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.
Chalmers Ventures
The startup incubator and investment arm of Chalmers University, supporting deep tech ventures from research to market.
Nea Partners
Growth equity investor supporting mature tech companies in the Nordics with active ownership.
Nordic Foodtech VC
Early-stage venture capital firm investing in deep foodtech across the Nordics and Baltics, backing startups building new technologies for food and agriculture.
LiU Invest
LiU Invest is the investment company within LiU Holding, owned by Linköping University. It backs early-stage companies commercializing research and student projects from the university, typically investing up to 500,000 SEK per round, and works alongside sister companies LEAD (incubator) and Unitalent.
Allan Junge Hyldal
Allan Junge Hyldal is a Danish business angel and Lead Angel with DanBAN, focused on medtech and deeptech startups. He has personally invested in and sits on the boards of hardware and device companies including Exo360 and PERFI Technologies.
Expansion Ventures
Expansion Ventures is a pan-European VC firm (Paris and Stockholm) launched in 2022, targeting a €300M fund dedicated to Aerospace & Defence startups from pre-seed to Series B, with a Stockholm-based General Partner (Ulf Palmnäs) giving it genuine Nordic roots alongside its French base.
Innovation Norway
Norway's state-owned instrument for grants, loans and guarantees to innovative companies, spanning early oppstartstilskudd startup grants through billion-kroner risk loans for battery gigafactories under the green industrial push. In 2025 it deployed 9.4 billion NOK across grants, loans and guarantees, with rolling applications year round.
SEB Greentech VC
SEB Greentech Venture Capital is the Swedish bank's corporate VC unit investing directly from SEB's balance sheet into green technology companies, mainly in the Nordic and Baltic region with a broader European reach. It writes initial tickets of SEK 10-40 million from a SEK 1 billion mandate, taking active minority stakes with board seats in hardware, software and platform companies working on renewable energy, energy storage, water and agricultural technology, circular business models and waste management.
Naika Invest
Private equity firm investing in small and mid-sized businesses with long-term growth potential across the Nordics.
Pale Blue Dot VC
Pale Blue Dot is a Malmö based seed stage venture capital firm founded in 2020 by Hampus Jakobsson, Heidi Lindvall and Joel Larsson. It backs pre-seed and seed climate tech startups across Europe and the US, having closed its debut fund at 87 million euros in 2021 and a second fund at 100 million dollars in 2023.
Saab Ventures
Saab Ventures is Saab's corporate venture arm, set up in 2001 to spin out technology from Saab's engineering base into independent companies and to spin in outside startups that complement Saab's core business. It runs from Sweden with a portfolio that currently spans ten active holdings, including Applied Actuators, ReVibe Energy, MicroDri and Wheelscanning, alongside spin-outs such as Minesto and Cold Cut Systems, and its parent Saab has also made direct strategic bets like the USD 10 million lead investment in rocket company Pythom Space.
Kinnevik
Kinnevik is a Swedish listed growth investment company, founded in Stockholm in 1936 by the Stenbeck, Klingspor and von Horn families. It backs technology-enabled companies from early to growth stage across healthcare, software and climate tech, holding a portfolio of 20+ larger companies including recent bets on green steel, heat pumps and battery technology.
The ecosystem
ALL 1190 COMPANIES →Who builds, supplies and enables hardtech across the Nordics, from garage startups to industrial giants. Browse by role, phase and vertical.
Kongsberg Target Systems (Acquired by W5 Solutions)
Kongsberg Target Systems (KTS) develops, manufactures, and sells electronic target systems, monitors, and control systems for military and civilian shooting ranges and competitions.
WithIntent
Develops AI-driven solutions to enhance user experiences and operational efficiency across various industries.
Mouser Electronics
Distributes electronic components and semiconductors globally, serving engineers and procurement professionals with a vast inventory.
Stirlingversal
Stirlingversal develops, tests and commercializes a proprietary Stirling engine module that converts high-temperature unclean gases into clean electricity and thermal heat, built on licensed Kockums submarine Stirling engine technology.
Science Park Skövde
Science Park Skövde focuses on innovation within IT, gaming, and smart industry sectors, providing a collaborative ecosystem and support services.
Effee Group
Effee Group delivers innovative services and solutions in the induction heating space for onshore and offshore markets, including induction machine manufacturing and robotic welding for on-site repairs.
Univrses
Specializes in 3D computer vision and machine learning for autonomous systems and smart city applications.
Luleå Science Park
Hosts and supports innovative companies in technology and research sectors.
Clean Motion
Manufactures energy-efficient electric vehicles for urban transportation.
TECO 2030
TECO 2030 is a Norwegian based clean tech company developing zero-emission technology for the maritime and heavy industry. We are developing PEM hydrogen fuel cell stacks and PEM hydrogen fuel cell modules, that enable ships and other heavy-duty applications to become emissions-free.
Hybird Energy
Copenhagen-based startup developing intelligent electrical panels powered by an AI energy cloud, enabling businesses to monitor and remotely control electricity, water, and heating consumption at the circuit-breaker level.
MEQU
MEQU produces portable blood warming devices for trauma patients, making it possible to warm up blood from cold to body temperature within seconds.
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 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 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
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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 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
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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 14 Ramtin Massoumzadeh och Quandify: IoT som rinner rakt in [SWE]
#14. IoT som rinner rakt in Ramtin Massoumzadeh , vd och medgrundare av Quandify , gästar podden och berättar hur de byggt en patentskyddad, icke-invasiv vattenmätare – och tagit sig från KTH-labb till lönsam IoT-skala. Quandify utvecklar smart vattenmonitorering utan att riva rör. På några år har de växt till ett team på 20 personer, över 40 MSEK i omsättning och en teknik redo för internationell
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EP 35 Tomas Becklin – Teaching Infrastructure to Speak Animal with Flox
#35. Teaching Infrastructure to Speak Animal with Flox Tomas Becklin , CTO and co-founder of Flox , joins our podcast to explain how AI, acoustics and edge computing can reduce conflicts between wildlife and critical infrastructure. Flox builds systems that identify animals in real time and play sounds they instinctively understand, guiding behavior without fences, barriers or harm. In this conver
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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 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
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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
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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 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 →Insights
ALL INSIGHTS →What we have learned about building, scaling and funding hard things in the Nordics.
INSIGHT Matter Over Code: The Nordic Path to Resilient Technology
Nordic hardtech founders are pioneering a material renaissance, shifting innovation from silicon and code to advanced physical materials.
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 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 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 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 →When infrastructure thinks like nature
Flox's CTO explains how edge hardware, acoustics and AI guide wildlife away from roads, railways and airports.
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.
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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 →Beta-perioden är över - vad nu?
Under våren har vi spelat in fem avsnitt av Hårdvarupodden för att testa konceptet.
READ →Why IP Is Your First Investor: And Your Strongest Advantage
Dominic Davies argues founders must treat IP as an early strategic asset, not a legal afterthought, to win investor trust.
READ →
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 →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 →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.