Nordic Mentor Network For Entrepreneurship

What Nordic Mentor Network For Entrepreneurship does

NOME (Nordic Mentor Network for Entrepreneurship) is a Denmark-headquartered, non-profit mentoring organization founded in 2016 as an initiative of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. It operates an elite, primarily invite-only mentoring program that matches selected Nordic and Northern European life science startups with teams of 3-4 high-profile volunteer mentors for an 18-month to two-year engagement, supplemented by a 5-day US market readiness workshop (held in Minneapolis and Boston), C-level peer roundtables, 1-to-1 mentorship, an annual investor matchmaking event, corporate partnerships, and an annual Startup Competition that awards a DKK 50,000 prize. Startups are sourced through 11 regional partner organizations spanning Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, the UK, and the Baltic states, or through direct application and the competition route.

The platform layer is modest: a web-based portal (platform.nome.nu) supports mentor-mentee interactions, while the substantive value is human capital - a network of 200+ mentors comprising pharma executives, serial entrepreneurs, investors, and clinical experts with collective experience across the full life science value chain. NOME does not charge startups for any service; the entire program is funded by grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, most recently renewed in 2024 for a further five years following a 2021 grant of 13.5 million DKK that also funded geographic and vertical expansion.

Since inception, NOME has enrolled 100+ life science startups and scale-ups in therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, healthtech, and industrial biotech, which together have raised over 1.4 billion DKK. Notable outcomes include Saga Diagnostics' acquisition by Roche for up to USD 595 million, CurifyLabs' 2025 JCI Productive Idea Award, and Sedivention's EUR 2.9 million seed financing. Day-to-day operations are run by Accelerace under Program Director Peter Birk, and the organization has 11-50 employees overall, reflecting a lean operational core that scales through volunteer mentor time rather than employee headcount.

Name

Nordic Mentor Network For Entrepreneurship

Legal name

Nordic Mentor Network for Entrepreneurship

Website

https://nome.nu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NOME is a Denmark-based non-profit, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, that runs an elite invite-only mentoring program matching Nordic life science startups with 200+ senior industry mentors, US market access support, C-level roundtables, and an annual investor event at no cost to participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life science startup mentoring and accelerator services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coaching, Feedback & Mentoring Skills (EDABAMAM), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Life science mentoring
• Startup accelerator programs
• Mentor network services
• Venture development support
• Entrepreneurship advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: NOME is a non-profit organization funded entirely by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and operates as a free service for all participating startups. The mentoring program is 100% free for mentee companies, with all costs covered by foundation grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NOME runs an elite Nordic Mentoring Program for promising life science projects and startups, providing free access to a curated network of 200+ senior mentors drawn from the Nordic life science industry. Its core deliverables include team mentoring sessions, 1-to-1 mentorship, a dedicated US market-entry program, C-level sessions, investor events, a startup community, a corporate partnership program, and an annual startup competition.

