SINTEF Venture AS
SINTEF Venture AS is the technology transfer and venture arm of SINTEF, one of Europe's largest independent applied research institutes. The entity manages intellectual property and venture capital funds on behalf of SINTEF, commercializing research through spin-offs and patent licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersTrondheim, Norway
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SINTEF Venture AS does
SINTEF Venture AS is the technology transfer and venture capital arm of SINTEF, one of Europe's largest independent applied research institutes, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Trondheim, Norway. The entity manages intellectual property and venture capital funds on behalf of SINTEF, operating alongside SINTEF TTO to commercialize research outputs through patent licensing and spin-off formation. The broader SINTEF ecosystem employs approximately 2,200 people from 80 nationalities and conducts applied research across 12 technology domains: materials science, nanotechnology, energy, climate/environment, health/medicine, digitalization, transport/mobility, ocean space, sustainable production, building/construction, and society/security. Operating as a research foundation (stiftelse) under Norwegian law, SINTEF operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries including SINTEF Community, SINTEF Digital, SINTEF Energi, SINTEF Industri, and majority ownership of SINTEF Ocean, with regional entities across Norway and a Brussels office co-located with NTNU.
SINTEF Venture AS's commercialization mandate covers a portfolio of patented technologies including Ugelstadkulene polymer microparticles (used in medical diagnostics and CAR-T cell therapy for leukemia and lymphoma), multiphase oil/gas transport technology (named Norway's most important post-1980 innovation by Aftenposten), CO2 capture and storage methods (foundational to Norwegian climate policy), zero-emission refrigeration developed with Rema (patented at NTNU in 1989), green concrete with up to 80% lower CO2 emissions, space-grade toxic-gas sensors deployed on the ISS and planned for the Gateway lunar station, nanomedicine delivered via the NaDeNo spin-off, and biological heat storage commercialized through the Cartesian spin-off. SINTEF TTO, the operating entity handling this activity, was rebranded from Sinvent AS in 2015.
The parent SINTEF organization generates revenue through four streams: (1) contract research services for industry and government, (2) participation in EU research programs (SINTEF is Norway's largest participant, supporting more than 30% of Norwegian companies receiving EU R&D financing), (3) commercialization and spin-off income channeled through SINTEF Venture AS / SINTEF TTO, and (4) publication, certification, and standard-product sales via SINTEF Store and Byggforskserien (the de facto quality standard in Norwegian construction). The organization serves approximately 3,300 customers annually through more than 6,000 projects, with go-to-market primarily driven by enterprise field sales alongside institutional channels including the Gemini-samarbeidet partnership with NTNU, the SFI/FME research center framework, and national funding mechanisms. Pricing is project-customized and not publicly disclosed.
SINTEF Venture AS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SINTEF Venture AS
- Legal name
- SINTEF
- Website
- http://www.sintef.no/en/tto
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- SINTEF Venture AS is the technology transfer and venture arm of SINTEF, one of Europe's largest independent applied research institutes. The entity manages intellectual property and venture capital funds on behalf of SINTEF, commercializing research through spin-offs and patent licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SINTEF Venture AS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Technology Transfer and Venture Capital Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (533110), Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) (53311)
- SIC
- Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis (BPAHAMAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN)
Keywords
Where SINTEF Venture AS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Trondheim
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices14 records
Markets served
SINTEF Venture AS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Research Contracts: Contract research services performed annually for thousands of clients across various sectors including industry, government, and academia. Projects range from small assignments to large-scale collaborative research programs.
- EU Research Funding: Participation in EU research programs as Norway's largest actor in EU research funding. Over 30% of Norwegian companies receiving EU R&D financing do so in collaboration with SINTEF.
- Commercialization/Spin-offs: Start-up and development of new companies, patenting and licensing of technology from research environments. Commercialization activities handled through SINTEF TTO.
- Publications and Knowledge Products: Sales of publications, research reports, software, and certification services through SINTEF Store and Byggforskserien.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
SINTEF Venture AS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SINTEF TTO & Venture manages intellectual property and venture capital funds on behalf of SINTEF. It evaluates, protects, and commercializes research-derived IP through licensing agreements and supports the creation of spin-off companies backed by dedicated SINTEF venture funds.
Product overview
SINTEF operates as a research institute offering research services, laboratory facilities, publications, and technical standards rather than a traditional software product company. Its portfolio includes Byggforskserien (documented building solutions series), Våtromsnormen (wet room construction standard), SINTEF Store (publications and online courses), and the SINTEF Publications Database (13,000+ titles). Laboratory services include MiNaLab for micro/nanofabrication and the Tribology Laboratory for friction and wear research. The organization also provides software tools across various research areas, certification services, and hosts research centers including FME (Energy) and SFI (Research-driven innovation).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SINTEF Community: Building and construction research institute, formerly SINTEF Byggforsk
- SINTEF Digital
- SINTEF Energi
- SINTEF Industri
- SINTEF Ocean
Products and services
- Intellectual Property Management Evaluation, protection, and commercialization of research-derived intellectual property on behalf of SINTEF, including patent prosecution and licensing to industrial partners.
