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 157 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.
Arctic Ventures
Arctic Ventures is the angel-investment vehicle managed by Arctic Business Incubator (ABI), investing exclusively in startups admitted to ABI's incubator across northern Sweden, from Skellefteå to Kiruna. It is backed by a network of dozens of business angels together with the state-owned fund Saminvest, and provides seed-stage convertible-loan capital to companies spanning space, industry, gaming and IT.
Longrun Capital
Invests in science-based and IP-driven deep tech ventures that aim to solve global challenges.
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.
Volvo Group Venture Capital
Corporate VC arm of Volvo Group, investing in innovative startups in transport, mobility, and energy.
Propel Capital
Investment vehicle linked to Sting, backing early-stage startups in Stockholm’s startup ecosystem. Formerly Propel Capital.
Tillväxtverket
The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, providing support and funding to strengthen entrepreneurship and regional development.
Rymdkapital
Swedish VC fund investing in early-stage space technology startups across Europe.
Almi
Almi is Sweden's state-owned organization that provides loans, business development advice, and equity financing to Swedish SMEs, with its venture-capital arm Almi Invest (including the national Almi Invest GreenTech fund) making direct investments in early-stage tech, life-science, industrial and sustainability startups.
Pale Blue Dot VC
Climate-focused VC fund based in Malmö, investing in early-stage tech startups addressing the climate crisis.
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.
Katapult VC
Katapult is an Oslo-based impact investment platform founded in 2015 by Tharald Nustad, now spanning venture funds, accelerators and a foundation. Its dedicated ocean arm, Katapult Ocean, has made 90 investments in blue economy startups working on transportation, circularity, ocean data, energy and food and water.
Kichi Invest
Kichi Invest is a Stockholm private investment firm founded in 2016 by Oscar Ingdahl and Paradox Interactive founder Fredrik Wester, backing Nordic growth stage companies with a broad mandate spanning SaaS, consumer brands and fintech. Its clearest hardtech bet is electric motorcycle maker Stark Future, alongside stakes in Epidemic Sound, Marshall Group, Estrid and Lunar.
The ecosystem
ALL 998 COMPANIES →Who builds, supplies and enables hardtech across the Nordics, from garage startups to industrial giants. Browse by role, phase and vertical.
Cling Systems
Offers a platform enabling battery circularity by supporting repurposing and recycling of electric vehicle batteries.
Arfve
Arfve develops sustainable, future-proof hardware like the Legacy 1 earbuds, integrating intent-based AI for personalized user experiences.
ESA BIC Norway 2.0 (managed by Kjeller Innovasjon)
ESA BIC Norway is the national incubator for business ideas and startups leveraging space technology, managed by Kjeller Innovasjon in collaboration with StartupLab, Fremtidens Industri, KPB, and Norinnova.
Steady Energy
Steady Energy is developing the LDR-50, a small modular nuclear reactor designed to decarbonize district heating and industrial steam production.
Aprilice
Aprilice operates a B2B platform for solar energy products, connecting suppliers and installers to streamline the solar supply chain.
Hubject
Offers eMobility services, including intercharge network for electric vehicle charging.
Tobii AB
Develops eye-tracking technology for various applications, including research and consumer electronics.
LimeArc Process
LimeArc Process develops electrically generated plasma technology to reburn lime mud in seconds instead of hours, in a compact reactor without moving parts, eliminating fossil fuel use in pulp and paper mills.
Swelex AB
Distributes electronic components and systems, providing solutions for automation, control, and measurement applications. Formerly Stig Wahlström Elektronik AB.
JFAB-CENMATIC AB
Manufactures industrial electronics and armbågskontakter (elbow switches) for various applications.
Smartoptics Sverige AB
Provides optical networking solutions for data centers and service providers, specializing in open line systems and transceivers.
Peafowl Sol
Peafowl Sol develops transparent solar cells using plasmonic nanoparticles, aiming to integrate solar energy harvesting into various surfaces.
