Innovation Norway

Name

Innovation Norway

Legal name

Innovasjon Norge

Website

http://www.innovasjonnorge.no/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Innovation Financing

NAICS

Administration of Economic Programs (9261), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade, Industry & Economic Development Administration (BPAIAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development (BPADAEAE), Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK), Value Chain Development & Supplier Upgrading (BPADAMAI), Governance, Public Financial Management & Service Delivery Reform (BPADAEAD)

Keywords

• Government innovation financing
• Business development services
• International market expansion
• Innovation grants and loans
• Entrepreneurship support

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding Allocation: Innovation Norway distributes government-allocated funds (from the state budget and county municipalities) in the form of grants, loans, and guarantees to Norwegian businesses for innovation, growth, and internationalization projects. They do not generate commercial revenue from products or services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Innovation Norway is the Norwegian Government's most important instrument for innovation and development of Norwegian enterprises and industry, providing financing (grants, loans, guarantees), advisory services, competence development, networking, and profiling to Norwegian businesses. The agency supports companies across all growth phases: starting up, scaling, internationalizing, and renewing for sustainability.

Product overview

Innovation Norway operates a multi-channel service platform combining advisory services, financing instruments, and network facilitation to support Norwegian businesses across all growth phases—from early startup through international scaling. The core offering consists of financial products (startup grants and loans, growth loans, guarantees, and sector-specific subsidies), international scaling programs (TEA London, TINC Silicon Valley, EMNY New York), and competence services (export advisory, IP protection, sustainability development). The service is delivered through a hybrid model combining digital self-service platforms (Min side, Kompetansesenteret, Én vei inn), in-person advisory, and organized trade missions. Financing includes Oppstartstilskudd 1/2, Oppstartslån, Vekstlån, Bionova bioeconomy grants, green industry financing, STUD-ENT student grants, and various sector-specific subsidies. International support is delivered through 22 international offices, Trade Missions, and the TEA/TINC/EMNY accelerator programs. Complementary platforms include Business Norway, Visit Norway, Norwegian Innovation Cluster, and Enterprise Europe Network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TEA - Tech Executive Accelerator London: Scaling program for entrepreneurs and leaders developing AI-based companies, offering strategic guidance and global network access.
• TINC - Tech Incubator Silicon Valley
• EMNY - Executive Marketing New York
• Bionova
• Trade Mission