Product overview

NOME (Nordic Mentor Network for Entrepreneurship) is an elite mentoring program for Nordic life science startups that operates as a platform combining multiple service components. The core offering consists of Team Mentoring (3-4 mentors per startup over 2 years), the US Program (5-day intensive workshop for US market readiness), C-level Sessions (peer-to-peer founder roundtables), and 1-to-1 Mentorship (individual strategic consultations). Supporting offerings include the annual NOME Investor Event for fundraising, the broader NOME Community ecosystem, and the NOME Startup Competition as an annual entry pathway. The program is 100% free for selected startups, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and provides access to 200+ high-profile life science mentors across therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, healthtech, and industrial biotech.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Team Mentoring Program Foundational cohort-based mentoring program in which groups of selected Nordic life science startups are matched with senior mentors from the NOME network for structured team mentoring sessions.
• US Program Dedicated track of the NOME program focused on preparing Nordic life science startups for entry into the US market, including mentor support relevant to FDA, reimbursement, and US commercialization pathways.
• C-level Sessions Structured sessions focused on supporting NOME startup founders on C-level leadership topics such as building executive teams, governance, and strategic decision-making.
• 1-to-1 Mentorship Individual mentoring engagements matching selected Nordic life science startups with a single senior mentor from the NOME network for focused, company-specific guidance.
• NOME Investor Event Recurring investor event organized by NOME that connects selected portfolio companies with life science investors for introductions, pitches, and follow-up conversations.
• NOME Community Ongoing community offering for alumni startups, mentors, and partners of NOME that supports continued networking, programming, and ecosystem-building across cohorts.
• NOME Startup Competition Annual competition under the NOME umbrella in which Nordic life science startups compete for prize money (e.g., 100,000 DKK prize money referenced), visibility, and engagement with the broader NOME ecosystem.
• Corporate Partnerships Program through which NOME partners with larger life science corporates to connect NOME portfolio companies with strategic partners for pilots, collaborations, and commercial opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ portfolio companies have raised over 1.4 billion DKK cumulatively
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• AleapcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovative health incubator providing expertise, infrastructure, capital and network to startups in the health sector. Based in Norway, Aleap identifies potential NOME startups and mentors and provides essential infrastructure for the pan-Nordic mentoring program.
• AstraZeneca BioVenture HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen innovation platform offering inside track to AstraZeneca's scientific expertise, world-class infrastructure, and facilities. Provides startups with access to pharmaceutical industry knowledge and resources.
• BioInnovation InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports world-class life science innovation that drives development of new solutions by early-stage startups. Approximately 20% of NOME companies have participated in BII programs. Strengthened collaboration formalized in 2023 to better support startup journey from establishment to scale-up.
• BioUK (former OBN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based partner organization supporting the pan-Nordic life science mentoring network.
• Karolinska Institutet Innovations ABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExploits life science research results by evaluating and verifying projects with commercial potential and supporting commercial development. Based in Sweden, identifies startups from Karolinska research ecosystem.
• Life Science NordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional industry network for more than 500 companies, universities, and research institutions in medical technology, biotech, and pharmaceuticals in the German states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Oliver Schacht serves as Managing Director.
• Medicon VillagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLife science park providing unique environment integrating research, innovation and industry under one roof. Based in Sweden, led by Kerstin Jakobsson as CEO.
• Oslo Cancer Cluster IncubatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOncology-focused research and industry cluster dedicated to development of new cancer diagnostics and medicines. Norway-based partner identifying startups and mentors.
• ScanbaltcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation network bringing together academic and industrial research, university hospitals, non-university research institutions, study centres and highly specialised suppliers across the Baltic region.
• Turku Science Park LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers strong foundation for business and innovation services with long-term top research in life science. ProHealth Growth initiative accesses untapped innovation potential. Finland-based.
• UIC, Uppsala Innovation CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides business development support, knowledge, networks and financing to innovative startups and fast-growing companies. Approximately one third of companies are in life science.
• Vertical AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers startups focus on creating successful collaborations with enterprises and hospitals, as well as access to more than 200 world class mentors. Finland-based.
• Chiesi PharmaceuticalsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch-oriented international biopharmaceutical group developing and marketing innovative therapeutic solutions in respiratory health, rare diseases, and specialty care. Works with NOME to provide startups with access to expert feedback, market insight, commercial perspectives, and real collaboration opportunities.
• AcceleracecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDenmark-based operational partner managing NOME program. Led by Program Director Peter Birk, Accelerace runs day-to-day operations including the Startup Competition and Annual Meeting.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BioInnovation Institute (BII): Danish-based life science incubator and accelerator supporting Nordic and European startups across therapeutics, bioindustrials, and healthtech. BII is both a NOME partner and a direct competitor for the same founders, though BII layers in capital and lab space on top of mentoring.
• EIT Health: Europe-wide network (backed by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology) supporting health and life science startups with mentoring, education, and accelerator programs. Highly comparable as a pan-European health-focused mentoring and acceleration network.
• IndieBio: Leading global life science accelerator providing intensive mentorship, lab space, and seed funding to biology and health startups. Comparable as a specialized life science mentoring/acceleration program targeting early-stage ventures.
• Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB: Swedish innovation office commercializing life science research from Karolinska Institutet. A NOME partner that also independently runs mentoring and incubation programs for Swedish life science startups, making it a directly comparable regional player.
• MassChallenge HealthTech: Global non-profit accelerator running healthtech-focused cohorts with mentor matching, corporate partnerships, and investor introductions. Comparable in mission (free, mentor-driven, non-equity) and structure to NOME's life science focus.
• Medicon Village: Swedish life science innovation park integrating research, industry, and startups. A NOME partner organization, but also independently runs incubation, mentoring, and networking activities that overlap with NOME's offering for Swedish life science founders.
• AstraZeneca BioVenture Hub: Open innovation platform at AstraZeneca providing life science startups access to scientific expertise, infrastructure, and corporate mentoring. A NOME partner but also a stand-alone mentoring/incubation player with pharma-industry depth.
• Vertical Accelerator: Finland-based accelerator providing health and life science startups with mentor access (200+ world-class mentors per its own materials) and enterprise/hospital collaboration programs. A NOME partner that runs a parallel mentoring program in Finland with comparable structure.

Emerging players

• Startupbootcamp (SBC) Digital Health: Global accelerator network that runs vertical-specific programs including Digital Health, providing mentor matching and investor introductions for healthtech and life science startups. Comparable in the mentor-driven accelerator format though focused more on digital health than therapeutics.

Broad incumbents

• European Innovation Council (EIC): EU-wide funding and acceleration program supporting deep-tech and life science startups with grants, equity investment, and business acceleration services. Comparable as a broader funder of European life science startups that overlaps with NOME's target founder base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nordicmentornetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nordic Mentor Network For Entrepreneurship