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.

177
Investors mapped
1233
Ecosystem companies
37
Podcast episodes
8,000+
Newsletter readers

The funding map

ALL 177 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.

Technology Development Fund (Tækniþróunarsjóður), administered by Rannís

Public FundingEU

Iceland's national competitive fund for technology-driven innovation, administered by Rannís (the Icelandic Centre for Research). Issues grants twice a year across four company grant categories (Seed/Fræ, Sprout/Sproti, Growth/Vöxtur, Market/Markaður) plus patent and applied research grants for R&D projects aimed at commercialization in Icelandic industry.

Backed:Navis (electric line-fishing boat design)

Brunnur Ventures

Venture CapitalEU

Brunnur Ventures is a top venture capital firm in Iceland for startups with high-growth potential.

Backed:Laki Power, ARK Technology, DT Equipment

Bring Ventures

Corporate VentureNO

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.

Pale Blue Dot VC

Venture CapitalSE

Pale Blue Dot is a Malmö based seed stage climate tech venture capital firm founded in 2020 by Hampus Jakobsson, Heidi Lindvall and Joel Larsson. It writes EUR 0.5 million to EUR 2 million tickets in pre-seed and seed software and hardware companies across Europe and the US, from Fund I of EUR 87 million and Fund II of EUR 93 million closed in 2023. Hardtech holdings include Staer, Paebbl, Brineworks, Cosmic Aerospace and Care Weather.

Backed:Brineworks, Care Weather, Cosmic Aerospace, Paebbl, Staer

Partners in Clime

Venture CapitalINTL

Partners in Clime is a Weinstadt, Germany based climate tech investor founded in 2022, backing pre-seed and seed hardtech and greentech founders across the DACH region with capital and founder-to-founder mentoring. It runs an angel syndicate model and co-invests with firms like b2venture, Point Nine, 468 Capital and Climate Founders.

Backed:Hula Earth, Cotierra, Senara, Nautica Technologies, New Path Bio, Arkeon

Icebreaker VC

Venture CapitalFI

Icebreaker.vc is a Helsinki-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2017 that invests in idea-stage and pre-seed teams in Finland, Sweden and Estonia, with first tickets up to €1.5M. The firm has supported over 100 teams since inception and its second fund is backed by the European Union's InnovFin Equity programme under Horizon 2020 and EFSI.

Backed:ReOrbit, Roadcloud, Zymego, Finnadvance, Logmore

Curitas Ventures

Venture CapitalSE

Curitas Ventures is a Stockholm-based venture capital firm founded in 2020 by Mikael Ahlström and Gerda Larsson that invests in early-stage Nordic entrepreneurs across Disruptive Technology, Life Science and Sustainability; in 2025 its venture portfolio was acquired by Nordic Asia Investment Group 1987 AB, which now operates under the name Collaxio for its unlisted-investments strategy.

Backed:Qoitech, Volta Trucks (Truck HoldCo), C-Green Technology

Longrun Capital

Investment CompanySE

Longrun Capital is a Stockholm venture capital firm that backs early-stage Nordic companies building hardware for the green transition, with a portfolio focused on advanced materials, energy and water technology for the built environment.

Backed:Drupps, GreenIron, NSS Water, Ekolution, 3eflow, Hybridized

Noon Ventures

Venture CapitalDK

Copenhagen-based early-stage venture capital fund founded in late 2020, investing in deeptech and hardtech companies tackling climate and environmental challenges, with a concentrated portfolio of five companies where partners take an active, hands-on role with each founding team.

Backed:Lotus Microsystems, Spectro Inlets

Backing Minds

Investment CompanySE

A VC firm investing in overlooked markets and underrepresented founders, aiming to expand access to capital.

Backed:Cemvision, NitroVolt

Investinor

Venture CapitalNO

Norway’s largest venture investor, providing growth capital to tech companies with international potential.

Backed:Onio, Numascale, poLight

DigitalWell Ventures

Venture CapitalSE

DigitalWell Ventures is a Nordic accelerator and incubator, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Karlstad, Sweden, that supports early-stage digital health, welfare and cybersecurity startups across the Nordic and Baltic region rather than operating as a traditional direct-investment fund.

Backed:Oculaudio

The ecosystem

ALL 1233 COMPANIES →

Who builds, supplies and enables hardtech across the Nordics, from garage startups to industrial giants. Browse by role, phase and vertical.

Zinus

ProductEnergy & GridNO

Zinus supplies shore power products and autonomous solutions for ports and vessels, focused on maritime electrification within the energy sector.

Skawen

ProductManufacturing & Industrial TechSE

Skawen is an innovative ventilation company developing, producing and selling AHU's with highly efficient heat recovery systems.

