Dissimilis

What Dissimilis does

Dissimilis (legal name: Stiftelsen Dissimilis) is a Norwegian private foundation founded in 1982 that delivers cultural activities — primarily music, song, dance, and theater — to people with developmental disabilities and functional impairments. Operating from a national competence center in Sandvika (Emma Hjorths vei 50) and through an umbrella membership organization (Dissimilis Norge), it runs a nationwide network of at least 14 local member groups spanning municipalities from Bergen and Trondheim to Bodø and Molde. Its core proprietary asset is the Fargenotasjonssystem (Color Notation System), a decades-developed method that uses colors and numbers instead of standard sheet music to make ensemble music accessible to people with cognitive disabilities; the method was digitized into the Fargenotasjonsappen (Color Notation App) in autumn 2024 in collaboration with Experis and Microsoft authentication.

The organization's revenue model is multi-stream and typical of a Norwegian cultural non-profit: membership dues from local groups, modest semester fees (1,200 NOK for group lessons, 1,800 NOK for individual lessons at the competence center, raised in autumn 2024 after 10+ years unchanged), event ticket revenue (145-200 NOK), donations via Vipps and corporate sponsorship packages, and pass-through distribution of Frifond funds from Norsk Musikkråd (over 600,000 NOK in 2025). Additional revenue lines include unit-priced teaching materials (color cards, instrument labels at 120 NOK), professional courses, and a songwriter program producing releases distributed through Universal Music Norge. Major annual events — Dissimilisfestivalen (June, ~300 performers) and Dissimiliskonferansen (October) — serve as both mission delivery and brand-building vehicles, complemented by NRK media presence and political engagement through Arendalsuka.

Dissimilis's go-to-market is community-led: it reaches beneficiaries through local member groups, municipal habilitation partnerships, cultural schools (Kongsberg, Molde, Åfjord, Farsund kulturskole), and word-of-mouth within the disability community. The 2025 Kulturrådets ærespris (Norwegian Arts Council Honorary Award) marks its highest formal recognition. Leadership transitioned in late 2024 / early 2025 with Nathalie Sturim succeeding Benjamin Zahl as General Secretary. The organization also operates Kompani D (an inclusive dance company) and co-developed the Kulturveilederen inclusion checklist with Kulturalliansen, signaling incremental productization beyond its core disability-services remit.

Name

Dissimilis

Legal name

Stiftelsen Dissimilis

Website

https://dissimilis.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dissimilis is a Norwegian foundation founded in 1982 that provides music, dance, and theater cultural activities for people with developmental disabilities through a Sandvika-based national competence center and a nationwide network of local member groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Inclusive Arts Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Educational Services (611), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Inclusive / Co-Taught Special Education Programs (EDAKAAAK), Inclusive Classroom Environment & Sensory-Friendly Design Support (EDAKABAJ), Special Education (SPED) & Inclusive Curriculum Materials (EDAGAAAE), Accessibility & Special Needs Equipment (Assistive Devices, Adaptive Furniture, Sensory Rooms) (EDAEAIAM)

Keywords

• Inclusive cultural services
• Disability arts education
• Accessible music instruction
• Community arts programs
• Inclusive dance education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandvika

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Dissimilis Norge operates as a membership organization with local groups paying annual membership dues. The organization also distributes Frifond funds to member groups.
2. Semester fees: The national competence center charges semester fees for instruction: 1200 kr per semester for group lessons, 1800 kr per semester for individual lessons, and 600 kr for additional groups beyond the first.
3. Frifond distribution: Dissimilis Norge receives and distributes Frifond funds from Norsk Musikkråd to local member groups. In 2025, over 600,000 NOK was distributed to local groups for activities, instruments, recordings, and concerts.
4. Event revenue: Revenue from ticket sales at events such as band evenings, concerts, and performances. Prices range from 145 kr for band evenings to 150 kr for support concerts.
5. Donations and sponsorships: Financial support through Vipps (1350846), corporate sponsorships, and voluntary contributions. Businesses can engage through custom sponsorship packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dissimilis provides inclusive cultural activities — music, dance, theater, and songwriting instruction — for people with developmental disabilities and functional impairments in Norway. Its core service is delivered through a national competence center in Sandvika and a network of local member groups, complemented by an annual festival, an annual conference, an inclusive dance company (Kompani D), and a proprietary Color Notation System (Fargenotasjonssystem) including a digital app that makes music readable for musicians with cognitive disabilities.

