Norscan Partners

What Norscan Partners does

Norscan Partners is a Norwegian boutique strategic advisory firm founded in 1991, headquartered at Skøyen in Oslo and wholly owned by its 14 partners. The firm serves owners, board members, and senior executives of private and public companies in Norway and selectively internationally, providing integrated services across six core lines: strategic advice, ownership and corporate governance, M&A, restructuring, capital raising, and interim management. Its engagements are bespoke and partner-led, and the firm explicitly participates in implementation through board seats and interim executive roles rather than limiting itself to written recommendations. All engagements are underpinned by the proprietary Norscan Method, a three-step advisory framework (Initial Phase, Comprehension, New Solutions) refined over three decades, with cross-border M&A capability extended through a channel partnership with BCMS.

The business model is classic professional services: revenue is generated from consulting fees, transaction success fees, and interim management billings, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Distribution is exclusively direct via the 14 partners, who leverage personal networks across Norwegian business, public administration, NGOs, and politics to source mandates; growth is supported by a thought-leadership content engine (Partner Speak articles, webinars). The firm has served roughly 100 clients across its history, including NEK Kabel, Nordland Betong Holding, and ReMadrass, and operates across industry verticals spanning construction, manufacturing, retail, energy, finance, and public sector.

Structurally the firm is a closed partnership with no external investors, parent, or subsidiaries, and no public listing. Customer segments are primarily enterprise (owners, boards, C-suite) with secondary engagement in publicly owned enterprises and select start-ups. Geographic reach is rooted in Norway with documented assignments in the USA, EU, China, and Africa. The firm runs a 6-12 month Trainee Program to develop the next cohort of consultants, and recently added partners in 2020 and 2022 to expand its finance and industrial B2B bench.

Name

Norscan Partners

Legal name

Norscan AS

Website

https://norscanpartners.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Norscan Partners is a Norwegian boutique strategic advisory firm founded in 1991, wholly owned by its 14 partners. It serves owners, boards, and executives of primarily Norwegian companies across strategy, M&A, restructuring, capital, governance, and interim management engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Strategic advisory services
• M&A advisory
• Business restructuring
• Interim management
• Corporate governance

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Strategic Advisory Services: Norscan Partners provides strategic business development advisory services to owners, boards, and executives. Revenue is generated through consulting fees for strategic advice, often continuing into implementation roles as advisors, board members, or interim managers. Engagements span from strategic analysis and planning to execution support, M&A advisory, restructuring, and capital raising.
2. Management for Hire / Interim Leadership: The firm provides interim management and executive placement services, supplementing client company competence during ownership changes or restructuring. Partners serve as hired executives in client organizations.
3. M&A Advisory: Assistance with buying and selling businesses, including identification of acquisition targets or buyers, valuation analysis, transaction structuring, and sales process management. The firm collaborates with BCMS for international transactions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Norscan Partners is a Norwegian boutique strategic advisory firm owned by 14 partners, providing strategy, M&A, restructuring, capital raising, ownership/governance, and interim management services to owners, boards, and executives of Norwegian private and public companies. Engagements are delivered directly by partners with senior executive experience, often continued through implementation as advisors, board members, or interim executives, with cross-border M&A reach provided through a partnership with BCMS.

Product overview

Norscan Partners is a Norwegian business advisory firm established in 1991, offering integrated consulting services through a portfolio of core service lines. The firm operates as a unified advisory practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its main offerings include: Strategic Advice (strategic consulting and implementation support), Ownership and Corporate Governance (governance advisory and generational change), M&A (buy-side and sell-side advisory with international reach via BCMS partnership), Restructuring (operational and financial restructuring), Capital (capital raising and financial advisory), and Interim Management (management for hire). The Norscan Methodology underpins all engagements, providing a structured three-step process. The firm also operates a 6-month Trainee Program for developing future consultants. All services are delivered by 14 partners with senior executive experience across Norwegian industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Advice (Strategisk rådgivning) Strategic consulting services providing assistance with strategic analyses, planning, and decision-making for owners, boards, and leadership teams of private and public companies. Includes serving as a sparring partner and supporting strategy implementation through changing conditions and complex challenges.
• Ownership and Corporate Governance (Eierskap og eierstyring) Advisory services covering corporate governance, ownership processes, and generational change management for private and public companies. Includes board competence assessment and corporate governance training, from startup phase through generational transition.
• M&A Advisory (Kjøp og salg av virksomheter) Mergers and acquisitions advisory including buy-side identification of acquisition targets, sell-side preparation and marketing, valuation analysis, transaction structuring, and sales process management. Often initiated from a strategic planning process, with international deal flow accessed via the BCMS partnership.
• Restructuring (Restrukturering) Business restructuring services covering operational restructuring (process optimization, reorganization) and financial restructuring (refinancing, capital raising, lender negotiations). Delivered through consulting or active participation via management-for-hire or board roles.
• Capital (Capital Raising) Capital raising advisory services covering industrial partnerships, private placements, and capital acquisition processes. Assists with financial structuring and identification of investors, treating capital raising as a core component of strategic business development.
• Interim Management (Interimledelse / Management for Hire) Interim management services providing experienced Norscan partners as temporary executives to support businesses during ownership changes, restructuring, or other transitional periods. Supplements the client's competence with senior external leadership on a management-for-hire basis.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BCMScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBCMS is described as one of the world's largest advisors for private owners on the sale of companies on the international market. Norscan partners with BCMS for cross-border M&A transactions, gaining access to a large selection of potential buyers worldwide. The partnership enables Norscan to offer clients international transaction capabilities and reach buyers across multiple geographies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with leading M&A and restructuring advisory practices. Competes with Norscan on mid-market M&A and cross-border transactions, often as a counterparty on international mandates emanating from Norway.
• Arthur D. Little: Global management consulting firm with European roots and established Nordic practice. Competes with Norscan on strategy, M&A, and transformation engagements for Norwegian enterprise and industrial clients.
• Bain & Company: Global strategy consulting firm with strong Nordic presence serving enterprise clients. Overlaps with Norscan across strategy, M&A diligence, and transformation mandates at the high end of the Norwegian market.
• Roland Berger: European-headquartered strategy consultancy with deep presence in Nordic markets. Directly competes with Norscan in strategic advisory, operational improvement, and restructuring work for major Norwegian industrial players.
• DNB Markets: Investment banking arm of Norway's largest financial group, offering full-service M&A, equity capital markets, and advisory. A broader incumbent providing overlapping M&A and restructuring advisory to Norwegian corporates and competes for the same enterprise clients as Norscan.
• McKinsey & Company: Global strategy consulting firm with established Nordic practice serving major Norwegian corporates. Competes with Norscan for top-tier strategic advisory, restructuring, and large-scale transformation engagements on a much broader portfolio basis.

Direct peers

• Arctic Securities: Norwegian investment bank offering M&A advisory and corporate finance services to Norwegian companies. Competes with Norscan for similar mid-market and large-cap advisory mandates in Norway.
• AlixPartners: Global consulting firm specializing in restructuring, performance improvement, and interim management. Direct competitor for Norscan's restructuring and interim management service lines, especially on cross-border mandates.
• Carnegie: Norwegian-headquartered investment bank with strong M&A and corporate finance capabilities serving Norwegian mid-market and large-cap clients. Direct competitor for sell-side and buy-side mandates where Norscan partner Pål Raaum previously served as CEO.
• ABG Sundal Collier: Leading Nordic investment bank with a strong M&A advisory franchise in Norway serving mid-market and large-cap private companies. Directly competes with Norscan on Norwegian buy-side and sell-side mandates, especially for industrial and family-owned businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Norscan Partners