What Aksello does

Aksello AS is a regional business incubator and development organization headquartered in Florø, Vestland county, Norway. Founded in 2003 and operating with 1–10 employees, it functions as the official business development apparatus (næringsapparat) for Flora municipality (Kinn kommune) under a partnership with SIVA, the Norwegian state-owned operator of innovation environments. The company delivers a portfolio of interconnected services: the Inkubatorprogrammet (incubator program for entrepreneurs and established businesses), the Næringshageprogrammet (a business garden program run jointly with Kunnskapsparken Vestland and Sunnfjord Utvikling), the Førstelinjeteneste (municipality's first-line advisory for business establishment), Møteplassar (networking events including Frukostsamling, Gründertreff, Kapitaldagen), and Kurs og Program (competency courses such as Økonomidagar, Grøn Vekst, CSRD). It also manages thematic development projects including Grønn Hub Fjord Base, Havvind, Energisenteret Florø, Studiesenter Kysten, and FloraU40.

Aksello's revenue model is a hybrid of public funding (SIVA, Kinn kommune, Vestland county) and modest program/event fees. The HAAV Sjømatkonferanse 2026, for instance, is priced at 2,650 NOK per attendee excluding VAT. Distribution is delivered through in-person advisory at the Florø headquarters and the Peak Florø co-location hub, event-based programming, and partner-mediated outreach across Vestland. Its customer base is a long-tail of early-stage founders and SMBs across diverse sectors — technology (Warpkode, Dimeq, Retrams, Dribe), maritime (Evoy), energy (Waveco), seafood/agriculture (Norwegian Seaweed Production), tourism (Explore 62 North, Fjord Waves), and retail (Vi:Ki). The company is not a technology product business; its competitive position rests on its government-backed regional mandate, embedded municipal relationships, and an alumni network that reinforces community-driven GTM motion.

Name

Aksello

Legal name

Aksello AS

Website

https://aksello.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aksello AS is a regional business incubator and development organization serving Flora municipality in Vestland county, Norway. Operating as a SIVA partner, it provides incubator programs, first-line business advisory, networking events, competency courses, and development projects to local entrepreneurs, startups, and SMBs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI)

Keywords

• Business incubation services
• Startup advisory services
• Entrepreneurship development programs
• Regional economic development
• Business networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Florø

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Incubator and Business Development Services: Aksello operates as a regional incubator providing advisory services, programs, and networking opportunities to startups and existing businesses. As a publicly-funded regional development organization, revenue appears to come from public funding, municipal support, and program fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aksello AS is a regional business incubator and business development organization (næringsapparat) for Flora municipality in Norway. It runs an incubator program for entrepreneurs and established companies with innovative business ideas, a Næringshage program in collaboration with regional partners, a first-line municipal advisory service for business establishment, networking meeting places, competency-building courses, and thematic development projects including ocean industry and offshore wind initiatives.

Product overview

Aksello AS is a regional incubator and business development organization (næringsapparat) for Flora municipality. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected services: the Incubator Program helps entrepreneurs and established businesses accelerate from idea to reality; the Næringshage Program provides business development support in collaboration with regional partners; Førstelinjeteneste serves as the municipality's first-line advisory service for business establishment; Møteplassar organizes networking events and meeting places; and Kurs og Program delivers competency-building courses and programs. Aksello also manages various development projects including Grønn Hub Fjord Base, Studiesenter Kysten, FloraU40, Energisenteret Florø, and Havvind. The organization has an alumni portfolio of companies it has supported, spanning technology, maritime, outdoor activities, food production, and other sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inkubatorprogrammet (Incubator Program) Incubator program for founders and established companies with innovative business ideas that accelerates the development from idea to reality through mentorship, business plan development, and access to networks and investors.
• Næringshageprogrammet (Business Garden Program) Business development program delivered in collaboration with Kunnskapsparken Vestland and Sunnfjord Utvikling providing support and resources for local business development and growth.
• Førstelinjeteneste (First-Line Service) Municipality's first-line advisory contact point offering guidance to individuals seeking to create their own workplaces through company establishment, regulatory advice, and business planning.
• Møteplassar (Networking Meeting Places) Organized networking events and meeting places where entrepreneurs, founders, and established businesses can build connections, including Frukostsamling breakfast gatherings, Gründertreffet founder meetings, Kapitaldagen capital day, and FoU-møter R&D meetings.
• Kurs og program (Courses and Programs) Tailored courses and programs to strengthen competence and professional development for local businesses, including Økonomidagar (economics days on key financial understanding and company valuation), Grøn Vekst (green growth program), CSRD courses, and onboarding workshops.
• Prosjekt (Development Projects) Various development projects established to ensure a foundation for innovation and business development, including Grønn Hub Fjord Base, Studiesenter Kysten, FloraU40, Energisenteret Florø, and Havvind (offshore wind).

