Varde Finans AS
Varde Finans AS is a Norwegian loan broker and subsidiary of Kraft Bank ASA that intermediates refinancing and debt consolidation mortgages for Norwegian homeowners with payment remarks, collection cases, or consumer debt, earning commission from partner specialist banks while charging customers no fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersOslo, Norway
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Varde Finans AS does
Varde Finans AS is a Norwegian loan broker and debt consolidation intermediary founded in 2023 and headquartered at Karenslyst Allé 16, Oslo, with a team of five employees. The firm operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kraft Bank ASA, providing balance-sheet stability while retaining independence to broker with multiple Norwegian specialist banks. Its core offering is intermediating refinancing and "restart loans" secured by residential property for Norwegian homeowners who carry consumer debt, credit card balances, collection cases, or payment remarks and have been turned away by traditional banks. The product suite includes "Refinansiering med pant i bolig" (refinancing with home equity), "Omstartslån" (restart loans), "Samle gjeld" (debt consolidation), a web-based loan calculator, free financial advisory, and the AI-generated Gjeldspodden podcast. Advisors negotiate loan terms with partner banks, manage all paperwork, and use BankID for digital signing, with disbursement reportedly possible within 4-5 business days once documentation is complete.
Varde Finans generates revenue through commissions paid by the partner bank that ultimately issues the loan; the service is free for customers, with no application fees or hidden costs. The stated goal for customers is to consolidate multiple high-interest debts (often 15-22%) into a single mortgage at 6-8% effective interest, with a maximum loan-to-value of 90% and a maximum debt ratio of 5x gross annual income. The company reports that the majority of customers save 4,000-6,000 NOK per month after refinancing, and that payment remarks are removed within 1-3 business days following debt payoff. Once the customer is "friskmeldt" (cleared), the firm explicitly aims to transition them back to a traditional bank, reflecting a transactional rather than relationship-based revenue model.
Distribution is sales-led and direct-to-consumer, driven by SEO-optimized Norwegian-language content (blog, FAQ, podcast), Trustpilot reviews, and organic social media presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. The partner bank network comprises Bank 2, Bluestep, Kraft Bank, Nordax, Svea, Balansebank, Instabank, and Valley Bank. The company is operationally registered as an approved loan broker (låneformidler) with Finanstilsynet under Registry ID 240658. Technology stack is non-proprietary, relying on HubSpot for CRM and Creditsafe for credit data, with no disclosed AI/ML infrastructure beyond AI-generated podcast audio.
Varde Finans AS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Varde Finans AS
- Legal name
- Varde Finans AS
- Website
- https://vardefinans.no
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Varde Finans AS is a Norwegian loan broker and subsidiary of Kraft Bank ASA that intermediates refinancing and debt consolidation mortgages for Norwegian homeowners with payment remarks, collection cases, or consumer debt, earning commission from partner specialist banks while charging customers no fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Varde Finans AS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Loan Brokerage / Debt Consolidation Services
- NAICS
- Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)
- SIC
- Loan Brokers (6163)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Loan / Multi-Creditor Consolidation Loans (FSAKAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Collections & Creditor Negotiation Support (Debtor-Side) (FSAEAFAI), Pricing, Risk-Based Offer & Limit Management (FSAGAHAE)
Keywords
Where Varde Finans AS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oslo
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Varde Finans AS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Commission from Partner Banks: Varde Finans receives commission from the bank that provides the customer with the best loan offer. The service is free for customers - they pay no application fees or hidden costs. This commission-based model aligns Varde's interests with securing the best outcome for customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Free service for customers - commission-based from banks |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Varde Finans AS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Varde Finans AS is an independent loan broker that helps Norwegian homeowners consolidate multiple expensive consumer loans, credit cards, and collection cases into a single mortgage-secured loan with lower interest rates. As a subsidiary of Kraft Bank ASA, the company negotiates with multiple partner specialist banks (Bank 2, Bluestep, Nordax, Svea, Balansebank, Instabank, Valley Bank) on behalf of customers rejected by traditional banks due to payment remarks or debt issues. The full-service offering includes application handling, bank negotiations, BankID-secured signing, debt payoff coordination, and payment remark removal, with no cost to the customer — the company is compensated via commission from the selected partner bank.