Products and services

• Oppstartstilskudd 1 (Startup Grant 1) Grant for businesses with a business idea representing something substantially new in the market, to clarify whether a paying market exists.
• Oppstartstilskudd 2 (Startup Grant 2) Grant for businesses with significant growth potential and demanding technology development path, to clarify whether the proposed solution can form the basis for a profitable business model.
• Oppstartslån (Startup Loan) Loan for businesses that are growing and need financing for organizational development and market work. Can be granted twice, up to a total of 2 million NOK.
• Vekstlån til internasjonalisering og eksport (Growth Loan for Internationalization and Export) Growth loan providing increased working capital for businesses with concrete plans to grow outside Norway, when lacking collateral for full bank financing. Includes guarantee from European Investment Fund (EIF).
• Green Industry Financing (Grønn industri finansiering) Financing scheme supporting green industry development, including loans like the one provided to Vianode for anode graphite facility development.
• Growth Guarantee (Vekstgaranti) Guarantee product for businesses requiring collateral support, including growth guarantees for bank loans secured through Innovation Norway.
• Bionova (Value Creation Program for Renewable Energy and Technology in Agriculture) Program financing solutions for renewable energy, bioeconomy and climate measures for agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, supporting low-emission society goals.
• TEA – Tech Executive Accelerator London Four-month scaling program for tech companies developing AI-based solutions, providing strategic guidance and access to Level39 network in London. Cost: 6200 GBP per company.
• TINC – Tech Incubator Silicon Valley Intensive 6-week hybrid program for Nordic technology startups combining virtual sessions with in-person Silicon Valley component, helping validate product-market fit and scale globally. Cost: 6000 USD per company. Has supported 278 Nordic technology companies across 29 programs.
• EMNY – Executive Marketing New York Five-month scaling program for ambitious startups with early product-market fit seeking to build a more competitive business. Includes invitation to exclusive event during New York Tech Week. Cost: 5000 USD per company.
• STUD-ENT (Student Entrepreneurship Grant) Grant program for student entrepreneurs, providing up to 1 million NOK to projects from universities and colleges.
• Tilskudd til miljøteknologi (Environmental Technology Grant) Grant for development, piloting and demonstration of new environmental technology with clear environmental benefits and commercialization potential.
• Tilskudd til sirkulære verdikjeder (Circular Value Chains Grant) Grant for cooperation projects establishing and developing circular value chains, covering coordination costs between companies.
• Grønn plattform (Green Platform) Joint program with Research Council of Norway and Siva, offering up to 644.5 million NOK for new three-year green platform projects starting early 2027.
• Workshop: International Market Development (Internasjonal markedsutvikling) Strategy workshop for businesses growing and expanding internationally, helping concretize international business model and market introduction plan.
• Eksportkurs (Export Courses) Customized courses in export-related topics delivered by Export Center advisors at client premises, tailored to specific business challenges.
• Beskytt dine innovative løsninger (Protect Your Innovative Solutions) Services helping businesses identify, protect and strategically exploit intellectual property (IP) values, including IP strategy development and IPR advisor database.
• Sustainability Development (Bærekraftig utvikling) Advisory services helping businesses work with sustainability, green transition and sustainable development, including ESG risk assessment and EU taxonomy evaluation tools.
• Eksportfremstøt – Trade Show Participation Grant Grant for businesses exhibiting at international trade shows with proprietary products or solutions, supporting participation in up to two shows within 12 months.
• EEA Grants (EØS-midlene) Norwegian companies can participate as partners in projects supported by EEA Grants, contributing to social and economic development in Europe.
• Tilskudd til innovasjonsstøtte til SMB (Innovation Support for SMB Grant) Grant enabling clusters, ecosystems and innovation companies to offer consulting services to small and medium businesses at reduced prices.
• Tilskudd til klyngedrift (Cluster Operations Grant) Operating support for innovation clusters where cluster activities build on cooperation, network development and competence increase.
• Trade Mission Organized market visits taking Norwegian businesses to international markets for insights, networking, and business development opportunities. Approximately 50 trips per year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each krone from Innovation Norway triggers NOK 1.4 in equity or other financing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Norwegian Embassy BeijingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Jointly organized with Innovation Norway the presentation event for Norway as guest country of honor at CIFTIS 2026 (China International Fair for Trade in Services). The event promoted Norway's strengths in green energy, digital technology, healthy living, and premium nutrition at Shougang Park venue in Beijing.
• World Trade Center New OrleansminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2025The World Trade Center New Orleans signed an MOU with Innovation Norway to create a strategic partnership focusing on clean technology, maritime innovation, and global trade development between Louisiana and Norway. The three-year framework aims to enhance cooperation through industry dialogues, workforce initiatives, and trade missions, particularly in port infrastructure and sustainability sectors.
