Participants summarize this fall's ScaleUp: – Ten out of ten on quality

The reactions show a process that both challenges and uplifts growth companies in a way that feels relevant, concrete, and inspiring.

Asgeir Sæbø and Ernestine Fanjara.

Asgeir Sæbø and Ernestine Fanjara from InnoLipid state that ScaleUp has helped them shift their focus from technology to market.

— It has been great to be part of this because we needed to get this perspective on things. We are deeply involved in technology, but now we managed to pivot a bit towards what is important for the business, says Asgeir.

— It has been an educational journey. We have learned quite a bit, and we have somehow shifted from a research mindset to a mindset more focused on sales, marketing, and business, continues Ernestine.

The change has had concrete ripple effects.

— We feel better equipped for further growth now. This has helped us to see a broader perspective on everything, says Asgeir.

— We have gone from seeing things from our standpoint to seeing things from the customers' standpoint. We understand more how the customers perceive our product now, concludes Ernestine.

Read more about ScaleUp here

Expert panel: – An energy boost

Through the program, participants had close dialogue with external experts. Marius Koksvik describes it as both inspiring and meaningful:

Marius Koksvik and Glen Bradley.

— It is very nice to get out and see new cases and hear what is going on. There is a lot of exciting stuff, so it is rewarding. Additionally, I hope to provide feedback that might be useful for the recipients.

Glen Bradley highlights the energy in the room:

— It's an energy boost to come here and see the breadth of creativity and drive. There are many companies that with limited resources have started quite long processes. They refuse to give up and are now starting to break through and gain relatively significant contracts.

He also has a clear piece of advice for growth companies:

— I encouraged them to practice their elevator pitch because when you're working on building the company, you are very detailed. It’s easy to forget that when you are going to communicate with others, you first need to take the first step and let them into your world, and you need to make it very simple so that they can understand what kind of problem it is they are trying to solve.

Hide Industry: – Ten out of ten for quality

For Lise Trehjørningen and Lars Jakob Nagelsaker from Hide Industry, ScaleUp has been far more than expected.

Lise Trehjørningen and Lars Jakob Nagelsaker.

— I had expectations, but this turned out to be much more than I thought it would be. There are very competent people at ÅKP; everyone who has had a role in this process has impressed us. It is very inspiring. We have learned a lot about things we didn’t know and what we need to focus on. I am simply very impressed with the program, says Lise.

— What we have learned here has forced us to work on processes, which is very important now considering the pace of innovation that is required and that we now need to integrate our products at a very high speed, adds Lars Jakob.

In conclusion, Lise summarizes the experience like this:

— All in all, it has been ten out of ten for quality. In addition, it was a nice group overall, where everyone has been willing to share. We have learned a lot from the other companies with whom we have gone through this process.

Also read: Specialization and growth with ÅKP ScaleUp

A wide range of expertise

Ina Eldøy in the expert panel highlights the diversity in the participant portfolio:

Ina Eldøy.

— There has been a great and good variety in the cases, with a lot of expertise and exciting projects.

For Stein Bjørhovde and Runar Aasen from B&A Software, ScaleUp became an eye-opener and a valuable sparring arena.

Stein Bjørhovde and Runar Aasen.

— This has been very educational. What is special about us is that we have been working for a long time. What we have discovered now is that we need to arrange things in a special way to be able to grow. We need to establish internal processes for that to happen, says Runar.

Stein adds:

— If you look at this from another angle, I think it has value just to get out of the office and meet others and be in such a process. And one thing is the concrete values you gain in terms of feedback on what you are working on, then you often discover a value or that something comes out of it in the long run that you hadn’t thought about before you signed up.

Bente Lund Jacobsen, who is the driving force behind ScaleUp in ÅKP.

Do you want to see all the pictures from this gathering? Click here.

Runar highlights the learning that comes from meeting other companies:

— Meeting participants from other companies has been very educational. Especially because the breadth has been so great. We have gained a bit of new momentum and quite concrete benefits from this process.

Stein values the openness in the room:

— I think it has been great that we have not only heard the success stories but also stories about why things went wrong. What caused something to flop. Everyone has ups and downs. It’s nice to hear that others have it too.

The way forward for Bjørn Bjerke and Vivian Larsgård-Ingebrigtsen

Bjørn Bjerke and Vivian Larsgård-Ingebrigtsen also take away important insights.

Bjørn Bjerke and Vivian Larsgård-Ingebrigtsen.

— Throughout this journey, we have had ups and downs. We have received a lot of feedback indicating we need to clarify what we are selling. We need to sharpen our product so that both investors and customers understand what we are selling, says Vivian.

Bjørn points to the international potential:

— What we have learned is that the product we have is one that needs to go outside of Norway. We feel we have a unique product, but Norway is not quite ready for us.

Vivian summarizes the experience in a way that many recognize:

— Meeting other companies has been very exciting. The professional aspect has been very good.

Sparebank 1 SMN: — A meaningful engagement

 Arild Eiken and Britt Tøsse Aandal were also part of the expert panel during the last gathering and reflect:

Arild Eiken and Britt Tøsse Aandal.

— This was really nice. There are many skilled people out there. It’s fun to be presented with something that is completely different from what I work with daily. It’s impressive how creative people are, says Britt.

Arild highlights the growth potential he sees in the companies:

— I just jump on board. There are many great ideas, and we have been presented with companies that have significant growth potential, which perhaps haven’t realized it yet. Many nice presentations.

As representatives of Sparebank 1 SMN, which is a sponsor, Arild states that the engagement from the bank’s side is more than goodwill:

— As a sponsor from Sparebank 1 SMN, it is very meaningful to contribute. We hope these companies will grow and strengthen the foundation for businesses in our local community. So this is not just "nice money". We want to take social responsibility, and we want the region to develop in terms of industry. This process from ÅKP is one of the most exciting things for growth because it’s not just typical startup companies, but also companies that are already underway, but looking for their potential to really become big.