Adolf Øiens Fond

What Adolf Øiens Fond does

Adolf Øiens Fond is a Norwegian charitable foundation (stiftelse) established in 1918 under the testament of Adolf Øien (1849-1918), Trondheim's leading businessman of 1895-1918. The foundation manages approximately 400 million NOK in assets and has distributed roughly 275 million NOK to good causes in Trondheim since inception. It operates through four constituent sub-foundations sharing a common administration: economic education (supporting NTNU Handelshøyskolen since 1918, ~100 million NOK contributed), business development (the Etablererstipendet startup grant program launched in 2009, which has supported 33 companies with grants of 100,000-600,000 NOK each), charitable purposes (religious, cultural, sports, and community grants since the 1970s, ~50 million NOK to 168 recipients), and elderly care (Stiftelsen Karen og Adolf Øiens Aldershjem, including a 3.6 million NOK three-year cooperation with Nidaros Domkirke Menighetsråd for the Areskauteamet, 2024-2026).

The foundation's revenue model is non-commercial: it does not sell products or services. Capital is generated from returns on its investment portfolio and allocated as grants, scholarships, and donations. Distribution occurs through annual or biennial application cycles managed via the foundation's website. Beyond direct grants, the foundation is a limited partner in regional venture capital and seed funds (Proventure Seed, GNIST Capital AS, Såkorn 1 Midt), extending its impact on the Trondheim startup ecosystem. Recipients span NTNU-affiliated founders, regional nonprofits (Røde Kors, Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, DKNVS), artists and musicians, and elderly-care organizations. The foundation is governed by a board of directors and led by daily manager Gry Haug Binde, with a small administrative team of approximately 7 employees headquartered at Powerhouse Brattørkaia in Trondheim. Its technology footprint is limited to website operations outsourced to Lindbak IT AS and Smidesang & Lyng AS.

Name

Adolf Øiens Fond

Legal name

Adolf Øiens Fond

Website

https://oienfond.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Adolf Øiens Fond is a Norwegian charitable foundation established in 1918 that manages approximately 400 million NOK to distribute grants and scholarships across economic education (NTNU Handelshøyskolen), startup development (Etablererstipendet), charitable causes, and elderly care in the Trondheim region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation
• Grant programs
• Startup stipends
• Educational funding
• Community philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Trondheim

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment Returns: Adolf Øiens Fond is a charitable foundation that allocates returns from its investment portfolio to support grants, scholarships, and donations. The foundation does not generate commercial revenue. Total assets under management approximately 400 million NOK.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Adolf Øiens Fond is a charitable foundation (stiftelse) established in 1918 that allocates returns from its investment portfolio of approximately 400 million NOK to grants and scholarships across four program areas: economic education (NTNU Handelshøyskolen), entrepreneurship/startups (Etablererstipendet of up to 600,000 NOK), charitable purposes (religious, cultural, community), and elderly care in the Trondheim region.

Product overview

Adolf Øiens Fond is an organized foundation comprising four distinct grant programs with shared administration and capital management, collectively managing approximately 400 million NOK. The foundation's offerings consist of five grant programs: (1) Etablererstipendet for startup entrepreneurs, (2) Økonomisk Utdanning supporting NTNU Handelshøyskolen, (3) Allmennyttige Formål for charitable purposes, (4) Kunst og Kultur for art and culture, and (5) Stiftelsen Karen og Adolf Øiens Aldershjem for elderly care. These programs collectively distribute funds to create positive ripple effects for Trondheim across education, business development, and community welfare.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Etablererstipendet: Startup stipend program established in 2009, providing grants of up to 600,000 NOK to innovative startups in Trondheim region founded by individuals with master's degrees in economics and/or technology, primarily from NTNU.

