Product Prodigies Calling for Go-to-Market Geniuses

Oslo’s got everything it takes to become a top spot for startups. Sure, funding and talent are strong.But the real magic’s in what money can’t buy — trust, balance, and a community that’s truly invested in your success.

Ulrikke Lien (Sensorita), Viral Shah (Databutton), and Abbey Lin (Fortifai) are three ambitious founders scaling their companies out of Oslo. Read on to hear how Norway’s strong product-building skills are so sharp, some  had customers before they even launched. Plus why a bit of North American hustle can level up your sales, and how Norway’s public system makes it surprisingly easy to build a company and start a family at the same time.

A small market that demands global thinking from day one

Norway doesn’t have the customer volume or capital you’ll find in Germany or the US. And that’s exactly why founders here think global from day one. You’re building for the world, not just your backyard.

“I heard from our investors that one of the benefits of Norway is that the market is so small, so that we're forced to think outside of Norway from the get go,” Ulrikke says. She’s the founder of Sensorita, a company using AI-powered sensors to track waste container fill levels and locations. 

 Not ready to go global yet? Norway’s tight-knit ecosystem still offers unique advantages in the early stages of building:

“I think there's maybe one or two degrees of separation from everybody, which has positives and negatives. I would say the positive is a very trust based culture. Because of that network, it's easier to make it for sales and actually test your product to see if you can get paying customers,” Abbey Lin says. She’s the founder and CEO of Fortifai, a tool that simplifies a company’s ESG-process.

Brag better

Norwegian founders are great at building — now it’s time to get great at selling. Founder-led sales aren’t just a nice-to-have. They’re essential. 

No one knows the product, the vision, or the “why” like the founder does. 

But in Oslo, too many still hold back. Whether it’s “Janteloven” or just habit, it’s  time to break it. Brag better. Sell harder. Your product deserves the spotlight, and you’re the best one to put it there.

“I think that's one of the things you see in the Norwegian ecosystem now that has been so immature and small. And now, a couple of years ago, we finally started to get our first unicorns,” Urikke says. “Slowly, we're building our platform where we can learn from those who have succeeded, which didn't exist in Norway, like when we started out 4 or 5 years ago.”

Fast, simple, and family-friendly

Norway offers an easy and supportive environment for starting a company. Public funding from organisations like Innovation Norway helps early-stage companies test ideas, build MVPs, and explore new markets. 

“Administrative-wise, it's super easy to start a company in Norway. You know, everything is electronic and very fast. I think that part is good,” Abbey says. 

Burnout might be a badge of honour elsewhere, but not here. In Oslo, building a company doesn’t mean burning yourself out. The founders we spoke to are growing startups — and still making time for their kids, their partners, and their lives. Just ask Viral, who brought his daughter along for the ride. Proof that in Oslo, work-life balance isn’t just a buzzword. It’s real.

“It's not just that I can spend time with my daughter. It's also that my wife can work and do the things that are important to her as well, outside of just being a parent,” Viral shares. He’s the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Databutton, an AI-powered platform that lets users build and deploy custom web apps without coding. 

And it’s not just him. Startup teams here are beginning to adopt more people-first policies, like offering extra time off, making startup life more sustainable and attractive for top talent. 

“What we did at Sensorita is that we implemented one extra day off every month. We have a sensory day, which is the final Friday of every month,” Ulrikke adds. Something that in a Silicon Valley context would be unthinkable. That’s  +1 for Norway. 

International investment is critical

Even though the local environment is strong for early development, scaling a startup usually means looking beyond Norway. Not just for customers, but for capital too. And that’s where networking really comes in. Founders say events like  Oslo Innovation Week or Slush in Helsinki are where the real conversations start.  

“One of our investors, Maki, based in Helsinki, we met him at Oslo Innovation Week,” Viral explains. 

“We met our investor at Slush. We were sitting in watching pitches. I started talking to the guy next to me. That was one of them. So it really shows the value of having those

physical events where you can connect in person,” Ulrikke adds. 

For deep tech and sustainability startups, international capital isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. These sectors need bigger investments and investors who know their stuff.

“I believe Oslo can truly establish itself as the European green tech capital. Many investors already view Oslo this way, and I think we should double down on that,” Ulrikke says. 

Forget “emerging.” Oslo’s already proving it can lead on climate. With the energy transition heating up and ESG no longer optional, the world’s looking to cities that actually walk the talk. Norway’s capital is one of them — where policy, people, and purpose collide to build green solutions that scale.

Stop hiding. Start showing up

If Norwegian startups want global capital and traction, they need to act like global players. That means telling the world what you’re building, loud and clear — not waiting to be discovered. Grab the mic. Spark a conversation. Make the ask.

“The investor network in Norway is small, and it is difficult for founders to reach investors outside of Norway. In general, this makes Norwegian companies less equipped to handle international competition, both because our round sizes are smaller and our networks more limited,” Ulrikke shares. 

Norway offers a unique combination of strengths: technical talent, social stability, ease of doing business, and increasing international visibility. For founders who are ready to sell early, think globally, and push their ambition, the country is becoming a great place to build from.