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.

• SIVAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIVA (Selskapet for industriell utvikling) is Aksello's parent organization and regional partner. SIVA is a state-owned company that develops and operates innovation environments across Norway. As a SIVA partner, Aksello operates as the regional incubator for Flora municipality.
• Kunnskapsparken VestlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional knowledge park collaborating with Aksello on the Næringshage program and joint events such as Kapitaldagen (Capital Day).
• Sunnfjord UtviklingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Næringshage program and joint initiatives including the meeting about Sunnfjord regional development.
• Peak FlorøcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-location innovation hub where Aksello maintains office space and hosts the Frukostsamling breakfast meetings. Peak Florø serves as the physical center for Aksello's operations.
• Flora U40minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork promoting well-being and community (bulyst) in Florø and surrounding area. Aksello promotes Flora U40 activities on their platform.
• Laksens dagstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of the HAAV Sjømatkonferanse (seafood conference). Laksens dag is the salmon industry day initiative.
• Invest in FjordanestrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of the HAAV Sjømatkonferanse. Regional investment promotion organization.
• Vookal ASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital marketing agency collaborating with Aksello on a practical marketing course series in Florø for businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Hub for OceancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThematic hub focused on ocean industries. Collaborates with Aksello on courses and programs including onboarding workshops and R&D meetings.
• Kinn kommunecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality authority. Aksello is Flora kommune's business development apparatus (næringsapparat). Collaborates on professional gatherings with local businesses.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator operating structured mentorship-driven programs. Differs in scale and equity-based model but addresses the same founder customer segment (early-stage ventures seeking structured acceleration), representing an indirect competitive benchmark for Aksello's incubator.
• SIVA (Selskapet for industriell utvikling): Norwegian state-owned company that operates innovation and incubator environments nationwide. Aksello is one of many SIVA partner incubators; SIVA itself sits upstream as a national funder and network operator with a broader portfolio and mandate across all of Norway.
• Innovasjon Norge: Norwegian state instrument for innovation and business development, offering grants, advisory, and internationalization support. Competes for overlap in startup advisory services but at national scale with broader financial instruments unavailable to Aksello.

Direct peers

• Hub for Ocean: Thematic ocean-industry hub collaborating with Aksello on courses and onboarding workshops. Operates a comparable accelerator/incubation model focused on ocean-sector startups, providing thematic specialization Aksello leverages but does not own.
• Impact Hub Oslo: Norwegian Impact Hub franchise offering co-working, incubation, and community programs for impact-oriented entrepreneurs. Closely comparable operating model (co-location + programs + networking) targeting the same SMB/startup founder persona.
• Norinnova: Regional innovation company in Northern Norway providing incubator and business development services comparable to Aksello. Similar SIVA-aligned model serving regional entrepreneurs, with thematic focus on Arctic industries rather than ocean industries.
• Kunnskapsparken Vestland: Regional knowledge park in Vestland that co-delivers Aksello's Næringshage program and joint events like Kapitaldagen. Operates the same regional development and business incubation mandate, with overlapping service portfolio for entrepreneurs and SMBs in western Norway.
• Sunnfjord Utvikling: Regional development company in Sunnfjord that co-operates Aksello's Næringshage program. Highly comparable as a publicly-supported regional business development entity serving startups and existing businesses in neighboring western Norwegian municipalities.

Emerging players

• Forskningsparken (Oslo Science Park): Norwegian research and innovation park offering incubation, co-location, and startup programs. Similar service model (incubator + co-location) but focused on deep-tech and university-linked ventures in the Oslo region rather than Aksello's regional SMB mandate.

Regional players

• Startup Norway: Norwegian ecosystem organization supporting early-stage founders through programs, community, and connections. Overlaps with Aksello's startup community role but operates nationally rather than for a single municipality, and does not run a formal incubator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMRiHrBxfuAxqGXuo7XL_8Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/akselloas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aksello-as
• Instagraminstagram.com/aksello.no
• Xx.com/AkselloAS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Aksello