Aktiv mot kreft (AKTIV Against Cancer)

What Aktiv mot kreft (AKTIV Against Cancer) does

Aktiv mot kreft is a Norwegian private foundation (privat stiftelse, organisation number 992028467) established in 2007 by marathon champion Grete Waitz and Helle Aanesen, with the stated mission of integrating personalized exercise into cancer treatment from the point of diagnosis. The foundation's core offering is the Pusterom model: 16 hospital-based exercise rooms located in cancer hospitals across all four Norwegian health regions, staffed by nearly 600 AKTIVinstruktører certified through a curriculum co-developed with Norges Idrettshøgskole and Oslo universitetssykehus. The organization also funds research collaborations (notably a USD 3.3M program with the Lee Jones Lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the EBBA II national multi-center breast cancer study) and operates the AKTIVvenn volunteer companion program for long-term inpatients at Rikshospitalet and Ahus. In February 2026 it opened the Aktiv mot kreft-senteret – Trening og kreftrehabilitering at John Ugelstad Hus in Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park, described as the world's first dedicated competence center for exercise and cancer.

The foundation's technology and product surface is intentionally low-tech and service-led: a network of physical exercise facilities, a proprietary instructor certification program, and complementary digital channels (Pusterommet LIVE, Pusterommet Digital Trening, and digital prehabilitation pilots such as the one at Bærum sykehus). It is not a software or AI company; its 'platform' is the clinical and academic infrastructure connecting hospitals, instructors, researchers, and patients.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid charitable / commercial model. Streams include: (1) individual donations and fundraising (regular giving, one-time gifts, testamentary bequests, personal fundraising pages via innsamling.aktivmotkreft.no, and micro-donations through the Støtte app), (2) corporate partnerships – most notably adidas, which has contributed approximately half of the ~200M NOK raised over the foundation's lifetime, plus the Fadderbedrifter program (AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Cisco, Grieg, MSD, Novartis, Rema 1000, RiksTV, Zalaris and others), (3) e-commerce merchandise sales through the proprietary nettbutikk store (adidas- and Swix-supplied running, skiing, and cycling collections, plus proprietary profile products) with Vipps checkout, and (4) race entry fees for Oslo Maraton, Holmenkollmarsjen, Birken, and the New York City Marathon. The organization also operates internationally in the United States, Sweden, and Ethiopia, primarily through research and programmatic partnerships. A 2023 loss of tax-deduction rights on donations – due to lack of public financial support – is a material structural headwind. The company is governed day-to-day by a small four-person staff (CEO Helle Aanesen, plus administration, project, and event leads) and is headquartered at Ullernchausséen 64B, Oslo.

Name

Aktiv mot kreft (AKTIV Against Cancer)

Legal name

Aktiv mot kreft

Website

https://aktivmotkreft.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aktiv mot kreft is a Norwegian private foundation established in 2007 that integrates personalized exercise into cancer treatment by funding 16 Pusterom exercise rooms in Norwegian hospitals, training ~600 certified AKTIVinstruktører, and operating the world's first exercise-and-cancer competence center (opened February 2026) in partnership with Oslo universitetssykehus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exercise-oncology and cancer rehabilitation services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic/Adaptive Yoga & Clinical Pilates (HSADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

General Personal Training (In-Person & Virtual) (HSADAAAA)

Keywords

• Cancer rehabilitation services
• Exercise oncology programs
• Hospital exercise facilities
• Charity foundation services
• Corporate wellness partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Branded merchandise sales (e-commerce): The foundation operates a comprehensive online store selling athletic apparel and gear (running, skiing, cycling, and profile products) branded with Aktiv mot kreft logos. Revenue from these sales is directed partially or fully to the foundation's mission. The store features products from adidas and Swix, along with proprietary branded items.
2. Donations and fundraising: The foundation raises funds through individual donations including regular giving (fast giver), one-time contributions, testamentary bequests, memorial gifts, and self-organized fundraising collections. Corporate sponsorship via the Fadderbedrifter program also contributes donations. Tax deduction rights on donations were revoked from 2023 onward due to lack of public support.
3. Event entry fees: The organization sells startplasser (race entries) to events including Oslo Maraton, Holmenkollmarsjen, Birken, and New York City Marathon. The entire entry fee goes directly to support the foundation's work.
4. Corporate partnerships and sponsorships: adidas has provided approximately half of the roughly 200 million NOK raised since the foundation's founding, through product donations and sponsorship agreements. Additional corporate partners (Fadderbedrifter) pay for the privilege of aligning with the foundation while motivating employees through physical activity programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Aktiv mot kreft is a private foundation that integrates personalized exercise into the standard cancer treatment pathway from the point of diagnosis. It establishes and funds Pusterom (exercise rooms) at cancer hospitals across Norway, trains certified AKTIVinstruktører in collaboration with Norges Idrettshøgskole and Oslo universitetssykehus, runs the AKTIVvenn volunteer companion program, supports exercise-oncology research, and operates a branded merchandise store and event-based fundraising programs to fund the mission.

