Ready for growth or investors? New cohorts start in the spring of 2027

Twenty companies are halfway through the two readiness programs. New cohorts will begin in the first half of 2027, and you can already express your interest.

Image: Tyler Moersch is a mentor in the Business Readiness program. Photo: Andreas Østrem Amdal

The programs are hands-on. Participants work on their own companies from the very first session, and whatever they develop along the way, they take with them moving forward.

“If an investor is to become interested in your case, the inner workings of the company must be in order. In Business Readiness, we work on the internal mechanisms that need to be in place. Once those are in place, Investor Readiness helps you make the company investable,” says Inger Hanne Vikshåland, who has led the development of the program.

Is your organization ready to become the company you’re trying to build?

Everything is important, roles are unclear, sales are inconsistent, and cash flow is unpredictable. Does this sound familiar? In the Business Readiness program, mentors work alongside companies that want to position themselves for growth.

Strategy, leadership, financial management, sales, and marketing are key topics in the program. Companies also review ownership structure, holding companies, shareholder agreements, and board governance to ensure the legal foundation can withstand growth and future due diligence. After completing the program, you’ll have a playbook for your own company. It brings together your business model, organization, finances, legal framework, sales process, and key metrics all in one place.

Image: Trude Marit Risnes during the Business Readiness workshop. Photo: Andreas Amdal Østrem

Trude Marit Risnes is one of the mentors in the program and leads the workshop on leadership, culture, and growth.

“We expect entrepreneurs and leaders to be passionate about their idea and the problem they’re solving, but they must be just as passionate about making money. Otherwise, the company won’t survive,” Risnes tells the audience.

She talks about focusing on a few priorities, identifying the skills the company lacks before recruiting, and defining clear roles and responsibilities. The companies work on their own businesses and discuss in groups and in plenary sessions to learn from one another.

Is your company attractive to investors?

In the Investor Readiness program, you’ll work alongside other entrepreneurs at the same stage as you to build a more investable version of your company. The mentors help participants see their companies through an investor’s eyes. What do investors notice that you don’t see?

Through four sessions, the companies receive help in becoming attractive to investors. By the end of the program, they have a structured data room, a list of potential investors, and a plan for raising capital.

IRP 2 Ann Kristin Pfrunder

Image: Ann-Kristin Pfründer at an Investor Readiness workshop. Photo: Andreas Østrem Amdal

Ann-Kristin Pfründer is one of the mentors in the Investor Readiness program. She has worked as an investor herself and has helped scale companies such as Too Good To Go. She brings experience, a network, and expertise that are highly valuable to companies seeking to raise capital. Pfründer led the workshop on fundraising strategy.

“A round of funding with new investors takes at least 6–8 months from the start of preparations until the money is in the account. During this process, it’s challenging to maintain momentum in sales and product development, so the goal is to make it as short as possible,” Pfründer advises the companies.

She also shares examples from her own experience. One company entered a large list of investors into HubSpot and sent out about 100 automated emails, without securing a single meeting. Her advice is to prioritize investors who are a good fit for the company’s case and to secure warm introductions from someone the investor knows.

Designed for Collaborative Learning

“The dynamics of these sessions are very exciting. Participants bring their own experiences into the discussion with the group and the mentors. They help each other see opportunities in one another’s solutions, and that’s when the cluster effect kicks in,” says Vikshåland.

In both programs, the companies also have one-on-one meetings with the mentors between sessions, where they receive guidance specific to their own company.

Which program is right for you?

– You’ll get the most out of the program when the topics align with the phase your company is currently in. If you plan to raise capital within the next 6–12 months, Investor Readiness is the right choice. If not, it’s too early, says Vikshåland.

Both programs run for eight weeks, and participants spend 10–15 hours a week working on their own companies. The programs are open to everyone, both members and non-members of Nordic Edge. The market price is 60,000 kroner. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) pay 15,000 kroner, and Innovation Norway covers the rest through the cluster program.

In the spring of 2027, we will launch new cohorts for both Business Readiness and Investor Readiness. We have room for 8–10 companies in each cohort. Express your interest here. If you have any questions, please contact Inger Hanne Vikshåland at or your cluster manager.