– The biggest challenge is procurement market fit. That means not just having a product that’s ready, tested, and good to go, but ensuring that the market you’re entering or the customers you’re targeting are able to buy the product or service, explains Johnny Alexander Gunneng, CEO of Infotiles.
He talks about helping customers with procurement, identifying thresholds and potential barriers that might obstruct an agreement, and that this is a crucial part of the sales process.
– What you’re selling might be fantastic, but if the customer isn’t ready to buy—meaning they’ve not prepared for the actual purchase—the product alone won’t be enough. You need to understand the procurement phase and how important it is, he says, continuing:
– Here’s where Nordic Edge plays an important role as an intermediary and neutral ground. Nordic Edge can assist in establishing the necessary dialogue between seller and buyer—without it merely turning into a direct sales pitch.
For companies, it can be difficult to establish dialogue without it being perceived as a sales pitch. In these situations, Nordic Edge can serve as a neutral third party, making introductions and asking the right questions without focusing on sales but on problem solving for both parties, Emilie Christensen, funding and internationalisation manager at Nordic Edge explains, and continues:
– Creating these dialogues highlights one of our most important roles: being the connection between private and public collaboration.
With Nordic Edge, there’s someone that helps you see the bigger picture, argues Johnny Alexander. Time is a scarce resource, and merely obtaining an overview of various business opportunities is time-consuming. Johnny Alexander emphasises that although Nordic Edge facilitates, it is ultimately up to the companies themselves to deliver.
– We can help to build an ecosystem within our own niche, but it doesn’t happen automatically. We know where the pressure points are, and Nordic Edge knows who we should be talking to. The combined effect can be significant, says Johnny Alexander.
Bilde: Infotiles-teamet på stand.
– Infotiles analyses water and wastewater networks. Nobody sees the water networks, but they are an essential part of our lives, states Johnny Alexander, adding:
– We want to be the “source of truth” for water. Our goal is for world leaders and decision-makers to use our tools.
It might sound lofty, but the idea is quite simple: water and wastewater systems are used every hour, every day, all year round. Like all infrastructure, municipalities need to carry out maintenance frequently. It’s desirable that work is minimally disruptive to residents and that costs are as low as possible.
And this is no easy task when you can’t see what needs to be done. Everything is underground.
– That’s why we’ve developed a smart analysis tool utilising artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. With InfoTiles, you’ll receive concrete information about where maintenance is needed or water leaks are present. Instead of excavating and replacing large sections that might not have been necessary, you can focus on the specific part or pipe.
What previously took 8-12 months for 3-4 engineers to map out can now be done in just 4 minutes.
– We use existing data and perform millions of simulations. As we gather more data, it becomes easier and more robust to conduct new analyses for other municipalities and waterworks, concludes Johnny Alexander.
The idea developed gradually between Pedja Bihor and Johnny Alexander. Both were parents of young children when InfoTiles was founded.
– We wanted to create something lasting and meaningful—something that could leave a positive legacy and that we could be proud to show our children, says Johnny Alexander.
Together, they explored possibilities within the smart city segment, aiming to build something scalable and truly impactful. Over time, they narrowed their focus to water and infrastructure, an area with a clear need and significant societal relevance.
As the idea matured, they enlisted several talented individuals, including Magne and Marco. They shared a common drive: to build something sustainable and forward-thinking for future generations.
Even though the solution is focused on water and wastewater, the same analytical tool can be applied in other sectors.
– We do this for Lnett and maintenance of the electricity and power networks. Simply because we’ve developed a versatile tool that can be adapted to any infrastructure.
Lnett is planning to build more power grids over the next 10-15 years than they’ve done in the previous 100. Tools that help them make sound decisions will save both time and money.
– If you are a company like ours embarking on major changes in infrastructure and urban planning, it is invaluable to have a neutral party helping you build networks and identify the obstacles ahead, says Johnny Alexander.
InfoTiles has been a member of Nordic Edge since 2018 and has, over time, become thoroughly familiar with the opportunities that come with being part of a cluster community. After many years as a member, Johnny Alexander believes that InfoTiles has also been able to help shape Nordic Edge according to their needs, and continues:
– It’s comparable to a gym membership—you cannot just pay for a membership and expect results. You have to actually show up and train.
And, crucially, you need to train the right way. If you only take Zumba classes, you’ll become good at Zumba, but if your goal was to train for deadlifts, Zumba alone won’t help. It makes a real difference to be part of a community where people have similar goals and are working in the same direction.”
The gym analogy is not new to Emilie, who points out that you can get tremendous value from being part of a cluster community, provided you use it effectively.
– We create meeting places and set the stage for you. We prepare you in advance and guide you in the right direction so your company is ready to pitch—but you have to step onto the stage yourself.