Vestbee continues to analyze the European startup and venture capital ecosystem, highlighting the contributions of female entrepreneurs to its growth. Having covered countries such as France, Italy, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, and Iceland, we now turn to Norway. Despite being among the leaders in gender equality, Norway's startup ecosystem remains underrepresented by female entrepreneurs, with their share below the OECD average.
Vestbee has compiled a list of female startup founders, co-founders, CEOs, CTOs, Founding and Managing Partners at funds from Norway. To create this selection, we relied on our research on the country’s ecosystem, including articles about the Norway's top VC funds, the best startup accelerators and incubators, and the notable startups to watch. Additionally, we gathered information from DaaS platforms like Crunchbase and open-source data from LinkedIn.
This comprehensive approach enabled us to highlight the most influential female contributors to Norway’s startup and VC ecosystem.
Kristin Skogen Lund, CEO of Schibsted
Kristin Skogen Lund is a prominent Norwegian business leader known for her role as the CEO of Schibsted, a multinational media group. With a background in economics and business administration, she has held various executive positions, including serving as the Director General of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO). Lund's leadership is marked by her commitment to innovation, digital transformation, and fostering sustainable business practices, making her a key figure in the global business community.
Anne Lise Waal, Founder of TechTiger
Anne Lise Waal has more than 20 years of experience in the SaaS and gaming industry as operator, executive, tech strategist, board member and angel investor. She is also a founder of TechTiger, a firm that has been providing IT consulting services since April 2024.
Stine Mølgaard Sørensen, Partner at Alliance VC
Stine Mølgaard Sørensen has been working with new technology and digital transformation for more than 13 years, both as the founder of multiple tech startups, including healthtech startup Radiobotics, and in a corporate sector. At this moment, Stine Mølgaard Sørensen is a partner at Alliance VC, venture capital that invests in Nordic early-stage tech companies.
Bente Loe, Partner at Alliance VC
Bente Loe is also a Partner at Alliance VC. She has over a decade long experience working in the venture capital and private equity industry. Before joining Alliance VC, she was a board member of Aprila, a Norwegian bank, and Chairman of the board at Norwegian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (NVCA).
Lise Fulland, Investment Partner at Startuplab Ventures
Lise Fulland serves as an Investment Partner at Startuplab Ventures, an accelerator and early-stage investor for technology startups, located in Oslo and Bergen. She has experience in working at banking and financial sectors, including such companies as Dyrenes Rike, Schibsted Media Group, BNP Paribas. In addition, Lise has Feddie, Einer, and Brim Explorer in her angel investor’s portfolio.
Kathrine Mo, Executive in Residence at StartupLab
Kathrine Mo is currently taking a role of an Executive in Residence at StartupLab. She also is a co-founder and Partner at Ascension, an agency that helps businesses with design, advertising, and communication. Kathrine is also engaging as a coach and mentor for startups, sharing with them extensive experience in digital transformation and marketing.
Lene Elizabeth Hodge, Investment Manager at Nysnø Climate
Lene Elizabeth Hodge serves as an Investment Manager at Nysnø, the governmental climate fund that supports Norwegian-based businesses in their efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Lene is an advisor for Nysnø's portfolio firms on sustainability-related matters, having led the company's efforts to include ESG and sustainability into the investment process for companies and funds.
Rannveig Fadum, Investment Director at Investinor
Rannveig Fadum is an Investment Director at Investinor, an evergreen investment company funded by the Norwegian government. She is also a Head of Funding at Entrepreneurs at Innovation Norway, a company that helps unleash the region by supporting innovation, globalization, and promotion.
Marianne Sundsboe, Managing Partner at Investinor Skog
Marianne Sundsboe is a Managing Partner at Investinor Skog, and Manager of the 3K6 Skoginvest fund, an investment fund that was launched in 2023 to invest in forestry-related businesses. Previously, she has held board positions in various companies across different industries, including software companies.
Maja Aursand Andersen, Investment Manager at Investinor
Maja Aursand Andersen serves as an Investment Manager of Investinor, an investing company funded by the Norwegian government.
