Go-to-market Program - Launchpad Startup

Norway's leading program
for tech startups

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Norway's leading program
for tech startups

submit interest

+150
corporate partners

+100
startups accelerated

+144
MNOK raised in 2020

+250
research partners

Launchpad startup

FAST TRACK TO MARKET LAUNCH AND SUCCESS

Launchpad Startup is the ultimate arena for validating your business model and developing a solid go-to-market strategy. During the program you will receive tailored mentors from our pool of experienced advisors, and meet other success seeking founders.

We provide ambitious tech startups with

CAPITAL

We expose you to early stage investors and soft founding

CUSTOMERS

We introduce you to our network of +150 customers and partners

COMPETENCE

We connect you with the competence you need to grow

Applications for the 2021 program are closed!
Next round will take place in 2022

submit interest

We help startups grow

Receive valuable mentoring from serial entrepreneurs
Learn together with other success seeking founders
Participate in workshops with domain experts
Get inspired by successful startup stories
Learn best practice from Silicon Vally
Gain traction

WHY PARTICIPATE IN LAUNCHPAD STARTUP

The program is powered by Smart Innovation Norway – Norway’s leading A.I. environment

CAPITAL

We help prepare you for fundraising and applying for grants

CUSTOMERS

We introduce you to our network of +400 corporations and research partners

COMPETENCE

Valuable mentoring from serial entrepreneurs and investors who want to see you succeed

CASH PRIZE

The best business case will be rewarded with NOK 100.000

INDUSTRY EXPERTISE

Within sustainable energy systems and markets, applied AI and digital entrepreneurship

NETWORK

Join our innovation platform to expend your network

WHO IS THE PROGRAM FOR?

You do not need a fully functional product, but you should have a clear concept, ideally a prototype. You should also have made some reflections on the choice of technology.

The value of the program is NOK 70 000 per startup.

All selected startups have to pay a program fee of NOK 6 000.

submit interest

THESE ARE THE REQUIREMENTS

WHY PARTICIPATE IN LAUNCHPAD STARTUP

«This has been a very nice journey. Launchpad has helped us in several areas, especially in terms of how we communicate the complex challenges in the meat industry and how we solve them. We really appreciate the program and the help we have received.»

«If you mean something with what you do, Launchpad makes sure that you take a huge step forward in just a short period of time. What we have achieved in six weeks here might have taken three years to do on our own.»

«Launchpad is a great opportunity to go through the most critical process in the startup phase, because it is a high-risk game with a high chance of failure. It is really helpful and an important experience to have someone who can tell you 'this is what you have to watch out for and these are the tricks you need to succeed'.»

«We have received so much help during this process that we now have a real business model, and that is very cool. We have learned that it is quite possible to improve our idea.»

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The program lasts for twelve weeks from the 16th of March to the 3rd of June in Halden. Startups graduate from the program by attending Demo Day, where the startups pitch to a panel of investors in our awesome Simulation Centre.

We give startups the skills, knowledge and network they need to succeed in the market at record speed, through best practice from Silicon Valley and tailor-made advice from experienced mentors and serial founders. The program will be held in Norwegian.

March 16, 2021

Kickoff

Get to know the other participants and go on speed dates with the mentors. Network with our team and get an introduction to the program. Dinner is on us, this is where it all begins.

March 16, 2021

March 17, 2021

Go-to-market

We teach you best practices and methodologies for running a startup. Learn how to collect valuable market insight to position your company for market success through market research and segmentation.

March 17, 2021

April 8, 2021

Business Modeling

We show you how to build a strong business model that investors love, and which metrics they are looking for. Learn the fundamentals of pricing and monetization and how to scale your business.

April 8, 2021

April 22, 2021

Fundraising

Get insight in modern startups financing and liquidity management. We teach you how make a good funding strategy and introduce you to the variation of funding sources and help you with applications for soft funding.

April 22, 2021

May 6, 2021

Product Management

Learn about how to plan and launch an MVP and the importance of customer- oriented development. We teach you how to protect and monetize you IPR and provide you with valuable pitch and sales techniques.