Products and services

• Etablererstipendet (Startup Scholarship) A startup grant program providing up to NOK 600,000 to entrepreneurs and innovative projects based in Trondheim and surrounding areas. Established in 2009, it supports businesses founded by individuals with master's degrees in economics and/or technology, primarily from NTNU.
• Økonomisk Utdanning (Economic Education Grants) Grant program supporting NTNU Handelsh\u00f8yskolen's academic development, faculty, and students. Since 1918, the foundation has contributed approximately 100 million NOK (present value) to establish and maintain a business school in Trondheim, including travel stipends for international exchanges for over 500 students since 1950.
• Allmennyttige Formål (Charitable Purposes Grants) Grant program for religious, cultural, and charitable purposes in Trondheim since the 1970s. Approximately 50 million NOK (present value) has been distributed to 168 recipients, including named beneficiaries such as R\u00f8de Kors, Det Kongelige Norske Videnskabers Selskab, Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, and others in areas including health, elderly care, animal protection, church purposes, culture, sports, and urban beautification.
• Kunst og Kultur (Art and Culture Stipends) Grant program for art and culture projects creating value for society in Trondheim and surrounding areas. Supports study purposes for young artists, debut or presentation concerts for pianists, musical life especially orchestral music, and professional pianists over 50 years of age. Decisions are made every two years.
• Stiftelsen Karen og Adolf Øiens Aldershjem (Elderly Care Foundation) Foundation dedicated to improving quality of life for elderly residents in the Trondheim region. Supports projects that go beyond public responsibilities, including the three-year cooperation agreement with Nidaros Domkirke Menighetsr\u00e5d worth 1.2 million NOK annually for the 'Areskauteamet' team working with elderly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 84% of Etablererstipendet recipients (since 2009) are still operating, demonstrating successful company development
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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 flagship.

• Næringsforeningen i Trondheimsregionen (NiT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Collaboration on internship program connecting NTNU Handelshøyskolen students with businesses. Joint event organization for career days and internship meetings. Foundation co-sponsors activities that benefit both students and regional businesses.
• Nidaros Domkirke MenighetsrådflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Three-year cooperation agreement (2024-2026) with annual value of 1.2 million NOK totaling 3.6 million NOK. Supports 'Areskauteamet' - a diaconal team (priest, diaconal worker, musician) focused on elderly outreach, creating quality of life through outreach work and organized activities in Trondheim.
• NTNU HandelshøyskolenflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1918Primary educational partner since foundation establishment in 1918. Foundation contributed approximately 100 million NOK (present value) to establish and develop business school in Trondheim, including funding for facilities, faculty, research, and student travel stipends. School evolved from Trondhjems Handelsgymnas to NTNU Handelshøyskolen.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Samfunnsløftet (Sparebankstiftelsen SR-Bank): Norwegian savings bank foundation with regional focus on Rogaland. Operates similar grantmaking programs across community, culture, and entrepreneurship — directly comparable model with regional Norwegian geographic restriction.
• Stiftelsen Norges Vel: Long-established Norwegian foundation supporting community welfare, culture, and entrepreneurship across Norwegian regions. Comparable multi-pillar Norwegian grantmaking mandate.
• Bergesen Foundation (Stiftelsen Birger Bergesen): Norwegian family-founded charitable foundation supporting humanitarian and cultural causes. Comparable Norwegian philanthropic foundation with similar multi-decade history and grantmaking focus.
• Grieg Foundation: Norwegian family foundation funding entrepreneurship, culture, and community projects. Directly comparable grantmaking scope with emphasis on early-stage entrepreneurship support.
• Sparebankstiftelsen DNB: Norwegian savings bank foundation distributing significant charitable grants across education, research, culture, and community welfare — directly comparable in mandate and grantmaking model to Adolf Øiens Fond, though at much larger scale.
• Kavlifondet (Kavli Foundation): Norwegian grantmaking foundation supporting research, education, and culture. Similar diversified multi-pillar foundation structure with comparable asset base and regional Nordic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Carlsberg Foundation: Large Danish industrial foundation primarily funding natural sciences and humanities research. Comparable long-duration endowment-driven grantmaking model, though at significantly larger scale and with research specialization.
• Fritt Ord Foundation: Norwegian foundation promoting freedom of expression, culture, and democratic participation. Comparable Norwegian grantmaking foundation with cultural/community focus though different thematic mission.

Regional players

• Lund Foundation: Danish foundation funding research, education, and entrepreneurship. Similar grantmaking model with Nordic geographic focus and emphasis on knowledge-based entrepreneurship.
• Sparebankstiftelsen SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge: Regional Norwegian savings bank foundation serving northern Norway with similar community, education, and entrepreneurship grantmaking programs. Comparable foundation structure though focused on a different Norwegian region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adolf-oiens-fond

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Adolf Øiens Fond