- Venture Capital Fund Management Management of SINTEF venture capital funds, including investment into SINTEF-affiliated spin-off companies and portfolio oversight.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40 million lives saved by Ugelstadkulene technology for medical diagnostics
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SINTEF Venture AS
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SINTEF Venture AS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
SINTEF Venture AS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- SINTEF Ocean ConsortiumcoreFusion of SINTEF Fiskeri og havbruk, MARINTEK, and Miljøteknologi department to form SINTEF Ocean as world's leading marine research environment.
- NTNU Brussels OfficecoreJoint Brussels office established in 2015 to strengthen participation in EU research programs. SINTEF is Norway's largest actor in EU research funding.
- NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)coreGemini-samarbeidet - foundational partnership with NTNU since SINTEF's establishment. Joint research collaboration, technology transfer, and shared campus at Gløshaugen in Trondheim. SINTEF was established by NTH (now NTNU).
- Raufoss Technology (now SINTEF Manufacturing)majorAluminum forming research partnership - leading Norwegian companies processing and forming aluminum. Products found in 30% of European cars.
- Steertec RaufossmajorAluminum processing partner in GAlf galling research project for automotive industry applications.
- Uppsala UniversityminorAcademic collaboration for tribology testing and characterization in galling research.
- YaramajorDevelopment of Yara Birkeland - world's first electric, autonomous container ship. Research contribution on ship modeling for performance in various wave conditions.
- FME Research Centers (SuSolTech, ZeMe, etc.)coreLeadership in multiple Research Centers for Environmentally Friendly Energy (FME) and Sustainable Solutions - long-term research collaboration with industry partners.
- IFE (Institute for Energy Technology)majorJoint development of multiphase technology - named Norway's most important innovation after 1980 by Aftenposten.
- TelenormajorJoint development of GSM mobile technology - Norwegian solution won European competition in 1986 and became global standard.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SINTEF Venture AS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Innovation Norway: Norwegian state-owned innovation funding agency that co-funds many SINTEF projects and spin-offs. While not a research peer, it is a key funding intermediary and commercialization partner ecosystem for SINTEF TTO outputs.
Broad incumbents
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR): Italy's largest public research institution with ~8,000 staff across multiple applied and basic research domains. Comparable in multi-domain coverage and public funding model, though less focused on industry contract research.
- CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission): France's largest public research organization with ~20,000 staff spanning fundamental and applied research across energy, defense, health, and digital. Overlaps with SINTEF in applied energy and materials research but operates at much larger scale.
- Max Planck Society: Germany's largest basic research organization with ~25,000 staff across 86 institutes. Tilted more toward fundamental science than SINTEF's applied focus, but a comparable European research institute of similar institutional stature.
Direct peers
- TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch independent applied research organization with ~3,500 staff focused on contract research, IP licensing, and spin-off creation. Operates under nearly identical applied research model with industry and government clients.
- CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australia's national science agency operating ~6,000 staff across multiple research domains with applied research, contract work, and IP commercialization. Comparable scale and operating model to SINTEF despite geographic distance.
- Fraunhofer Society: Germany's largest organization for applied research with 30,000+ staff across 76 institutes. Operates under the same applied research, contract-driven, IP-licensing model as SINTEF, with industry and public-sector customers across multiple technology domains.
- RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: Swedish research and innovation partner formed by merger of several institutes, with similar multi-domain applied research, certification, and IP commercialization activities. Nordic peer with comparable funding and customer model.
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish state-owned applied research organization with similar size (~2,200 staff), multi-domain coverage, and contract research plus IP commercialization model. Closest Nordic peer given comparable funding mix and customer base.
Emerging players
- CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique): Swiss applied research organization focused on microtechnology, microelectronics, and systems engineering. Overlaps with SINTEF MiNaLab and micro/nano fabrication capabilities, with similar IP commercialization focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SINTEF Venture AS social profiles
Digital presenceSINTEF Venture AS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SINTEF Venture AS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
SINTEF Venture AS subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries13 records
SINTEF Venture AS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SINTEF Venture AS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments34 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SINTEF Venture AS
What does SINTEF Venture AS do?
SINTEF TTO & Venture manages intellectual property and venture capital funds on behalf of SINTEF. It evaluates, protects, and commercializes research-derived IP through licensing agreements and supports the creation of spin-off companies backed by dedicated SINTEF venture funds.
Is SINTEF Venture AS a public or private company?
SINTEF Venture AS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SINTEF Venture AS founded?
SINTEF Venture AS was founded in 2004. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is SINTEF Venture AS based?
SINTEF Venture AS is headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does SINTEF Venture AS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Research Contracts are the primary driver. The others are EU Research Funding, commercialization/Spin-offs and publications and Knowledge Products.
Who are SINTEF Venture AS's main competitors?
Innovation Norway is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are National Research Council of Italy (CNR), CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) and Max Planck Society. Direct peers are TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), Fraunhofer Society, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique) is listed as an emerging player.
Does SINTEF Venture AS have an API?
No public API is recorded for SINTEF Venture AS.
What industry is SINTEF Venture AS in?
SINTEF Venture AS's product category is Technology Transfer and Venture Capital Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAMAG, IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis, with a secondary code of FSANAJAN, SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 6794.