Laringsverkstedet

What Laringsverkstedet does

Læringsverkstedet is Norway's largest private kindergarten chain, operating approximately 250 kindergartens nationwide and serving roughly 20,000 children with a workforce of around 6,000 employees, including more than 2,000 pedagogues. Founded in 2003 by Randi and Hans Jacob Sundby — both educationalists — the chain is built on a proprietary 'Hjertekultur' (Heart Culture) philosophy emphasizing emotional warmth and child self-worth, and is now part of the Dibber group under HJR Holding AS.

The company offers differentiated concept kindergartens under four sub-brands: DoReMi (music/performing arts), Sports Kindergartens (idrettsbarnehage), Nature Kindergartens (naturbarnehage), and Solkollen (Christian values). It also operates the 'Et Godt Måltid' food concept, developed with chefs Arne Brimi and Frode Selvaag, focused on local, healthy meals across all sites. Operations are managed through a 14-region structure with functional heads for pedagogy, HR, marketing, finance, kindergarten operations, and public affairs. There are no proprietary technology systems; the technology layer is limited to a website-based kindergarten finder and standard municipal admission routing.

The revenue model is dual: approximately 85% of income derives from Norwegian municipal government subsidies, with the remaining ~15% from parent fees that are standardized nationally by the Norwegian Parliament and apply uniformly to public and private kindergartens. Distribution is intermediated through municipal coordinated admission (samordnet opptak), supplemented by direct website inquiries and regional management outreach. International activity is limited to social-responsibility projects (CreaKids Learning and Sports Centers in Kibera, Kenya, with Noracta; Zulufadder support in South Africa) and is not a commercial revenue stream.

Name

Laringsverkstedet

Legal name

Læringsverkstedet

Website

https://laringsverkstedet.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Læringsverkstedet is Norway's largest private kindergarten chain, operating approximately 250 kindergartens serving 20,000 children with 6,000 employees. Revenue is ~85% government-subsidized and ~15% from standardized parent fees, with concept sub-brands in music, sports, nature, and faith-based education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jessheim

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Municipal Government Funding: The primary revenue stream comes from municipal government funding. Kindergarten placements are conditional upon municipal financing, with the government covering approximately 85% of operational costs through public subsidies.
2. Parent Fees: Parent payment constitutes approximately 15% of kindergarten income and is standardized nationally by the Norwegian Parliament, applicable equally to both public and private kindergartens.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Læringsverkstedet operates the largest private kindergarten chain in Norway, providing early childhood education and care across approximately 250 kindergartens serving around 20,000 children aged 0–6. The chain offers four specialized concept brands — DoReMi (music), Sports Kindergartens (educational sports), Nature Kindergartens (outdoor learning), and Solkollen (Christian values) — along with the "Et Godt Måltid" chef-developed food program. Operations are supported by a workforce of around 6,000 employees, including more than 2,000 pedagogues, organized across 14 regional management areas.

Product overview

Læringsverkstedet is Norway's largest private kindergarten chain operating approximately 250 kindergartens with around 6,000 employees and 20,000 children. The company offers a unified kindergarten service with four specialized concept brands (DoReMi for music/performing arts, Sports Kindergartens for physical activity, Nature Kindergartens for outdoor learning, and Solkollen for Christian values), supplemented by the 'Et Godt Måltid' food concept developed with renowned chefs. Parents can access kindergartens through an online finder tool and receive educational resources and activity tips.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DoReMi: Music, movement, singing activities, improvisation and dramatization concept focusing on music as tools for creativity, language development, mastery, interaction and joy.
• Sports Kindergartens
• Nature Kindergartens
• Solkollen

