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 158 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.
Longrun Capital
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.
Heartcore
Heartcore Capital (formerly Sunstone Capital, founded 2007) is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Copenhagen with additional offices in Stockholm, Berlin and Paris, investing from pre-seed to Series A across Europe. While historically known as a consumer-tech investor, it has recently expanded into deep tech, defence, quantum computing, space and synthetic biology alongside its core AI, fintech, travel and web3 bets.
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.
InnoEnergy (EIT InnoEnergy)
InnoEnergy is the EU-backed clean tech investor founded in 2010 by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, headquartered in Eindhoven with a Swedish entity, KIC IE AB, in Stockholm. It holds equity stakes in 160+ active companies and has backed Nordic hardtech names including Minesto, CorPower Ocean and Northvolt, alongside battery, hydrogen and materials plays 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.
Sune Alstrup
Sune Alstrup is a Copenhagen based tech investor and DanBAN Lead Angel with a background in eye tracking and deeptech, having founded and exited The Eye Tribe to Facebook/Oculus. He invests personally as an angel in early stage deeptech and hardware startups, with tickets typically in the tens of thousands of euros.
Spiltan Invest
Investment firm with a long-term perspective focused on Swedish entrepreneurial companies.
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.
Navigo
Navigo Invest is a listed Swedish investment company based in Gothenburg, building a cluster of independent hub companies through acquisitions in sectors like industrial heat treatment, geotechnics, chemicals handling and finance, plus strategic stakes in listed and unlisted Nordic companies.
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.
Norrsken VC
Impact venture capital fund investing in startups solving the world's greatest challenges.
The ecosystem
ALL 1043 COMPANIES →Who builds, supplies and enables hardtech across the Nordics, from garage startups to industrial giants. Browse by role, phase and vertical.
Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Sweden AB
Parker Hannifin provides motion and control technologies, including precision-engineered solutions for various industrial applications.
Morrow Batteries
Morrow Batteries ASA is a Norwegian battery cell developer and manufacturer established in 2020, headquartered in Arendal, Norway, focused on LFP and high-voltage LNMO-X battery technologies for energy storage and electric vehicles.
Borås Inkubator
Borås INK supports entrepreneurs and innovators in technology, textiles, and fashion with business development, providing tailored coaching and access to networks and resources.
Brodit AB
Brodit AB manufactures custom mounting solutions for electronic devices in vehicles, focusing on safety and user convenience.
Nexans
Global leader in cable manufacturing, providing solutions for power and data transmission, supporting electrification and energy transition.
Compodium
Provides secure digital communication solutions, including video conferencing and digital identification.
Clean Motion
Manufactures energy-efficient electric vehicles for urban transportation.
EMC Services Elmiljöteknik AB
Provides EMC and environmental testing, consulting, and training services.
Brokk
Brokk is the world's leading manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition robots, headquartered in Skellefteå, Sweden.
Bergvik
Leading provider of raised access floors and structural ceiling systems for data centres, substations and mission-critical facilities, with 56+ years of expertise.
Neola Medical AB
Develops medical imaging technology for monitoring lung function in preterm infants. Formerly GPX Medical.
IDEMIA Sweden AB
Develops biometric identification and security solutions for governments and enterprises.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
Vi ses snart!
Hårdvarupodden är under utveckling och de första avsnitten släpps våren 2024.
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 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 →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 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 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 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.
READ →
INSIGHT Lovable Just Went Unicorn: But Don't Let Deeptech Starve
A Nordic Hardtech contributor warns that Lovable's software unicorn success shouldn't overshadow the need to fund and support slower, harder deeptech innovation.
READ →Beta-perioden är över - vad nu?
Under våren har vi spelat in fem avsnitt av Hårdvarupodden för att testa konceptet.
READ →
INSIGHT Emilia Brandt on Why Growth Needs More Than Grit: and How Recuro Delivers
Recuro's new CEO explains why smart structure, not brute force, is what actually drives hardtech growth.
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 The game beneath the game
Elite football's technology stack, from smart balls to computer vision, shows how Nordic hardtech is proving itself on the pitch.
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.