Birgitte Gangmark Villmo, Investment Director at Investinor
Birgitte Gangmark Villmo currently serves as the Investment Manager for Investinor. With extensive experience, she has held board positions at companies like APIM Therapeutics, Tellu, and Hubro Therapeutics. Prior to her role at Investinor, she worked as an analyst at Norges Bank Investment Management, which oversees the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global.
Ann-Tove Kongsnes, Deputy CEO and Investment Director at Investinor
Ann-Tove Kongsnes serves as an Investment Director and Deputy CEO at Investinor, bringing with her extensive experience in investments, M&A, IPOs, and tech company exits. Prior to her current role, she spent 7 years in international marketing as Director of Marketing and Operations. Ann-Tove also possesses broad boardroom experience and currently holds positions on the boards of Investinor’s portfolio companies.
Ingrid Teigland Akay, Managing Partner at Hadean Ventures
Ingrid Teigland Akay is the founder of Hadean Ventures, a fund manager specializing in life science investments across Europe, with a focus on the Nordics. Operating from Oslo and Stockholm, the fund primarily invests in the life science sector, encompassing specialty pharmaceuticals, medical technology, diagnostics, and digital health.
Maria de Perlinghi, Partner and Chief Impact Officer at Norselab
Maria de Perlinghi is a Partner and Chief Impact Officer at Norselab, a prominent Nordic impact investment platform. She also holds a position as a board member of the Norwegian National Advisory Board for Impact Investing, where she contributes to enhancing capital flow to impact investments on both national and international scales.
Hanna Selvaag Wangsmo, Investment Manager at RunwayFBU
Hanna Selvaag Wangsmo serves as an Investment Manager at RunwayFBU, an early-stage VC fund focusing on software-driven technology companies. Prior to this role, she held the position of Head of International Business Development at Dignio, a digital platform facilitating connections between healthcare professionals and patients.
Torunn Ølnes, Investment Manager at Arkwright X
Torunn Ølnes serves as an Investment Manager at Arkwright X, an early-stage VC firm specializing in backing B2B tech startups. They typically invest ticket sizes ranging from €100,000 to €2 million.
Frida Vik, Investment Professional at Ferd
Frida Vik is an Investment Professional at Ferd, actively involved in the company's social impact and sustainability projects. Additionally, she serves as an advisor to Ferd’s portfolio companies, offering guidance on impact management methodology, sales, and markets.
Tone Bjørnstad Hanstad, Investment Professional at Ferd
Tone Bjørnstad Hanstad is an Investment Professional at Ferd and serves as a Board Member of Broodstock, a seafood investor specializing in small and medium-sized businesses. With expertise in corporate finance and consulting, she brings valuable experience to her roles.
Adele Unneberg, Venturist at Sandwater
Adele Unneberg is a Venturist at Sandwater, a firm dedicated to investing in rapidly growing businesses to drive meaningful change. Prior to her role at Sandwater, she was part of the investment team at Aker Horizons, a company focused on planet-positive investments.
Katherine Mellis, Venturist at Sandwater
Katherine Mellis is a Venturist at Sandwater. She serves as a Board Member of CardioSignal and FarmInsect, actively involved in investment and business development across pharmaceuticals, biotech, health tech, and life sciences sectors.
Tone Kvåle, Investment Manager at Skagerak Capital
Tone Kvåle serves as an Investment Manager at Skagerak Capital, an independent consulting company specializing in business sales, mergers, and acquisitions.
Lauga Oskarsdottir, Partner at FIRDA
Lauga Oskarsdottir is a partner at FIRDA, a lifestyle magazine in Norway. Additionally, she serves as CEO at a company specializing in capturing and storing CO2.
Anne Rønning, COO & Partner at XLENT Oslo
Anne Rønning serves as the COO & Partner at XLENT Oslo, a consulting agency that provides comprehensive support to IT businesses, including technology management, architecture, cloud services, system development, cybersecurity, CRM, and CMS. Additionally, she was honored as one of Norway's 50 leading tech women in 2024, as recognized by Abelia and ODA-Nettverk.