Product overview

Aktiv mot kreft is a private foundation established in 2007 by Grete Waitz and Helle Aanesen. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on integrating personalized exercise into cancer treatment. Core offerings include Pusterom (exercise rooms at cancer hospitals across Norway), the AKTIVinstruktør certification program (delivered with Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and Oslo University Hospital), AKTIVvenn volunteer companion service, and the newly opened Aktiv mot kreft-senteret – the world's first competence centre for exercise and cancer. The organization supports international research collaborations including EBBA II and partnerships with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Revenue generation comes through a merchandise portfolio including Løpskolleksjon (running), Skikolleksjon (skiing), and Sykkelkolleksjon (cycling) collections sold via Nettbutikk, corporate partnerships through Fadderbedrifter, event participation programs (Oslo Maraton, Birken), and a digital fundraising platform. The product ecosystem connects physical exercise facilities, education, research, and consumer merchandise to fund the mission of making personalized exercise part of standard cancer care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pusterom: Exercise rooms (treningsrom) established at cancer hospitals across Norway where cancer patients receive personalised training guidance before, during and after treatment.
• AKTIVinstruktør
• Aktiv mot kreft-senteret – Trening og kreftrehabilitering
• AKTIVvenn

Products and services

• Pusterom Exercise rooms established at cancer hospitals across Norway where cancer patients receive personalized exercise guidance and support from AKTIVinstruktører before, during, and after treatment. Services are free to patients and funded by the foundation.
• AKTIVinstruktør Specialized instructor certification program for training exercise professionals to work with cancer patients, co-developed with the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and Oslo University Hospital.
• AKTIVvenn Volunteer companion program where trained volunteers accompany long-term cancer patients on gentle, adapted nature walks around Rikshospitalet and Gaustad or Ahus.
• Aktiv mot kreft-senteret – Trening og kreftrehabilitering World's first dedicated competence centre for exercise and cancer, offering training guidance from diagnosis, during treatment, and in the follow-up phase, located at John Ugelstad Hus in Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park.
• Nettbutikk (online store) Online store selling Aktiv mot kreft-branded merchandise including running, skiing, and cycling collections from adidas and Swix, plus profile products. Revenue supports the foundation's mission.
• Arrangement og startplass (race entries)
• AKTIVdagen Annual event held on September 23rd to raise awareness and funds, featuring open days at partner fitness facilities such as STERK Helse & Trening Nydalen.
• Fadderbedrifter (corporate sponsorship program) Corporate sponsorship program where businesses support Aktiv mot kreft while promoting employee physical activity and social responsibility. Partners include AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Cisco, Grieg, RiksTV, Zalaris, and others.
• Innsamlingsplattform (online fundraising platform) Online fundraising platform that lets individuals create personal fundraising campaigns (for birthdays, events, or races) to support Aktiv mot kreft.
• Løpskolleksjon (running collection) Running apparel collection including technical t-shirts, shorts, tights, and running jackets from adidas, featuring Aktiv mot kreft branding.
• Skikolleksjon (skiing collection) Skiing apparel collection including Swix jackets, ski pants, ski vests, and related accessories, sold via the foundation's online store.
• Sykkelkolleksjon (cycling collection) Cycling apparel collection including cycling jerseys, cycling shorts (with and without straps), and windproof jackets, sold via the foundation's online store.
• Profilprodukter (profile products) Branded promotional products including water bottles, running belts, caps, backpacks, bags, notebooks, and bracelets.
• EBBA II Research National multi-centre study examining the effect of daily physical activity on breast cancer patients' quality of life, recurrence, and survival.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37,000 new cancer diagnoses annually in Norway represent the primary target patient population, with research showing that physically active patients have lower incidence of secondary diseases and score higher on quality-of-life measures.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Norges Idrettshøgskole (Norwegian School of Sport Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Norges Idrettshøgskole is a core educational partner in the AKTIVinstruktør certification program. Together with Oslo universitetssykehus, the school co-developed the specialized training curriculum for exercise instructors working with cancer patients. This partnership is foundational to the foundation's mission of training a nationwide workforce of exercise specialists.
