik Ventures is a London-based early-stage venture capital fund backing founders building the next generation of energy technologies, with a portfolio spanning computing hardware, battery materials, storage systems, vertical farming and grid/EV software across Europe.
People Ventures
Early-stage VC fund backing bold tech companies in Denmark, focused on pre-seed and seed rounds.
Scania Ventures
Supports venture building and innovation initiatives tied to sustainable transport solutions.
Grenspecialisten
Investment firm focused on listed small and mid-sized companies in Sweden, emphasizing long-term ownership.
Equinor Ventures
Equinor Ventures is the Stavanger, Norway-based corporate venture capital arm of Equinor, investing since 1991 in early-phase and growth companies developing renewable energy, low-carbon and energy-transition technologies, with a portfolio concentrated in Europe and North America.
Bring Ventures
Bring Ventures is the corporate venture arm of the Norway Post Group, investing in early-stage companies focusing on sustainability and digitization within logistics and related sectors.
Imec Xpand
Venture capital fund investing in early-stage semiconductor and deeptech startups, linked to research powerhouse imec.
Seven District
Early-stage VC focusing on scalable Nordic tech companies, especially B2B SaaS and digital platforms.
AGV Invest
AGV (All Generation Ventures) is a Stockholm-based PropTech-focused investment firm investing in early-stage Nordic real estate technology ventures, with a focus on sustainability and decarbonization solutions for the real estate industry.
GOKAP Invest
GOKAP Invest is a Gothenburg-based investment company, co-founded in 2018 by GU Ventures' CEO Klementina Österberg, that invests in innovative unlisted growth companies primarily in Västra Götaland/Western Sweden, having built a portfolio of around 19-22 holdings spanning life science, digital services and a small number of physical hardtech companies.
The ecosystem
ALL 970 COMPANIES →Who builds, supplies and enables hardtech across the Nordics, from garage startups to industrial giants. Browse by role, phase and vertical.
KI Science Park
Hosts life science companies and fosters collaboration between industry and academia.
Avalon Innovation
Avalon Innovation is a Scandinavian consulting company specializing in developing innovative product and system solutions, helping clients meet future challenges through deep insights and broad technical knowledge.
Mips
Specializes in helmet safety systems that reduce rotational motion, enhancing protection in various sports and activities.
Traffic Lab
Affiliate technology company creating comparison websites for the iGaming industry.
Imogo
Develops sustainable textile dyeing technology reducing water and energy usage.
Waves4Power
Develops wave energy systems to convert ocean waves into electricity.
CrossControl AB
Provides advanced display and computer solutions for industrial vehicles and machines.
JFAB-CENMATIC AB
Manufactures industrial electronics and armbågskontakter (elbow switches) for various applications.
AutoStore
AutoStore develops robotics and advanced software to automate and orchestrate order fulfillment, offering cube-based storage automation systems.
Rivus
Rivus develops organic flow batteries for large-scale energy storage, offering metal-free and eco-friendly solutions to support the energy transition.
Chris-Marine
Chris-Marine develops, produces, and sells precision tools and machines used when monitoring and overhauling marine diesel and gas engines in merchant vessels and IC engine power plants.
Hefring Marine
Hefring Marine builds IMAS, an AI-powered marine guidance system that turns real-time onboard sensor data into safety, fuel-efficiency and operational guidance for vessel operators and fleet managers.
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 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 16 Anders Hässel och Nenda: Streamingrevolutionen för företag [SWE]
#16. Streamingrevolutionen för företag Anders Hässel , vd och grundare av Nenda , gästar podden och berättar hur bolaget utvecklar en modern streamingplattform för företag – med hårdvara, molntjänster och affärsmodeller anpassade för B2B-marknaden. Målet: att ersätta föråldrade TV‑lösningar med smart, skalbar teknik. Nenda grundades med en tydlig idé: att förändra hur företag inom hotell, vård och
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 →
EP 12 Dora Palfi and imagi: From Neuroscience to Neon Pixels
Episode #12: From Neuroscience to Neon Pixels with imagi Dora Palfi , co-founder and CEO of edtech company imagi , joins the podcast to talk about building tools that make tech education more accessible, playful — and empowering, especially for girls. With a background in both neuroscience and computer science, Dora shares her journey from research to entrepreneurship, and how imagi is redefining
LISTEN →
EP 1 Stefan Ytterborn och Cake: Från hype till haveri
#1. Från hype till haveri Stefan Ytterborn , grundare av elfordonsbolaget Cake , gästar premiäravsnittet av Hårdvarupodden (numer Nordic Hardtech Podcast). Vi pratar om hela bolagsresan – från vision och hype till konkurs – och om vad andra kan lära sig av en resa som gick snabbt, snyggt och slutade tvärt. Cake satte en ny standard för elfordon. Men att bygga hårdvara, skala globalt och finansiera
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 3 Ulrika Tornerefelt och Stella Futura: Från grön vision till laddad expansion [SWE]