Cecilie Skjong, Investor at Skyfall Ventures
Cecilie Skjong is an investor at Skyfall Ventures, an early-stage investment firm based in Oslo. Additionally, Cecilie was also a founding member of the team of the industrial SaaS firm Aize, where she also became a Director of Corporate Development.
Camilla Moe, CTO at Mer
Camilla Moe has over 20 years of experience in 20+ years of management, consulting, IT, and finance experience within the energy and telecommunications sector. Camilla is a CTO at Mer, an e-mobility company focused on sustainable solutions within renewable energy and electric mobility.
Ida Husby Swendgaard, Co-founder & CEO at Noba
Ida Husby Swendgaard assumes the CEO position at Noba, a mobile application designed to assist individuals with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Utilizing special technology, the app enables users to scan food in real-time, providing instant feedback on what ingredients may trigger their symptoms.
Marie Amelie, Co-Founder & CEO at Factiverse
Marie Amelie is a Co-Founder and CEO of Factiverse, a startup developing AI supporting journalists and analysts in fact-checking.
Anita Krohn Traaseth, Executive Board Member at European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
Anita Krohn Traaseth has over 20 years of experience in the Private and Public sector. She is currently assuming the role of Executive Board Member at the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) supporting innovation development. Apart from that, Anita is also the CEO of DSD, a transportation company, and a Founder of KROHN, a slow fashion brand.
Isabelle Ringnes, Founder at TENK
Isabelle Ringnes is a prominent advocate for the growth and development of startup and tech ecosystems in Norway and internationally. She co-founded TENK, a Technology Network for Women, aimed at inspiring young girls to engage with and contribute to advancements in technology and innovation. Isabelle has been recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Nordic Tech, one of the top 50 women in tech in Norway, and among the Inspiring Fifty women in tech.
Siri M. Kalvig, CEO at Nysnø Climate Investments
Siri M. Kalvig assumes the CEO position at Nysnø Climate Investments, an investment firm focused on supporting promising ventures across various sectors, driving growth and innovation in the Norwegian business landscape.
Katharina G. Andresen, Board Member at Ferd
Katharina G. Anderson serves as a Board Member at Ferd, a Norwegian family-owned investment company. According to Forbes' 2020 ranking, she holds the distinction of being the third-youngest female billionaire globally.
Ine Jacobsen, Business Advisor at Ferd Capital
Ine Jacobsen serves as a Business Advisor at Ferd Capital. With expertise in venture capital and risk management, she previously held the position of Investment Director at Cocoon Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm that provides support to tech businesses across Southeast Asia.
Ingrid Ødegaard, Co-founder at Whereby
Ingrid Ødegaard is a co-founder of Whereby, a real-time video calling service designed to be both powerful and easy to integrate into any website or app.
Ulrikke Lien, Co-Founder & CEO at Sensorita
Ulrikke Lien assumes the role of the CEO at the company she co-founded in 2020- Sensorita. This online platform aims to help waste companies cut costs and emissions by providing cutting-edge analytics.
Ann Morgan Abrahamsen Ayah, Founder & CEO at Pick Your Pour
Ann Morgan Abrahamsen Ayah is the Founder and CEO of Pick Your Pour, an app delivering a digital menu, offering customers options to customize their orders.
Cathrine Delp, Founder & CEO at Ekvi
Cathrine Delp is dedicated to addressing complex societal issues in women's health. To this end, she founded Ekvi, an AI-driven mobile health companion designed to empower women to understand, share, and manage their health concerns.
Kristin Omholt-Jensen, Founder & CEO at Maritime Optima
Kristin Omholt-Jensen is the Founder and CEO of Maritime Optima, a company that provides comprehensive maritime intelligence by collecting and processing global AIS data, marine weather, sea ice, piracy news, and tides, integrating this information with technical ship descriptions and port activities.
Kaye Hope, Co-Founder & COO at Farmable
Kaye Hope serves as the COO at Farmable, a farm management app, we simplify compliance for farms. She founded the company in 2019.