• Nordic Innovation HousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2025Innovation Norway partners with Nordic Innovation House in operating the TINC (Tech Incubator Silicon Valley) accelerator program, which is also co-funded by Vinnova (Sweden), Business Finland, and KLAK Icelandic Startups. TINC has reportedly run 29 programs with 278 Nordic technology companies.
• Norwegian Knowledge Office Brussels (Norcore)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorcore is a cooperation between the Research Council of Norway, Innovation Norway, and the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir). For ten years it has worked to safeguard Norwegian interests in research, education, and innovation in the EU, functioning as an intelligence hub and providing updated insights on EU policy developments.
• CIIE BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe CIIE Bureau organizes China's International Import Expo where Norway participates with national pavilions. Norway marked its first national pavilion at the 7th CIIE with 12 companies, and Innovation Norway supports Norwegian companies' participation in these international trade events to access the Chinese market.
• Vow and Kongsberg MaritimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarnival Corporation highlighted partnerships with Norwegian firms Vow and Kongsberg Maritime as part of their cruise decarbonization strategy presented at the ZERO Conference in Oslo. Innovation Norway participated in meetings to explore expanding access to alternative fuels and deeper collaboration with Norwegian institutions.
• Norwegian Innovation ClusterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Norwegian Innovation Clusters programme awarded CCUS Innovation (a new national carbon capture, utilization and storage cluster) NOK 9 million in funding over three years (2026-2028). The cluster consolidates two existing initiatives (CCUS Norway led by Carbon Limits and CCS Innovation driven by SINTEF Energy) with 69 members including Aker BP, Hydro, SLB, and Hafslund Celsio.
• Vinnova (Sweden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish innovation agency co-funding the TINC accelerator program alongside Innovation Norway, Business Finland, and KLAK Icelandic Startups for Nordic technology startups.
• Business FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish innovation agency co-funding the TINC accelerator program alongside Innovation Norway, Vinnova, and KLAK Icelandic Startups for Nordic technology startups.
• KLAK Icelandic StartupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIcelandic startup support organization co-funding the TINC accelerator program alongside Innovation Norway, Vinnova, and Business Finland for Nordic technology startups.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Business Finland: Finland's national innovation and internationalization agency, the closest structural peer to Innovation Norway. Provides grants, loans, guarantees, and advisory services to Finnish companies across startup, scaling, and internationalization phases, and co-funds the TINC Silicon Valley program alongside Innovation Norway.
• Investinor: Norwegian government venture fund co-investing with Innovation Norway in early-stage companies. Comparable as a sovereign capital provider complementing Innovation Norway's debt and grant instruments with direct equity investments.
• Vinnova: Sweden's government innovation agency funding research and innovation projects. Operates similar instruments (grants, loans) and co-funds the TINC accelerator with Innovation Norway, making it a direct Nordic peer in mission and instrument design.
• Vækstfonden (Danish Growth Fund): Denmark's state-backed growth fund providing loans, guarantees, and equity to Danish growth companies. Highly comparable as a sovereign-backed innovation financing vehicle serving a neighboring Nordic startup ecosystem.
• Bpifrance: France's public investment bank providing financing, guarantees, and innovation support to French businesses. Closely comparable as a major European state development bank offering loans, grants, and export support across the full company lifecycle.

Broad incumbents

• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): UK's national funding agency for research and innovation. Comparable in mission (driving national innovation outcomes through public funding) though more focused on research grants and less on commercial scaling than Innovation Norway.
• SBA (U.S. Small Business Administration): U.S. federal agency supporting small business through loans, grants, and advisory services. Comparable in serving SMBs with government-backed financing instruments, though structured very differently as a federal agency versus a state enterprise.
• European Investment Fund (EIF): EU-level fund providing guarantees and counter-guarantees to SMEs and small mid-caps. Directly relevant as Innovation Norway's guarantee agreement partner through 2028 and operates complementary instruments in the same European innovation ecosystem.
• KfW: Germany's state-owned development bank, much larger and broader in mandate (including domestic housing, environmental, and SME financing). Comparable in role as a state financing arm serving innovation, green transition, and SME internationalization, though far larger in scale.

Others

• Enterprise Europe Network: EU-wide business support network that Innovation Norway hosts the Norwegian node of. Comparable as a partnership network helping SMEs internationalize and access innovation support, providing a counterpart to Innovation Norway's international offices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/InnovasjonNorge
• Facebookfacebook.com/innovasjonnorge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/innovation-norway
• Instagraminstagram.com/innovasjonnorge

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments80 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Innovation Norway