Algiecel

ProductClimate & EnvironmentAgri & Food TechDK

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.

Combient

EnablerIndustry OrganizationSE

A collaborative network of Nordic companies aiming to accelerate digital transformation across industries.

Science Park Borås

EnablerScience ParkSE

Science Park Borås supports innovation in textiles, consumption, and societal development, fostering sustainable solutions.

GEG Power (GEG Geoneer / GEG ehf.)

ProductEnergy & GridIS

GEG Power is an Iceland-headquartered geothermal developer that designs, engineers, manufactures and delivers turn-key modular geothermal wellhead power plants, from well to transmission-line connection.

LEMO Nordic AB

SupplierDistribution & SupplyINTL

Supplies precision connectors and cable assembly solutions for various industries.

HYDROGEN Mem-Tech

ProductHydrogen & FuelsNO

Trondheim-based hydrogen separation company, established in 2017. It designs and manufactures palladium membrane plates, membrane stacks and complete separators that extract pure hydrogen from gas streams such as biogas, natural gas, methanol syngas and cracked ammonia.

Medivir

ProductHealth & MedtechSE

A pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative treatments for cancer and infectious diseases.

Marine Charging Point

ProductEnergy & GridSE

Develops charging infrastructure solutions for electric marine vessels, promoting sustainable maritime transport.

Samster

ProductEnergy & GridSE

Samster develops smart energy solutions, including solar hybrid systems, aiming to replace fossil fuels.

Northcone

ProductManufacturing & Industrial TechSE

Northcone develops crash-safe lighting poles made with patented 3D roll forming technology, designed to improve traffic safety and reduce environmental impact.

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.

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 podcast

ALL 37 EPISODES →

Conversations with the founders and funders of Nordic hardtech.

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 →
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 21

Madelene Näslund: Business Region Gothenburg – Live from The Yard [ENG]

🤝 This episode is produced in collaboration with The Yard — a combined coworking space and machine hall for startups in Gothenburg. A unique workspace with industrial feeling. Check out their memberships or take a tour . Episode 21 – Gothenburg Rising: Where Legacy Meets Innovation Madelene Näslund from Business Region Gothenburg joins us to explore why the city is emerging as a leading Nordic har

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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 17

Alexander Osika om Glorb, SNRGY och att kickstarta hårdvara på riktigt [SWE]

#17.Om Glorb, SNRGY och att kickstarta hårdvara på riktigt Alexander Osika , vd och medgrundare av SNRGY Studios , gästar podden och berättar hur teamet tog Glorb – ett smart ljuskonstverk – från idé till marknad. Med bakgrund från Plejd och Einride, och med en passion för produktdesign, har Alexander blivit en av Sveriges mest spännande hårdvarubyggare. Här delar han resan bakom Glorb – från prot

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EP 26

Alexander Engl – Build, Share, Repeat: How Makerspace and ihopa Enable Hardware for the Masses [ENG]

Episode #26 Build, Share, Repeat: How Makerspace and ihopa Enable Hardware for the Masses Alexander Engl joins the pod to talk about Stockholm Makerspace – a member-run 24/7 creative hub that empowers hardware builders, tinkerers and early-stage founders to bring physical ideas to life, without public funding or gatekeepers. We explore how the space grew to 1000+ members, how it's staying independ

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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 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 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

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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 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 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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Insights

ALL INSIGHTS →

What we have learned about building, scaling and funding hard things in the Nordics.

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

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

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

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

Livepodd i Göteborg på Evertiq-mässan

Torsdag den 19 september besöker podden Evertiq-mässan i Göteborg för att intervjua två intressanta bolag live på scenen: Airolit och Frontside. Jag (Jonas) står även på mässgolvet för samtal.

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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?

READ →
INSIGHT

The New Industrial Stack

Nine Nordic startups are building the software layer that lets factories be programmed like computers.

READ →
INSIGHT

When policy becomes a product constraint

Industrial policy now shapes hardtech product decisions early, forcing founders to decide how much strategic control to trade for public support.

READ →
INSIGHT

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

Built in Sweden? Only if you survive the manufacturing gap first

Monica Bellgran explains why Swedish hardware startups bring in industrialization too late and what that risks.

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

Print, Charge, Scale: Then Go Again

How Exeger's Giovanni Fili built a flexible solar cell platform and factory from scratch against the odds.

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.

LIGHTBRINGER

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 ↗
SISP

Swedish Incubators and Science Parks, the national infrastructure for innovation environments.

SISP.SE ↗
RECURO

Growth partner for tech and media companies, from strategy to execution.

RECURO.COM ↗
PARTNER WITH US

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.