Chisom Udeze, Founder at HerSpace
Chisom Udeze is the Founder of HerSpace, a collaborative coworking space and community in Oslo dedicated to supporting and empowering women through networking, skill development, and professional growth opportunities. In addition, Chisom is a Founder of HER|Tech Incubator, a six-month incubator program for women and non-binary person-led businesses.
Marit Rødevand, Co-Founder & CEO at Strise
Marit Rødevand is a Co-Founder and CEO at Strise. This company offers an advanced AML (Anti-Money Laundering) automation platform that utilizes AI to streamline and enhance compliance processes, reducing due diligence time, minimizing false positives, and providing continuous monitoring and risk assessment for financial institutions.
Helene Margrethe Bøhler, Co-Founder & CEO at Vind AI
Helene Margrethe Bøhler holds the CEO position at a company she Co-founded in 2022. Vind AI offers an innovative online platform designed to streamline the screening, conceptual design, and pre-feed stages of offshore wind projects, providing tools for efficient analysis, cost optimization, and scenario comparison.
Tine Karlsen, Co-Founder & CEO at Vev
Tine Karlsen assumes the role of the CEO at Vev, a no-code platform that allows users to create and launch premium, interactive digital content for marketing, storytelling, and other purposes, enhancing digital experiences seamlessly.
Alexandra Pittman, Founder & CEO at ImpactMapper
Alexandra Pittman is an experienced female entrepreneur, Investor and Founder. Currently, she assumes the CEO position at ImpactMapper, a platform that empowers organizations to track, analyze, and communicate their social and environmental impact through intuitive data visualization and reporting tools.
Karen Dolva, Co-Founder at No Isolation
Karen Dolva is an active female entrepreneur having founded two companies- UX Laab and No isolation, a pioneering company dedicated to combating loneliness and social isolation by developing innovative communication tools and solutions for marginalized groups, including the elderly and children with long-term illnesses.
Catharina Bøhler, CEO at Sarepta Studio
Catharina Bøhler is the CEO of Sarepta Studio, a creative powerhouse crafting immersive gaming experiences.
Fanny Elisabeth Ødegård, Founder & CEO at Moodie
Fanny Elisabeth Ødegård assumes the CEO position at Moodie, a digital agency specializing in tailored digital solutions for diverse clients, focusing on brand presence and customer engagement.
Merete Nygaard, Founder & CEO at Lexolve
Merete Nygaard is continuously supporting the development of the startup ecosystem. She is the Founder and CEO of Lexlove, a legal b2b SaaS company offering innovative solutions designed to streamline legal processes and enhance efficiency for legal practitioners and organizations.
Benedicte Økland, CEO at Wenn Property
Benedicte Økland is a CEO at Wenn Property, advanced AI technology company that automate the detection, structuring, and analysis of building damages, aiming to create resilient buildings and sustainable communities through innovative property damage solutions.
Kristin Over-Rein, Founder and CEO at BoldBooks
Kristin Over-Rein holds the CEO role at BoldBooks, a platform that provides authors with tools and services to self-publish and market their books, empowering them to retain control over their publishing process.
Thea Sommerseth Myhren, Co-founder & CEO at Diwala
Thea Sommerseth Myhren assumes the role of the CEO at Diwala, a comprehensive SaaS platform enabling individuals and organizations to store, verify, and issue any digital credential globally.
Silje Lindtvedt Fladmoe, Co-Founder & CEO at Testhub.tech
Silje Lindtvedt Fladmoe is a Co-Founder and the CEO of TestHub.tech, a comprehensive platform that offers a range of tools and resources for software testing, aiming to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the recruitment process.
Hodan A., Co-founder & CEO at Empire AI
Hodan A. is a Co-Founder and CEO of Empire AI, a prop-tech startup dedicated to revolutionizing real estate planning by introducing a sustainable approach to building office spaces.
Lavanya Indralingam, Partner at Antler Nordic 
Lavanya Indralingam serves as a Partner at Antler Nordic, a a global early-stage venture capital firm that supports founders from the very beginning.
