Validé Haugesundregionen

What Validé Haugesundregionen does

Validé Haugesundregionen AS is a Haugesund, Norway-based non-profit business incubator founded in 2010 (originally as Ipark Haugesundregionen AS) that supports early-stage entrepreneurs, regional businesses, and angel investors across the Haugalandet and Rogaland regions. It is owned 50% by Validé AS (the parent national network), 34% by Rogaland Ressurssenter AS, and 16% by Norce Innovation AS, and operates under a 10-year, 70 million NOK operating contract awarded in 2022 by SIVA and Rogaland Fylkeskommune after ranking 4th of 46 national applicants. Core services include a 2-3 year incubator program with pre-incubation, one-on-one business development advisory, structured competence courses (Emisjonskurs at 15,000 NOK, Styrepuls at 15,000 NOK, B2B Branding og Bærekraft at 18,000 NOK, Pitch Perfekt, ITSA Growth/Start, GründerAcademy), and public-funding navigation support (Innovasjon Norge, SKAPE, SkatteFUNN).

The organization runs the Connect BAN Stord/Haugesund Business Angel Network, manages the Karmøy Næringsfond on behalf of Karmøy Municipality, and administers the Validé Invest I/II/III fund family — with Validé Invest III achieving a 40 million NOK first closing in December 2025 backed by seven regional investors. Distribution is relationship-based: inbound inquiries are screened (approximately 100 business ideas evaluated per year), the most promising are admitted to the incubator (~10 per year, 10-15 active at any time), and services are delivered through personalized advisory plus events and courses at the Haugesund headquarters and partner venues. Since 2016, incubator portfolio companies have collectively raised 1,610 million NOK, with 580 million NOK raised by 13 companies in 2024 alone. Svein Dalva was appointed Managing Director in October 2025, succeeding Rikke Lønning (2023-2025) and Åse Tveit Samdal (2015-2023). Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the organization operates without proprietary technology products.

Name

Validé Haugesundregionen

Legal name

Validé Haugesundregionen AS

Website

https://validehaugesund.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Validé Haugesundregionen is a non-profit business incubator based in Haugesund, Norway, providing 2-3 year incubation programs, one-on-one advisory, competence courses, and capital access to early-stage entrepreneurs and regional businesses across Haugalandet and Rogaland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation and Startup Advisory Services

NAICS

Open-End Investment Funds (525910)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Business incubation services
• Startup advisory programs
• Venture capital access
• Angel investor networks
• Entrepreneur competence courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Haugesund

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. Driftsfinansiering / Operating Funding: Validé Haugesundregionen receives operational funding from Rogaland Fylkeskommune, SIVA, and municipalities (Karmøy, Haugesund, Tysvær). This forms the foundation for their non-profit incubator services.
2. Course and Competence Programs: Revenue generated from educational programs including Emisjonskurs (15,000 NOK), Styrepuls (15,000 NOK), B2B Branding og Bærekraft (18,000 NOK), and Pitch Perfekt. 75% innovation support discount available for incubator companies.
3. Fund Management - Karmøy Næringsfond: Validé Haugesundregionen manages Karmøy Næringsfond on behalf of Karmøy Municipality, providing investment capital to small and medium enterprises in the municipality.
4. Investments through Validé Invest Funds: Validé Invest I, II, and III funds invest in early-stage companies. Validé Invest III had first closing at 40 million NOK and includes participation from regional investors including Haugaland Kraft, Bømmelfjord, Sparebankstiftelsen SR-Bank, Stavanger kommune, Lyse Vekst, and Smedvig.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Validé Haugesundregionen operates a regional business incubator and accelerator that evaluates roughly 100 new business ideas annually, selects promising ones for a 2-3 year milestone-based incubator program with one-on-one advisory, and connects portfolio companies to early-stage capital through its own and partner-managed funds. It complements the incubator with fee-based competence programs (capital raising, board work, branding, pitching), an angel investor network, and a municipal investment fund.

