Do you want to go from "investment-ready" to "investor-ready"?
We are looking for companies with one common goal: to raise capital over the next year. Starting September 10, through the Investor Readiness program, these companies can become even more professional in their interactions with investors and learn to understand a world that is more complex than many realize.
From September 10:
- Four workshops covering relevant topics.
- Follow-up from experienced mentors between workshops.
- Access to templates and a document library.
- Guidance on setting up a structured data room.
- Group sessions with 8–10 companies at a similar stage.
– Are we focusing on the right things? Does your calendar reflect the goals you’ve set for your company?
This is how Jørn Haanæs, entrepreneur and investor, kicked off the first workshop, titled “The Get Real Show.” The session is intended as a reality check, a day to assess where the companies actually stand and get to know the others in the group.
Jørn has one key message he hopes participants will take away from the program:
– That they dare to tackle the problems that actually matter. When you’re running a startup, there’s always something urgent, and it’s painful to deal with it all the time. This can lead entrepreneurs to end up working on the more comfortable problems, not the biggest ones. For these eight companies, it’s about putting a capital plan in place. If they can do that, they’ll have a much better idea of what the problem is worth, and how they can make money and scale up.”
Round two starting September 10
Eight companies have already gone through the first round of Investor Readiness. Now we’re opening our doors to a new group of companies that want to be better equipped to raise capital.
Over the course of eight weeks, participants will gain the knowledge, tools, and coaching they need to prepare their company for investor meetings covering everything from strategy and storytelling to valuation, pitching, and the actual investor dialogue.
We’re now looking for companies that have ambitions for growth and are planning to raise capital. You don’t need to be ready for investors today - that’s exactly what the program is designed to help you become.
The next round starts on September 10, and we’re looking for companies that want to take the step from “we should start thinking about raising capital” to “we’re ready to meet with investors.”
– The best part is that we’ve gone into depth
For participants in the first round, the program has provided both concrete tools and new perspectives on what it takes to succeed in raising capital.
Sara Anne Fossum, CEO and founder of Vyve, particularly highlights how practical the program has been.
– The best part is that we’ve gone in-depth on specific elements like data rooms and term sheets.
But Investor Readiness is also about how the company is presented and positioned to potential investors. For Helene Birkeland, CEO and founder of Blizbi, the program led to a clear change in how she tells the company’s story.
– During this program, my narrative has changed significantly. I ’ve had a major shift in how I think about what it takes to be investable.
Thomas Brun Sunde, Chairman of the Board at Entrynote, highlights a deeper understanding of the investor landscape as a key takeaway.
– I’ve gained a better understanding of different types of investors and how they think. Now I’m more aware of which investors are a good fit for my company.
For John-Reidar Johansen, founder and CEO of Aionic, it’s also about understanding fundraising as a discipline in its own right.
– Fundraising is a discipline in its own right. Staying up to date on this field is crucial for attracting the right investors.
Photo: John-Reidar Johansen presents his company to the other participants
About Investor Readiness
Investor Readiness is a structured 8-week program for small and medium-sized companies planning to raise capital. The program helps you prepare your company for investor dialogue through concrete work on strategy, documentation, and execution. The goal is for you to be well-prepared when you meet with investors.
Trygve Meyer, head of the smart city cluster at Nordic Edge, articulates a classic challenge:
– Companies spend too much time building technology and solutions, and too little time on the difficult aspects: understanding the market, the company itself, scaling, and building a team—that’s where the focus needs to be, and that’s why we’ve developed this program.
The next Investor Readiness Program starts on September 10, 2026.