Anna Munthe-Kaas, Associate Partner at Antler Nordic
Anna Munthe-Kaas is a Associate Partner at Antler Nordic, an early-stage VC supporting founders worldwide.
Kristin Aamodt, Partner at ArcTern Ventures
Kristin Aamodt is assuming the role of the Partner at ArcTern Ventures, a VC firm focused on investing in early-stage startups that address climate change and sustainability challenges.
Codruta Gamulea Berg, Partner at Dovetail AS
Codruta Gamulea Berg assumes the role of the Partner at Dovetail, an investment firm based in Oslo that partners with technology-driven businesses to combine capital with expertise in tech, design, strategy, and finance, aiming to help companies realize their full potential in the digital landscape.
Anniken Hofgaard, Investment Professional at Ferd Impact Investing
Anniken Hofgaard serves as a Investment Professional, at Ferd Impact Investing, supporting the growth of the climate tech startup ecosystem.
Kathrine Lærke Søndergaard, Investment Manager at Ferd Impact Investing
Kathrine Lærke Søndergaard is an Investment Manager at Ferd Impact Investing. This VC firm focuses on early-stage companies that aim to generate positive environmental and climate impacts while delivering strong financial returns, concentrating on energy transition, sustainable cities, and ocean health.
Iris Krigsvoll Auran, Investment Manager at Hafslund Ventures
Iris Krigsvoll Auran is an Investment Manager at Hafslund Ventures, part of Hafslund Vekst, focuses on investing in innovative technology companies within the renewable energy sector.
Ellen Amalie Vold, CEO of Norwegian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (NVCA)
assumes the CEO position of The Norwegian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (NVCA), an organization that represents the interests of the venture capital and private equity industry in Norway, promoting sustainable growth and value creation through active ownership and investment.
Emilie Martinsen Christensen, Funding Manager at Nordic Edge
serves as a Funding Manager at Nordic Edge, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering smarter and more sustainable cities and communities by collaborating with private companies, municipalities, academia, and citizens, focusing on the development, testing, and export of smart city technologies and sustainable solutions.
Karen Elisabeth Ohm Heskja, Director at RunwayFBU
Karen Elisabeth Ohm Heskja is an Investor and a Director at RunwayFBU, an early-stage VC fund investing in software-driven technology companies, offering support and capital to help ambitious entrepreneurs build global solutions using data and technology.
Gabriella Bossman, Co-Founder of sustie
Gabriella Bossman is a Co-Founder of sustie, a platform that provides automated tools for life cycle assessment, carbon accounting, and carbon removal tailored for the fashion industry
Yvonne Silden Langlo, Senior Investment Manager at Nysnø Climate Investments
Yvonne Silden Langlo is a Senior Investment Manager at Nysnø Climate Investments, supporting companies and technologies that contribute to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Maren Stangeland, Investment Manager at Nysnø Climate Investments
Maren Stangeland serves as an Investment Manager at Nysnø Climate Investments, supporting innovative businesses driving the green shift.
Guro Skjæveland, Investment Manager at Nysnø Climate Investments
Guro Skjæveland assumes the role of the Investment Manager at Nysnø Climate Investments.
Ingvild Meland, COO at Nysnø Climate Investments
Ingvild Meland has over 20 years of experience in the energy and finance secotrs. Currently, she is a COO at Nysnø Climate Investments.
Undoubtedly, the Latvian startup and VC ecosystem is powered by many inspiring and impactful women, that is why our list is definitely not closed, and we appreciate your involvement: Frances Eaton from Lærdal Invest, Pia Charlotte Mæhle and Solveig Sundsdal from Nysnø Klimainvesteringer, Silje Merete S. G. from Energy Impact Partners, Karoline Hegreberg Yuzer from Skagerak Capital.
*Undoubtedly, the startup and VC ecosystem in Norway is powered by many inspiring and impactful women, which is why our list is not closed, and we appreciate every involvement! If there is anyone missing from this collection, or anything is wrong, please drop us a line.