Products and services

• Kindergarten Services (core service) Core private kindergarten care and early childhood education service for children aged 0–6 years, delivered across approximately 250 kindergartens in Norway and serving around 20,000 children. Funded primarily through Norwegian municipal government subsidies (~85% of operational costs) with standardized parent fees (~15%) set annually by the Norwegian Parliament.
• DoReMi (Music & Performing Arts Kindergartens) Music and performing arts concept kindergartens featuring song, movement, improvisation, and dramatization linked to educational subjects. Designed for children aged 0–6 with focus on creativity, language development, mastery, interaction and joy.
• Sports Kindergartens (Idrettsbarnehage) Educational sports concept combining pedagogical and sports-related elements, with pedagogy as the foundation and sport, play and movement as tools to achieve educational goals. Targeted at families seeking active, sport-oriented early childhood care.
• Nature Kindergartens (Naturbarnehage) Nature-based kindergarten concept using outdoor environments to stimulate all senses, create good natural experiences, and teach children to use and respect natural resources. Targeted at families prioritizing outdoor and environmental learning.
• Solkollen (Christian Values Kindergartens) Christian faith and values-based kindergarten concept communicating values rooted in the Christian tradition through everyday situations and organized activities, including church holiday observance and value promotion. Targeted at Christian families.
• Et Godt Måltid (A Great Meal) Chain-wide food concept developed in collaboration with renowned Norwegian chefs Arne Brimi and Frode Selvaag, focusing on local, home-made, and healthy food, traditions, culture and joy of food. Implemented across all Læringsverkstedet kindergartens.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94.2% of private kindergartens met pedagogue standards vs 91.8% of municipal kindergartens (per December 2020)

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NoractacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2019Læringsverkstedet partners with Noracta to operate CreaKids Learning Center and CreaKids Sports Center in Kibera, Kenya. These projects, launched in February 2019 and 2022 respectively, address extreme poverty and lack of educational facilities in Kibera's slum areas, providing learning opportunities for children through modern educational centers.
• Arne Brimi and Frode SelvaagcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenowned Norwegian chefs Arne Brimi and Frode Selvaag (Ryfylke chef) collaborated with Læringsverkstedet to develop the 'A Great Meal' food concept. The concept focuses on local, homemade, healthy food, traditions, culture, and joy of food, implemented across all kindergartens.
• Mari Maurstad / ZulufadderminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLæringsverkstedet supports Mari Maurstad's Zulufadder project, created in February 2005. The project supports orphaned children of HIV-positive parents in South Africa through financial donations, educational funds, schools, kindergartens, buildings, and vegetable gardens.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Kids & Co: Norwegian and Nordic operator of kindergartens with a similar concept-brand approach; comparable peer within the same Norwegian funding and regulatory framework.

Others

• ISS A/S: Global facility services provider that, in some markets, delivers outsourced or on-site childcare services for corporate and public-sector clients; relevant comparable for facility-management-adjacent early childhood services.

Direct peers

• Espira: Norwegian private kindergarten chain owned by the Stena sphere, providing early childhood education services with national coverage and competing for the same parent segments and municipal placement slots.
• Pysslingen: Swedish preschool/childcare chain (part of AcadeMedia) with a comparable concept-brand and pedagogue-led model; direct functional peer for early childhood education delivery in the Nordics.
• FUS barnehager: One of the larger private kindergarten chains in Norway operating across many municipalities, directly competing for municipal contracts and parent enrollment with Læringsverkstedet.
• Norlandia: Norwegian and Nordic operator of preschools and kindergartens, with comparable concept-based differentiation and government-funded revenue model in the same Norwegian regulatory environment.

Broad incumbents

• AcadeMedia: Large publicly listed Nordic education group operating preschools, compulsory schools, and adult education; broader incumbent with overlapping kindergarten business and similar funding dynamics.
• Dibber: Parent group of Læringsverkstedet, operating kindergartens and early childhood education services across multiple countries; most direct corporate parent and platform peer.

Emerging players

• Eventyrskogen: Smaller Norwegian private kindergarten group with a nature/outdoor focus that overlaps with Læringsverkstedet's Nature Kindergarten concept; relevant emerging peer in a sub-segment.
• St. Olav barnehage: Independent Norwegian private kindergarten operator with concept-based positioning; comparable peer illustrating the fragmented competitive landscape Læringsverkstedet is consolidating.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/laringsverkstedet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Laringsverkstedet