About us
We invest in early-stage tech startups in the Nordic, typically pre-seed and seed
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We are a founder friendly Venture Capital investor with a primary focus on early-stage tech companies.
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We invest in the best founders with great ambitions, following our investment method HERO+ and CORE+
HERO+High Growth Potential, Executing Power, Reaction of the Market and Opportunity Size.
CORE+
Commercial Criteria, Opportunity Size, Reaction of the Market and Executing Power.
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Meet expert advisorsPrepare for expansion
Join our community of talents
Access global network and capital
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It all started in 2015…
TheFactory was founded in 2015 as an accelerator and incubator, with the first accelerator program in 2016. The mission was at the time to accelerate and to invest in Nordic early-stage fintech and insurtech startups. Even though fintech accounted for over 11% of total capital invested in the Nordics in 2016, there was not a fintech oriented accelerator programs in Norway.
TheFactory Accelerator positioned itself as the first Norwegian fintech accelerator that ran a 3-months program where startups received pre-seed funding, thorough startup methodology training, help from a pool of experienced mentors, and had a unique opportunity to meet key corporate players from the financial industry.
In 2017 TheFactory Accelerator was awarded “The Best Accelerator Program in Norway” by Nordic Startup Awards. In 2019, TheFactory received the same award - not only for Norway - but was awarded Best Accelerator / Incubator Program in Nordics” by Nordic Startup Awards, and will in 2020 compete against similar programs from other parts of the world in Global Startup Awards.
In addition to that, TheFactory’s CEO Ingar S. Bentsen was awarded “Ecosystem Hero of 2019” for his contribution and efforts to the Norwegian entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Who are TheFactory Angels? TheFactory Angels, formerly known as FintechAngels, are a group of private investors with an appetite for fintech and proptech startups. By joining forces with an investment company to invest in the best fintech and proptech companies that come through TheFactory's accelerator programs.
For each accelerator program, a new investment company (ie TheFactory Angels I - VII) will be set up to which external investors are invited to participate. The investment companies are managed by TheFactory AS - the company behind TheFactory Accelerator & Incubator. TheFactory AS has a 22.5% ownership interest in the respective investment companies.
Investors in TheFactory Angels are angel and early-stage investors who share a common goal of helping entrepreneurs and startups accelerate forward, while making good, value-adding investments. So far, 60+ investors have invested in TheFactory Angels companies!
In later years we have established AIF registered fund TheFactory Norway Fund and TheFactory Sportstech Fund .
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💥 3 exits
🚀 Accelerated 500 + startups in total
🪙 Invested in 56 + startups
😇 200+ Investor network
💡250+ mentors and experts
Our funds
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Fund type: AIF
Investment Sector: Sportstech
Fund Size: TBA
Follow-on: 50-70%Fase: Fundrasing until Q4 2024
TheFactory Sportstech Fund -
Evergreen fund
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Fund type: AIF
Investment Sector: Fintech, Proptech, Retailtech and impact
Fund Size: 16.37 MNOK
Follow-on: 50%
Fase: fully invested 17 companies
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Fund type: Angel Investments via SPV
Investment Sector: Fintech and Proptech
Fase: Fully Invested
Investment Team
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Ingar S. Bentsen
CEO THEFACTORY
CHAIRMAN THEFACTORY ASSET MANAGEMENT
Ingar@thefactory.noIngar established TheFactory in 2015, and has since the start been responsible for raising capital to TheFactory’s investment companies: TheFactory Angels I -VIII, as well as serving as Chairman. In 2019 he received the “Ecosystem Hero of the Year” award from Nordic Startup Awards for his work in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Norway.
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Marte Rise
CEO THEFACTORY ASSET MANAGEMENT
Marte holds an MSc in Business Analytics and is passionate about the intersection of technology and business. Together with TheFactory, she holds experience investing in 19 early-stage startups and advises 50+ on fundraising strategy.
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Pia Merkesdal
COO THEFACTORY
Pia has been involved in the startups and development of companies since 2002, such as 123Tele, Mobizzand worked inNetnordicNorway until the beginning of the year 2017/18 she started as Head of Administration at TheFactory. TheFactory is the Nordic region's leading fintech and proptech accelerator and incubator, and since 2015 has accelerated more than 50 companies from the Nordic region.
We are here to support and leverage on own founder experiences
The founders Ingar Bentsen and Co-founder Hans Christian Bjørne
Awards