What Sparbanksstiftelse Norrlands Riskkapitalstiftelse does

Sparbanksstiftelse Norrlands Riskkapitalstiftelse is a private venture capital foundation established in 2008 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, operating under shared leadership with its parent Swedbanks Ägarstiftelse Norrland. The foundation's stated mission is to provide a private alternative to public venture capital for early-stage companies in Västerbotten and Västernorrland counties, with a stated focus on supporting young regional entrepreneurs. It invests through equity acquisition, shareholder contributions, and/or convertible loans, taking responsible minority stakes of 10-30% with a preferred 5-7 year exit horizon. Standard ticket sizes range from 500,000 SEK to 1,000,000 SEK, with a stated maximum capacity of 5,000,000 SEK per investment.

The foundation's current portfolio of six companies spans food technology (Big Akwa, a land-based fish farming venture targeting 3,000 tons annual production), beverage production (New Nordic Beverage, producing six wines from wild berries for Systembolaget), forestry technology (Logscom), property management software (Mowida), hydroponic growing systems (BlåGrön Odling), and voice training technology (Vocalise). Deal sourcing is conducted exclusively through internal networks, word-of-mouth referrals, and direct outreach rather than formal channels. A notable exit occurred in February 2023 when portfolio company Nuiteq was acquired by US-based edtech firm Clear Touch after a multi-year collaboration.

The foundation is staffed by 1-10 employees, led by CEO Frida Anundsson (appointed June 2022, previously Swedbank branch manager) and a board chaired by Johan Duvdahl. Beyond capital deployment, the foundation provides portfolio companies with knowledge, contacts, and board-building support, but explicitly does not participate in board work itself. Its investment model emphasizes long-term regional development over rapid financial returns, positioning it as a regionally anchored impact-oriented capital provider rather than a return-maximizing VC.

Name

Sparbanksstiftelse Norrlands Riskkapitalstiftelse

Legal name

Sparbanksstiftelsen Norrlands Riskkapitalstiftelse

Website

https://snrs.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sparbanksstiftelse Norrlands Riskkapitalstiftelse is a Swedish venture capital foundation established in 2008 that provides early-stage equity investments of 500,000 to 5,000,000 SEK to young entrepreneurs in Västerbotten and Västernorrland counties, taking 10-30% minority stakes across a portfolio of six companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital / Early-Stage Investment

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

Keywords

• Venture capital investments
• Early-stage funding
• Minority equity investment
• Startup financing
• Regional development investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Örnsköldsvik

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Equity Investment Returns: The organization invests in early-stage companies through equity acquisition (share purchases, shareholder contributions, and/or convertible loans) with the goal of generating returns through successful company growth and eventual exit within 5-7 years.
2. Portfolio Company Support: Beyond capital, the organization provides knowledge and contacts to portfolio companies, acting as a responsible minority shareholder (10-30% ownership) that helps young companies build competent boards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sparbanksstiftelse Norrlands Riskkapitalstiftelse is a private venture capital foundation that invests equity capital (typically 500,000 to 5,000,000 SEK per investment) into early-stage companies in the Swedish counties of Västerbotten and Västernorrland. The foundation operates as a responsible minority shareholder, taking 10-30% ownership stakes through share purchases, shareholder contributions, or convertible loans, and supports portfolio companies with knowledge and contacts over a preferred 5-7 year exit timeline.

Product overview

Sparbanksstiftelsen Norrlands Riskkapitalstiftelse is a venture capital foundation established in 2008, providing private risk capital investments for early-stage companies in Västerbotten and Västernorrland, Sweden. The foundation does not offer products or services directly; rather, it provides investment capital and support to portfolio companies. Their investment philosophy focuses on being a responsible minority shareholder (10-30% ownership) with investments typically ranging from 500,000 SEK to 5 million SEK, targeting exits within 5-7 years. The foundation's portfolio companies include Vocalise (voice training app), Big Akwa (land-based fish farming), Mowida (property management platform), New Nordic Beverage (premium berry wines), Logscom (forestry technology), and BlåGrön Odling (hydroponic growing systems).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early-Stage Venture Capital Investments
• Portfolio Company Support Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000 tons of fish annually planned production capacity at Big Akwa
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Swedbanks Ägarstiftelse NorrlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that created the foundation in 2008. Shares the same leadership and works closely together with a common ambition to give entrepreneurs in Västerbotten and Västernorrland better conditions to succeed.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Norrlandsfonden: Regional development fund providing risk capital to growth companies in northern Sweden. Highly comparable given overlapping geography (Norrland region), early-stage risk capital mandate, and public-mission funding structure aligned with regional job creation.
• Sting (Stockholm): Stockholm-based startup accelerator and seed investor supporting early-stage Nordic tech companies. Comparable as an early-stage capital and support provider with a similar approach of helping young companies build competent boards and attract co-investors.
• Almi Invest: Sweden's state-backed venture capital investor focused on early-stage Nordic companies. Directly comparable as a co-investor in the foundation's Big Akwa round, operating with similar ticket sizes and a regional/sector-spanning investment approach across Sweden.
• Chalmers Ventures: Early-stage investor and accelerator affiliated with Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. Directly comparable as a non-traditional (foundation-like) early-stage investor supporting deep-tech and growth companies, with a similar model of providing capital plus operational support.
• KTH Innovation: KTH Royal Institute of Technology's innovation unit supporting early-stage ventures from the Stockholm tech ecosystem. Comparable as a long-running (founded 1999 vs. 2008), foundation-adjacent vehicle providing seed risk capital and board support to regional startups.
• LU Innovation: Lund University's innovation office supporting commercialization of research and early-stage ventures. Comparable as a regional, mission-driven early-stage investor that combines grant-style capital with venture-style minority equity to nurture startups in its catchment area.

Broad incumbents

• Saminvest: Swedish state-owned venture capital investor that invests in and develops VC funds and growth companies across Sweden. A larger-scale incumbent operating in the same overall early-stage investment space with broader geographic reach but similar risk capital mandate.
• Nordic Capital: Large Nordic private equity firm operating across Sweden and the broader Nordic region. Functions as a broader incumbent in the regional investment ecosystem—an eventual acquirer/exit partner for successful northern Swedish startups the foundation has backed.

Others

• Tillväxtverket (Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth): Swedish government agency funding regional development programs and SME growth. Related as a public-sector enabler of regional business development—complementary to the foundation's private alternative to public capital positioning.
• Vinnova: Sweden's innovation agency funding research and early-stage companies. Adjacent ecosystem participant providing grants and innovation funding that complements the foundation's private VC role in the same Swedish startup landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments7 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Sparbanksstiftelse Norrlands Riskkapitalstiftelse