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.
Antler
Global early-stage venture capital firm with a dedicated always-on residency model in the Nordics, investing from day zero through Series C.
Norrsken Launcher
Pre-seed impact fund helping founders get from idea to funded startup within 10 weeks.
Verdane
Growth equity firm backing tech-enabled and sustainable companies in Northern Europe.
I Love Lund
I Love Lund is a publicly listed (Spotlight Stock Market, ticker LOVE B) local investment company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Lund, investing broadly across sectors with a focus on pre-seed, seed and Series A rounds in early-stage, mostly unlisted companies with a strong Lund connection. Its portfolio today comprises roughly 50 holdings spanning fintech, medtech, femtech, IoT sensors, defense/dual-use, materials and life science, alongside shareholder network and mentoring activities.
Skagerak Capital
Norwegian venture and growth investor focused on sustainable tech and cleantech innovation.
GU Ventures
University of Gothenburg’s venture firm supporting research-based startups in life science, tech, and impact.
Katapult VC
Impact-focused accelerator and VC fund investing in tech startups that drive positive global change.
Turbine Capital
Venture capital firm investing in Nordic tech companies solving global issues through innovation.
Ericsson Ventures
Ericsson Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Ericsson, deploying capital directly from Ericsson's balance sheet (not raising from external LPs) to back startups strategically relevant to its wireless/network infrastructure business, with operations spanning Stockholm/Kista, Sweden and Santa Clara/Palo Alto, California, New York, Beijing and Barcelona. It focuses on next-generation networking, IoT, AI/ML for network automation, edge/cloud-native infrastructure, cybersecurity for connected devices, and next-generation wireless hardware, investing mostly at Series A/B alongside occasional seed extensions.
Kichi Invest
A private investment company backing Nordic early-stage companies with growth potential and social impact.
Alliance VC
Alliance VC (Alliance Venture) is a Nordic early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2001, with partners on the ground in Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki, backing Nordic founders with global ambitions. While its current thesis centers on applied AI and software, its portfolio includes verified hardtech bets such as 1X Technologies (humanoid robotics) and Aquabyte (computer-vision hardware for fish farming), and it is actively deploying its newly closed Alliance Nordic III fund.
LU Ventures
Investment arm of Lund University supporting spinouts and startups emerging from academic research.
The ecosystem
ALL 981 COMPANIES →Who builds, supplies and enables hardtech across the Nordics, from garage startups to industrial giants. Browse by role, phase and vertical.
Mycronic AB (publ)
Designs and manufactures production equipment for electronics, including photomask writers and surface mount technology.
Innovation Skåne
Regional innovation company promoting innovation and growth in Skåne through various programs.
Deep Forestry
Deep Forestry AB develops autonomous drones equipped with AI for precision forestry, enabling efficient forest inventory and biodiversity assessments.
Consenz
Develops connected car solutions to enhance driver awareness and road safety.
Vinterstellar
Vinterstellar develops the future of living and working in space, providing space systems development and business growth expertise including mission definition, system architecture, mission analysis and orbit control software for spacecraft operators.
Elektroniktidningen ETN
Electronics news and media outlet focused on the Nordic tech sector.
Algiecel
Algiecel develops microalgae-based ingredients designed to provide sustainable alternatives to fish-dependent supply chains for the nutrition, pet food and personal care sectors, using modular photobioreactors that convert captured CO2 into biomass.
IndustryHack
Facilitates co-creation between companies and tech startups to develop new digital services in traditional industries.
Levtek
Develops AI-driven solutions for autonomous vehicle navigation and control systems.
Calumino
Calumino develops intelligent thermal sensors integrated with AI, enabling privacy-safe monitoring solutions for smart buildings and devices.
Kalmar Science Park
Supports startups and companies in Kalmar with incubation and business development services.
Frontside
Offers software development and IT consulting services.
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
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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
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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
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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
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EP 27 Karoly Szipka – IPercept & the CNC Whisperers: From PhD to Predictive Power [ENG]
Episode #27 – IPercept & the CNC Whisperers: From PhD to Predictive Power Karoly Szipka , founder and CEO of IPercept , joins the podcast to share how a research project on machine efficiency became a fast-scaling deeptech company with some of Europe’s largest industrial players as customers. With AI, patented hardware, and a “fitness tracker” for CNC machines, IPercept is redefining predictive ma
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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
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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 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
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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
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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
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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 9 Isabella Palmgren och Mimbly: Cleantech, bokstavligt talat [SWE]
#9. Cleantech, bokstavligt talat Isabella Palmgren , vd och grundare av Mimbly , gästar podden och berättar hur ett studentprojekt från Chalmers blev ett prisbelönt cleantech-bolag med global potential. Mimbox minskar såväl vattenförbrukning som mikroplaster och är byggd för att fungera i verkligheten, inte bara i labbet. Vi pratar om vägen till en säljbar produkt, hur man skalar en hårdvarulösnin
LISTEN →Insights
ALL INSIGHTS →What we have learned about building, scaling and funding hard things in the Nordics.
INSIGHT The Deeptech Funnel: Why European Legacy Industry Must Stop Being a Spectator
Argues European legacy industry must engage deeptech startups earlier, during the demonstration phase, instead of waiting for finished technology.
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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 →Who Makes the Nordic Hardtech Canon?
A playful editorial ranks the inventions and companies that define Nordic hardtech's lasting industrial legacy.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 →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.
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INSIGHT Geography Is Now Part of the Product
Asia's rising tensions are turning geography into a core engineering and procurement variable for Nordic hardtech firms.
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INSIGHT Predictions for 2026
Nordic and European hardtech voices share predictions on AI, energy resilience, robotics and Europe's push to lead in 2026.
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INSIGHT Snart nytt år – vem ska jag prata med?
Hårdvarupodden ångar vidare in i 2025 och stora nyheter utlovas i Q1. Samtidigt söker vi fler som vill intervjuas i podden. Vem ska jag prata med i 2025?
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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 →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.