May 6, 2021

May 25, 2021

Team Development

We teach you how to lead and manage a startup and how you can work together as a team and how to build a performance culture. Learn valuable insight on how to organize you team and how to prioritize.

May 25, 2021

June 3, 2021

Demo Day

This is your golden opportunity to show off all you learned and impress our panel of investors. Every participant will present their investor pitch on stage and the “best startup” will be reworded with NOK 100 000.

June 3, 2021

Program Directors

Program Advisors

Inge Bilet

Business Developer, Smart Innovation Norway
Expert on international business and market research

Inge has broad experience from both Norwegian and international business, covering market research, FMC, energy and automobile industry. He has been an entrepreneur and part of large international companies. Inge is business oriented with a passion for sustainability, digitalization, new business models and circular economy, and helps companies innovate and create sustainable businesses.

Nicholas Richards

Business Developer, Smart Innovation Norway
Expert on new innovative technology and concept development

Nicholas Richards is an advisor, mentor, and serial entrepreneur with passion for the environment, CSR, charity, philanthropy, and creating technology. His in-depth knowledge of designing technical solutions combined with the ability to analyze the business and launch turnarounds creates new customer-centric streams of revenue, aiding new and existing businesses to think outside the box.

Ståle Bjørnstad

Special Advisor, Smart Innovation Norway Expert in business development and leadership

Ståle is Co-founder of ABCB AS, a consulting company in technology management, equity financing and Go-To-Market strategy. He has also been CEO of a listed technology company (Cxense ASA) with sales offices in Oslo, London, Buenos Aires, Singapore, New York and Tokyo. He has a long career as an equity analyst, stockbroker and corporate manager for DNB Markets and Handelsbanken Capital Markets.

Tor Frydenlund

Senior Advisor, Smart Innovation Norway
Expert in business development and product management

Tor held the position of CEO at Ericsson from 1999 to 2010, having held several management positions in Norwegian business. Today, Tor is involved in several startup companies, and has personal experience with the challenges one encounters as an entrepreneur. He currently serves as an investor, board chairman and board member in several startups.

Lars Gunnar Fledsberg

CEO, Wittario
Expert in fundraising and marketing

Lars Gunnar is a serial entrepreneur and investor and has started seven successful companies over the past six years. One is Skooler, which currently has 30+ employees and customers in over 111 countries. He has 23 years of managerial experience in the ICT industry and specializes in software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, his expertise lies within fundraising, sales and marketing strategy.

Salvador Baille

CEO, Intelis
Expert in startup fundraising and internationalization

Salvador has strategic and operational management experience in technology, telecom, media, retail and digital content and services. He has a good understanding of market trends in technology, the internet economy, and digital ecosystems. Salvador has a strong international profile and has also contributed to the establishment and restructuring of several Norwegian companies internationally.

Lisa Long

Product Manager, Wood Mackenzie
Expert in products development and digital transformations

Lisa is the founder of BeforeYouCode and conducts product due diligence for Spring Capital. Alongside running Product Tank Oslo, she has served as a product mentor for several organizations including INSEAD Product Games, Seedcamp, and Startuplab. She is a grizzled product veteran and has 20 years of experience leveraging a strong combination of technical, business and statistical skills to implement organizational and digital transformations.

Knut Johansen

CEO, eSmart Systems
Expert entrepreneur with proven track record

Knut has more than twenty years of experience in innovating, developing and delivering IT solutions to the energy industry worldwide. He has experience in leading and navigating from early start-up phases to successful, lasting and international business. Knut is a product architect with extensive experience in developing IT products that are focused on energy trading, energy exchange, customer systems, smart grids and Big Data & Analytics.

Sean Percival

Partner, Spring Capital
Expert in business development and marketing

Sean is an American entrepreneur, investor and experienced marketing executive. Through his work in acclaimed accelerator programs like 500 Startups and Katapult Accelerator, Sean has helped to mentor thousands of startups in growth marketing and fundraising. He has also invested in 100+ startups and founded several of his own.