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 28 Dominic Davies – Lightbringer & the Patent Reboot: From Legal Grind to Founder Speed [ENG]
Episode 28: From Legal Grind to Founder Speed Dominic Davies , co-founder of Lightbringer , joins the pod to talk patents, automation and founder-first IP. With a background in both software and patent law, he’s now building a system that aims to replace the traditional patent firm entirely — starting with the needs of deeptech startups. From knowledge graphs to GPT-3, Lightbringer was born out of
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EP 33 Leo Ballesteros – Atonemo & When to Ignore the Market (At First)
#33: When to Ignore the Market (At First) Leo Ballesteros , founder of Atonemo , joins the podcast to share a brutally honest take on what it actually takes to build a consumer hardware company from scratch. From feature overload to ruthless simplification, this episode is about learning by doing. Every single day. Atonemo is building consumer electronics at the intersection of hardware, software
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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
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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
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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
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EP 4 James Campion och TERASi: In i hjärtat av svensk deeptech
#4. In i hjärtat av svensk deeptech James Campion , grundare av TERASi, gästar podden och berättar hur det är att bygga ett deeptech-bolag i Sverige – med rötterna i forskning, blicken mot 6G och finansieringsgapet ständigt närvarande. Vi pratar om teknik, produkt, kapital och politik. Om att utveckla kommunikationssystem för nästa generations nätverk, och varför det ibland känns som att förklara
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EP 23 Linda Krondahl från Things: Från hype till handling – hur deeptech blir business [SWE]
Avsnitt 23. Från hype till handling – hur deeptech blir business Linda Krondahl , vd på Things och medgrundare till Ignite Sweden , gästar podden och berättar om sin resa från solenergiprojekt i Indien till att bygga ett nav för deeptech i Sverige. Det här är ett avsnitt om hur affärer slår visioner – och varför svenska storbolag måste vakna. Vi pratar om hur Things blev en katalysator för hardtec
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EP 25 Joacim Westlund Prändel – Less is More: How Flic Pushed the Button on Scalable Hardware [ENG]
🤝 This episode is produced in collaboration with Lightbringer – the patent service helping founders move faster. With AI at its core and senior attorneys in-house, they streamline the patent process and set a new standard for how growth-stage teams secure what’s theirs. Episode #25 Less is More: How Flic Pushed the Button on Scalable Hardware What if turning off a light or flipping a music sheet c
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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
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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
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EP 5 Rickard Bröms och Vässla: Full gas till fritt fall [SWE]
#5. Full gas till fritt fall Rickard Bröms , grundare av Vässla , gästar podden och berättar hur bolaget gick från Blockets enda elmoppe till internationell elfordonssatsning – och till slut in i rekonstruktion. Vi pratar om produktstrategi, supply chain, kapitaljakt och vad som händer när verkligheten kör över visionen. Men också om hur en idé kan leva vidare, även efter en konkurs. I det här avs
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EP 24 Henrik Jonsson och agood company: Cirkulärt varvet runt – mobilskalet som vill rädda planeten [SWE]
#24.Cirkulärt varvet runt – mobilskalet som vill rädda planeten Henrik Jonsson , vd på agood Company , gästar podden och berättar hur bolaget bygger cirkulära konsumentprodukter i stor skala – med lokal produktion som vapen mot klimatkrisen. Från en idé om att sälja direkt till konsument till att i dag samarbeta med jättar som Deutsche Telekom – här är berättelsen om hur hållbarhet blev affär. Ago
LISTEN →Insights
ALL INSIGHTS →What we have learned about building, scaling and funding hard things in the Nordics.
INSIGHT The Validation Economy
Donut Lab's battery claims show how independent validation itself becomes strategic currency in deep hardware.
READ →
INSIGHT Deep Tech Needs to Go Deeper (Except Here)
A guest column argues Europe should focus on defensible niches like physical AI, quantum applications and precision biomanufacturing instead of chasing China everywhere.
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 →Europe Doesn't Have an Innovation Problem
KTH Innovation's Lisa Eriksson argues fragmentation, not lack of innovation, holds back Europe's deeptech scaleups.
READ →
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 →Less is More: How Flic Pushed the Button on Scalable Hardware
How Flic turned a simple Bluetooth button into a profitable, VC-free global hardware business.
READ →
INSIGHT The EU–US Trade Deal has Landed – Why the Nordic Hardtech Ecosystem Must Act Now
A 15% tariff just hit Nordic exports to the US. Here’s why it’s a wake-up call for hardtech — and what we must do next.
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INSIGHT Geography Is Back On The Map
Eight Nordic hardtech firms show that staying close to factories and industry can be a competitive edge, not a limit.
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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?
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INSIGHT Building Before You Ask for Permission
Atonemo's founder explains how reduction, timing and restraint shape consumer hardware development.
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INSIGHT Höstens åtta avsnitt – här är lärdomarna och råden
Under hösten det släppts åtta avsnitt där jag intervjuat ledare för hårdvarubolag. Det har varit åtta unika samtal, med gemensamma nämnare. Vad kan andra (hårdvaru)bolagsbyggare lära sig?
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 →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.