Product overview

Validé Haugesundregionen operates as an incubator and business development organization providing a portfolio of interconnected services for startups and growth companies. The core offering is the Inkubatorprogram (incubator program) with pre-incubation phase, supplemented by targeted competence programs including Emisjonskurs for capital raising, Styrepuls for board development, B2B Branding og Bærekraft for brand strategy, Pitch Perfekt for presentation skills, and the accelerator programs ITSA Growth and ITSA Start. Additional services include personal consulting, capital introduction through Connect BAN and Karmøy Næringsfond, innovation support with 75% discounts, competence brokerage via FORREGION, and assistance with public funding schemes. The GründerAcademy provides free support for concept-phase entrepreneurs. These offerings work together as a comprehensive ecosystem supporting companies from ideation through growth phases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inkubatorprogram (Incubator Program) Milestone-based 2-3 year program providing 1-on-1 consulting, business plan development, market assessments, investor preparation and access to networks for entrepreneurs and growth-stage companies with innovation height and growth potential.
• Pre-inkubasjon (Pre-Incubation) Pre-incubation agreement for ideas with innovation height and growth potential, allowing further development of the idea, business model exploration and goal setting with immediate access to all incubator benefits.
• Emisjonskurs (Capital Raising Course) Intensive A-to-Z capital raising course covering financial strategy, investor preparation, valuation, cap tables, due diligence, term sheets, shareholder agreements and execution of capital rounds for early-stage and growth companies.
• Styrepuls (Board Competence Program) Board competence program for early-stage and growth companies covering board duties, strategic development, risk management, compliance, capital raising and board composition.
• B2B Branding og Bærekraft (B2B Branding and Sustainability)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,610 million NOK raised by incubator companies since 2016
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Connect BAN Stord/HaugesundcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Business Angel Network facilitated by Validé Haugesundregionen. The group meets regularly to receive presentations of new cases with the goal of finding, financing, and advising early-stage companies from initial presentation to successful exit. Companies should have pre-money valuation up to 20 million NOK with capital needs of 1-5 million NOK.
• Hagland FinansminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJubilee partner offering accounting, administration and advisory services with special solutions for startup and early-stage companies. Part of 100,000 NOK service package for new incubator companies.
• Fremje ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJubilee partner offering strategic advisory, policy and communication services. Part of 100,000 NOK service package for new incubator companies.
• TadaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJubilee partner - creative communication agency with departments in Haugesund and Stord delivering advertising and communication services. Part of 100,000 NOK service package.
• Deloitte AdvokatfirmaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJubilee partner with local offices in Haugesund offering commercial legal services and tax advisory. Part of 100,000 NOK service package.
• Håmsø PatentbyråminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJubilee partner - one of Norway's leading advisory firms in intellectual property rights (IP/IPR), and the only patent office with headquarters in Rogaland. Part of 100,000 NOK service package.
• MarketyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJubilee partner specializing in communication, branding and technology. Helps businesses build digital products and services and strengthen digital presence. Part of 100,000 NOK service package.
• Level PersonalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJubilee partner - recruitment agency specializing in finding managers and key personnel for private and public enterprises. Leading actor in South-West Norway. Part of 100,000 NOK service package.
• SkarpsinnminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJubilee partner - communication agency consisting of strategic advisors, business developers and creators. Offices in Haugesund, Stavanger and Oslo. Part of 100,000 NOK service package.
• SuccessionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJubilee partner advisory service for couples, families and friends doing business together. Offers follow-up in transitions for families and businesses regarding legal, financial and interpersonal questions. Part of 100,000 NOK service package.
• Validé AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company owning 50% of Validé Haugesundregionen AS. Part of national Validé network providing access to national and international innovation environments.
• Rogaland Ressurssenter AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwner of 34% of Validé Haugesundregionen AS. Regional resource center for business innovation, restructuring, growth and development.
• Norce Innovation AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwner of 16% of Validé Haugesundregionen AS. Research and innovation company.
• NameAbrandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration partner for strategic name development webinar. Tove Pharo Ronde, founder and name developer, provided masterclass on choosing company, product or concept names.
• AthenominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration partner for internationalization webinar. Ketil Wig was the presenter for the webinar organized jointly by Validé Haugesundregionen and Atheno.
• NHO Service og HandelstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerKLAR Kompetanse partnered with NHO Service og Handel to develop and test a new industry standard for training in food and meal services. Pilot launched with national kick-off at NHO in Oslo.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• StartupLab: Oslo-based early-stage accelerator and coworking space. Comparable as a Norwegian incubator offering capital introduction, founder education, and investor networks, though at a larger scale and serving the broader Norwegian startup ecosystem.
• Kunnskapsparken Helgeland: Norwegian regional knowledge park / incubator structure serving the Helgeland region. Comparable as a SIVA-funded regional incubation entity with similar operating model (advisory, networks, public funding dependency) but serving a different Norwegian geography.
• Validé Stavanger: Sibling incubator within the Validé network serving the Stavanger region of Rogaland. Operates the same incubator model under shared SIVA funding, with overlapping portfolio, shared Validé Invest funds, and directly competing for the same Rogaland entrepreneur pool.
• Aleap: Norway's leading health-tech incubator based in Oslo. Comparable in structure (incubator, network access, investor connections), with a more specialized vertical focus (health/medtech) and larger Oslo-based ecosystem.
• Validé AS: Parent organization of Validé Haugesundregionen (50% owner). Operates the broader Validé national incubator/accelerator network in Norway, including ITSA Growth and ITSA Start programs that Validé Haugesundregionen leverages. Most directly comparable peer given shared brand, methodology, and capital platform.

Others

• Innovasjon Norge: Norwegian government's national innovation agency. Provides funding schemes (including establishment grants and SkatteFUNN tax credits) that Validé Haugesundregionen navigates clients toward. Acts as both a partner (referral channel) and a competing funding source for the same entrepreneur pool.
• Connect BAN (national network): Norwegian Business Angel Network umbrella organization. Parent framework for the Connect BAN Stord/Haugesund network that Validé Haugesundregionen operates; provides regional angel networks across Norway with similar deal-screening, presentation, and capital-introduction mechanics.
• SIVA (Selskapet for industrivekst SF): Norwegian government enterprise that owns and funds the national incubator infrastructure, including Validé Haugesundregionen. Provides both the operating funding and the framework for all 46 national incubator applicants — making SIVA both a primary funder and the broader operator of the competitive landscape.

Regional players

• Rogaland Ressurssenter AS: Regional resource center for business innovation holding 34% of Validé Haugesundregionen. Provides adjacent innovation, restructuring, and growth advisory services in Rogaland, overlapping with but not directly competing against the incubator's early-stage focus.
• Norce Innovation AS: Research and innovation company holding 16% of Validé Haugesundregionen. Comparable as a regional innovation actor in Rogaland with university/research ties that complement (rather than directly compete with) the incubator's commercial startup support role.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/svein-dalva-33481386
• Facebookfacebook.com/validehaugesundregionen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Validé Haugesundregionen