Product overview

Dissimilis is a Norwegian cultural organization founded in 1982 that provides cultural activities for people with developmental disabilities and functional variations. The organization operates as a unified platform centered on the Dissimilis Nasjonale Kompetansesenter (National Competence Center) in Sandvika, which delivers regular music, dance, and theater instruction, combined with a national membership organization (Dissimilis Norge) that coordinates local groups across Norway. Key products include the annual Dissimilisfestivalen (festival) and Dissimiliskonferansen (conference), the Fargenotasjonsappen (color notation app) for accessible music reading, Kompani D (inclusive dance company), and a Ressursbank (resource bank) offering teaching materials, articles, and the Magasinet Dissimilis. The songwriter group (Låtskrivergruppe) project produces music releases distributed through Universal Music Norge. All offerings are designed to enable inclusive participation in cultural life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dissimilis Nasjonale Kompetansesenter (National Competence Center) A national competence center offering cultural activities (music, song, dance, theater) for people with developmental disabilities and functional variations, providing regular teaching, courses, and workshops at Emma Hjorths vei 50, Sandvika.
• Dissimilis Norge (Membership Organization) The umbrella organization for local Dissimilis groups across Norway, offering membership, coordinating the annual festival, distributing Frifond funds, and providing travel support for member groups.
• Dissimilisfestivalen Annual inclusive city festival held at Rådhusplassen in Oslo, featuring approximately 300 artists with developmental disabilities and functional variations from across Norway, running for two days each June as part of Musikkfest Oslo.
• Dissimiliskonferansen Annual conference focusing on inclusion and accessibility in cultural life for people with functional variations, featuring expert speakers, panels, artistic performances, and networking.
• Kompani D Inclusive dance company under Dissimilis, led by a dance pedagogue and choreographer (Caroline Marie Sprott since 2022), producing stage performances such as 'KRETS' presented at Dansens Hus in Oslo.
• Fargenotasjonsappen (Color Notation App) Color-based music notation app that enables musicians with cognitive challenges to follow musical compositions using colored notes instead of traditional sheet music. Developed in collaboration with Experis with Microsoft login authentication.
• Kurs og Kompetanseformidling (Courses and Knowledge Sharing) Courses, workshops, guidance, lectures, and teaching materials offered by the competence center covering music, band collaboration, technological facilitation, singing, dance, physical theater, children's groups, and music groups for people with extensive developmental disabilities.
• Ressursbank (Resource Bank) Online toolkit containing professional materials, instructional videos, articles, magazines, teaching resources including the 'Song and Music for All' method guide, and teacher materials such as color cards and numbering labels for instrument marking.
• Sang og musikk for alle (Song and Music for All) Method guide and collection of song lyrics for inspiration, providing adapted music education resources for people with various functional variations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600,000 NOK distributed to local groups in 2025 through Frifond
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ExperiscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2024Experis collaborated with Dissimilis to develop the Fargenotasjonsappen (Color Notation App), a digital tool for creating color-coded music notation. Experis contributed technical expertise to build the application that allows music teachers to easily create color notes for entire bands.
• Monster ProduksjoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonster Produksjon collaborated with Dissimilis and NRK to create 'A-laget', a unique interview format giving people with developmental disabilities the opportunity to interview well-known personalities. The format was inspired by the French show 'Les Rencontres du Papotin' and is described as touching, humorous, and honest.
• KulturalliansencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDissimilis collaborated with Kulturalliansen (Culture Alliance) to develop 'Kulturveilederen' - a digital guidance and checklist for cultural organizations seeking to be more inclusive and reach broader audiences.
• Norsk MusikkrådcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorsk Musikkråd (Norwegian Music Council) distributes Frifond funds to national music organizations including Dissimilis Norge, which in turn distributes funds to local member groups for activities, instruments, and concerts.
• Musikkfest OslominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDissimilisfestivalen is part of Musikkfest Oslo, an annual festival celebrating musical diversity with free concerts across the city. The Dissimilis stage is one of few family stages in the Musikkfest program.
• Dansens HusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDansens Hus (Dance House Oslo) partnered with Dissimilis to present 'KRETS' by Øy & Kompani D, a dance performance for children ages 4-104 exploring themes of friendship, community, and belonging.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stopgap Dance Company: UK inclusive dance company producing professional performances with disabled and non-disabled dancers. Comparable to Kompani D and Dissimilis's mission-driven inclusive performing arts work.
• Soundabout: UK charity delivering music-making programs for children and adults with learning disabilities. Directly comparable to Dissimilis's inclusive music workshops and group-based cultural participation model.
• Drake Music: UK-based charity that pioneers music, disability, and technology, including accessible music-making tools and inclusive ensembles. Highly comparable to Dissimilis's mission of leveraging technology and group music-making for people with disabilities.
• Candoco Dance Company: UK-based inclusive dance company featuring disabled and non-disabled performers. Closely comparable to Dissimilis's Kompani D inclusive dance company producing performances at venues like Dansens Hus.
• Nordoff Robbins: International music therapy charity operating training and service programs worldwide. Comparable to Dissimilis's training-of-cultural-workers and therapeutic music instruction, though more clinical in orientation.

Others

• Dansens Hus: Oslo-based national venue for dance presenting Kompani D's productions. Partner/venue peer rather than direct competitor, comparable as a Norwegian dance ecosystem player.
• Norsk kulturskoleråd (Norwegian Council for Cultural Schools): Norwegian umbrella organization for municipal cultural schools that Dissimilis collaborates with. They are a partner/distributor enabling Dissimilis methods to reach schools nationwide.
• Kulturalliansen: Norwegian alliance promoting inclusion in cultural life; co-developed Kulturveilederen with Dissimilis. Comparable enabling partner in the inclusive cultural ecosystem.

Regional players

• Musik och Hälsa (Music and Health Sweden): Swedish nonprofit promoting music's health and social benefits, including inclusive music projects. Comparable regional Nordic counterpart with similar mission-method alignment.
• Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company: Swedish inclusive dance company producing contemporary dance with disabled and non-disabled performers. Comparable regional neighboring organization to Dissimilis's Kompani D.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dissimilis_no
• Facebookfacebook.com/Dissimilisgleden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dissimilis-no

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Dissimilis