Product overview
Varde Finans AS operates as a loan brokering intermediary and subsidiary of Kraft Bank ASA, offering refinancing and debt consolidation services primarily for Norwegian homeowners facing financial difficulties. The core product portfolio centers on refinancing with home equity (refinansiering med pant i bolig), restart loans (omstartslån) for customers with payment remarks, and debt consolidation (samle gjeld) services. These are complemented by self-service tools including a loan calculator and informational resources such as the AI-generated Gjeldspodden podcast and financial advisory articles. The company acts as an intermediary between customers and partner specialist banks (Bank2, Bluestep, Kraft Bank, SVEA, Nordax, Balansebank, Instabank, Valley Bank), negotiating loan terms on behalf of clients and facilitating complete debt payoff and payment remark removal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gjeldspodden: A KI-generated podcast covering current financial topics such as lending regulations, payment remarks, and forced sales, produced by Varde Finans AS.
Products and services
- Refinansiering med pant i bolig (Refinancing with home equity)
Quantifiable outcome
- Customers save 4,000-6,000 NOK per month on average through refinancing
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Varde Finans AS
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Varde Finans AS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Varde Finans AS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Varde Finans AS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Resurs Bank: Nordic consumer and retail finance provider active in Norway, offering personal loans and refinancing. Comparable in non-prime consumer credit, though headquartered in Sweden.
Direct peers
- Lendo: Norwegian arm of the Schibsted-led Lendo loan comparison platform. Operates as a loan aggregator connecting borrowers to bank offers, directly comparable in intermediary/broker role and target customer.
- Sambla: Leading Nordic loan comparison and broker platform operating in Norway. Directly comparable business model of aggregating consumer loan demand and routing to multiple lenders, with similar commission-based revenue.
- Zmarta: Nordic personal loan comparison and brokerage service active in Norway. Directly comparable in aggregating loan demand and earning commission on routed offers, with overlapping consumer target.
- Axo Finans: Norwegian loan broker specializing in refinancing and debt consolidation, including customers with payment remarks. Closest niche overlap with Varde Finans's restart-loan focus.
Broad incumbents
- Bluestep Bank: Norwegian specialist bank focused on customers with payment remarks and non-standard income. Comparable in serving the same distressed-borrower segment, but functions as the lender rather than intermediary.
- Svea Bank: Nordic specialist bank offering restart loans and refinancing to Norwegian homeowners with complex financial situations. Comparable product set and customer profile as Varde's partner lenders.
- Instabank: Norwegian digital bank offering personal loans and refinancing. Comparable as a partner lender in Varde's network and as a specialist in non-prime consumer credit.
- Kraft Bank ASA: Parent company and a specialist Norwegian bank focusing on customers with complex financial situations. Overlaps in target customer and product offering (restart loans, refinancing) but operates as the underlying lender rather than a pure broker.
- Nordax Bank: Nordic specialist lender for personal loans and refinancing. Comparable in targeting underserved credit customers and offering restart-loan products through Varde's network.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Varde Finans AS social profiles
Digital presenceVarde Finans AS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Varde Finans AS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Varde Finans AS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Varde Finans AS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Varde Finans AS
What does Varde Finans AS do?
Varde Finans AS is an independent loan broker that helps Norwegian homeowners consolidate multiple expensive consumer loans, credit cards, and collection cases into a single mortgage-secured loan with lower interest rates. As a subsidiary of Kraft Bank ASA, the company negotiates with multiple partner specialist banks (Bank 2, Bluestep, Nordax, Svea, Balansebank, Instabank, Valley Bank) on behalf of customers rejected by traditional banks due to payment remarks or debt issues. The full-service offering includes application handling, bank negotiations, BankID-secured signing, debt payoff coordination, and payment remark removal, with no cost to the customer — the company is compensated via commission from the selected partner bank.
Is Varde Finans AS a public or private company?
Varde Finans AS is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Varde Finans AS founded?
Varde Finans AS was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Varde Finans AS based?
Varde Finans AS is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Varde Finans AS make money?
One revenue line is on record: commission from Partner Banks.
Who are Varde Finans AS's main competitors?
Resurs Bank is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Lendo, Sambla, Zmarta and Axo Finans. Broad incumbents are Bluestep Bank, Svea Bank, Instabank, Kraft Bank ASA and Nordax Bank.
Does Varde Finans AS have an API?
No public API is recorded for Varde Finans AS.
What industry is Varde Finans AS in?
Varde Finans AS's product category is Loan Brokerage / Debt Consolidation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAIAD, Multi-Loan / Multi-Creditor Consolidation Loans, with a secondary code of FSAEAFAI, Collections & Creditor Negotiation Support (Debtor-Side). Its NAICS code is 52231 and its SIC code is 6163.