#3. Från grön vision till laddad expansion Ulrika Tornerefelt , grundare av Stella Futura , gästar podden och berättar om resan från hållbarhetsrådgivning till att bygga ett snabbväxande energibolag. Från Västafrika till svenska stödtjänstmarknaden, och från idé till skalbar affärsmodell inom “battery as a service”. Vi pratar om lönsam expansion, affärsmodellering, finansieringsstrategier och hur
LISTEN →
EP 32 Daniel Wentz – Greenely & the Rise of the Virtual Power Plant
#32. The Rise of the Virtual Power Plant Daniel Wentz , Chief Product Officer at Greenely , joins the podcast to unpack one of the most interesting shifts in consumer energy: the rise of home batteries, intelligent orchestration, and virtual power plants. With a background leading global connected-device software at Electrolux, he shares why trust and control are the foundation of any energy produ
LISTEN →
EP 19 Jonas Genchel och Zparq: Poddmotorn från KTH som ska driva nästa marina skifte [SWE]
#19. Poddmotorn från KTH som ska driva nästa marina skifte Jonas Genchel , vd och medgrundare av Zparq , gästar podden och berättar hur bolaget utvecklar elektriska poddmotorer från grunden – med egenutvecklad drivlina, styrsystem och batteriteknik. Ambitionen är att göra båtbranschen tystare, grönare och smartare. Zparq föddes ur forskning på KTH och har sedan starten 2020 byggt ett team, säkrat
LISTEN →
EP 18 Stina Lantz och SISP: Så bygger vi ett starkare innovationssystem
#18.Så bygger vi ett starkare innovationssystem Stina Lantz , VD på SISP (Swedish Incubators and Science Parks), gästar podden och berättar om inkubatorernas och science parks roll i det svenska innovationssystemet. Med bakgrund som entreprenör, affärsutvecklare och programledare för Ignite Sweden har Stina jobbat med över 1300 startups. I dag leder hon SISP – en medlemsorganisation som samlar 63
LISTEN →
EP 2 Pär Hedberg och Sting: Startupmaskinen som aldrig stannar
#2. Startupmaskinen som aldrig stannar Pär Hedberg , grundare av inkubatorn Sting , gästar podden och delar insikter från 20 år i svensk startupfront. Vi pratar om varför deeptech kräver en annan sorts investerare, hur man skapar tillväxtbolag i serie och varför varje team behöver någon som gillar fakturering. Sting har sedan starten 2001 blivit en av Europas mest respekterade inkubatorer, med röt
LISTEN →
EP 30 Per Brickstad – Transparent & the Quest for Timeless Tech
#30. The Quest for Timeless Tech Per Brickstad , founder and chief designer at Transparent , joins us in our 30th episode – a milestone worth noting. Transparent is on a mission to become the world’s first circular tech brand, building modular and upgradable audio gear that challenges consumer electronics’ throwaway logic. From a Stockholm design studio to a global hardware company, this is the st
LISTEN →Insights
ALL INSIGHTS →What we have learned about building, scaling and funding hard things in the Nordics.
INSIGHT The Hardtech Christmas List: What Nordic Founders Really Want
A December reflection on the unglamorous but essential conditions Nordic hardtech founders actually need to keep building.
READ →
INSIGHT Nordic Hardtech x Lightbringer: IP just got interesting!
Tired of slow, expensive patents? Lightbringer flips the script. Discover how AI-driven IP can help you protect ideas, raise capital, and build real leverage.
READ →
INSIGHT TALES FROM THE TECH HUB: HARDWARE EDITION på The Yard i Göteborg (2 april)
Välkommen till Göteborgs techarena "The Yard" på ett exklusivt event om hur man bygger hårdvarubolag.
READ →
INSIGHT Norway Isn’t Loud. That Might Be Its Advantage.
A guest essay on why Norway's understated hardtech ecosystem in defence, robotics and energy is becoming strategically important.
READ →
INSIGHT Human-in-the-Loop: The Economics of Staying in Control
Argues Nordic automation succeeds by keeping humans in the loop, turning oversight into a strategic economic advantage over full autonomy.
READ →
INSIGHT Glasses to ashes: why AR, VR and AI wearables keep failing: until they don’t
A decade of failed AR, VR and AI wearables shows execution, not vision, is hardtech's hardest problem.
READ →
INSIGHT Your product isn’t ready: and Michael Pica knows why
Hardware Velocity's Michael Pica explains why hardtech founders must validate demand before scaling production, not just believe in their idea.
READ →
INSIGHT When Hardware Meets Awesome
Johan Ronnestam argues hardtech brands need archetypes and cultural resonance, not just working tech, to survive AI-driven disruption.
READ →
INSIGHT The New Industrial Stack
Nine Nordic startups are building the software layer that lets factories be programmed like computers.
READ →Karoly Szipka on Making Machines Talk: and Building a Business Around It
IPercept's founder explains how CNC diagnostics and machine data could save Europe's aging industrial expertise.
READ →
INSIGHT Congrats Lovable – A Cautionary Tale for Deeptech?
Lovable just became Europe’s latest unicorn – and it’s a win for Swedish innovation. But deeptech founders, take note: speed isn’t everything. If capital keeps chasing AI hype, critical climate and resilience tech may get left behind.
READ →
INSIGHT Built to Endure: How Nordic Hardtech Turns Fear into Function
Explores how fear, war, and geopolitical uncertainty are reshaping Nordic hardtech into a driver of resilience and dual-use innovation.
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.
LIGHTBRINGER.COM ↗ SISPSwedish Incubators and Science Parks, the national infrastructure for innovation environments.
SISP.SE ↗ RECUROGrowth partner for tech and media companies, from strategy to execution.
RECURO.COM ↗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.