• Oslo universitetssykehus (Oslo University Hospital)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Oslo universitetssykehus co-developed the AKTIVinstruktør training program and hosts multiple Pusterom facilities (including Pusterommet Radium). The hospital is also the foundation's partner in the Aktiv mot kreft-senteret – Trening og kreftrehabilitering (opened February 2026), a collaboration at John Ugelstad Hus in Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park that integrates Pusterom services with work-oriented cancer rehabilitation as part of the hospital's clinical operations.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Lee Jones Lab)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAktiv mot kreft and its US sister organization AKTIV Against Cancer jointly fund research projects led by Professor Lee Jones at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, one of the world's leading cancer hospitals. The foundations collectively support 'The Lee Jones Lab' with USD 3.3 million across three projects over five years. The research investigates exercise as a complement to cancer treatment. Kavlifondet has also provided significant funding for one project that includes a fellowship for Norwegian researchers.
• adidasflagshipGTM or Marketing Partneradidas has been the foundation's primary sponsor since its founding in 2007, contributing approximately half of the roughly 200 million NOK raised over the foundation's lifetime through product donations and sponsorship. adidas supplies merchandise for the foundation's e-commerce store and supports fundraising events. The partnership has been critical to the foundation's self-funding model.
• Fadderbedrifter (Corporate Sponsor Companies)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNorwegian companies including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Cisco, Copycat, EuroSign, Fresenius Kabi, Føyen, Grieg, JFKnudtzen, Linstow, MSD, Novartis, QICRAFT, Rema 1000, RiksTV, and Zalaris have entered into Fadderbedrifter agreements with Aktiv mot kreft. These agreements combine employee wellness programs with CSR support for the foundation. RiksTV is cited as a particularly engaged partner with high employee participation.
• stotte.no (Støtte app)minorGTM or Marketing Partnerstotte.no is a micro-donation app that allows consumers to support Aktiv mot kreft passively with each purchase they make. Users activate the app and select Aktiv mot kreft as their cause, with small amounts donated automatically at point of sale.
• SwixcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSwix supplies a range of ski-specific products to Aktiv mot kreft's e-commerce store, including ski jackets, pants, vests, hats, base layers, and backpacks. These products carry the foundation's branding and revenue supports the organization's mission.
• STERK Helse & Trening NydalenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaboration with STERK Helse & Trening Nydalen enables a specialized exercise program for former Pusterom users who have completed their hospital-based treatment. The program includes group classes led by AKTIVinstruktører, offering a safe transition from hospital to community-based exercise. An open day (AKTIVdagen) was hosted at the facility in September 2025.
• arv.no (Testament partnership)minorGTM or Marketing Partnerarv.no is a digital testament creation service that partners with Aktiv mot kreft to allow supporters to create legally binding testaments designating the foundation as a beneficiary. This partnership facilitates legacy giving and testamentary bequests.
• Norsk FriluftslivminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorsk Friluftsliv co-authored public kronikker (op-ed articles) with Aktiv mot kreft, including the 2020 piece 'Hvorfor ikke ta i bruk den mest effektive medisinen?' that outlined five policy proposals for improving public health. The collaboration leverages Norsk Friluftsliv's outdoor recreation expertise with the foundation's exercise-oncology focus.
• NHO GeneominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHO Geneo co-authored kronikker with Aktiv mot kreft on the topic of physical activity in the workplace, including 'Gjør fysisk aktivitet til en del av arbeidsdagen' (2025) and participated in debates at Arendalsuka 2025. NHO Geneo is the employer organization's section focused on health and working life.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyo-w9CzulUZCaKPDek_TOQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Aktivmotkreft
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aktiv-mot-kreft
• Instagraminstagram.com/aktivmotkreft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Aktiv mot kreft (AKTIV Against Cancer)