We have recently written about the top tech startups in Finland and Sweden and now it is time for introducing some of the top tech startups in Norway, which borders both countries. As a sovereign and unitary monarchy, the Kingdom of Norway does not stay behind its fellow Scandinavians regarding tech startup successes. Here are some of the best tech startups in Norway listed in no particular order:

1- Stay.com 

Available in 150 cities with 3,000 guides used by 2,000 locals in 30,000 venues, Stay.com helps urban travelers create personalized itineraries for their holidays. “Stay.com is for the discerning and savvy traveler – one who values quality over price, charm over fame, and originality over formula. With the insight of local experts, Stay.com travelers enjoy adventurous food, pulsating nightlife, cutting edge art, cozy cafés and independent shops. We show you cities through the local’s eyes,” according to the app’s official website.

Founded in 2009, part of Stay.com team are Asgeir Hoem (CEO), Wei Zhuo (CTO), Claudia Menger, Alexander Makarov, Andrew Gubanov, Gurudutt Verma, Ariana Hendrix, and Leah Plotz.

 

2- bSafe

Described as the easiest way to get help by BBC, bSafe has managed to become very successful safety platform not only in Europe, but in the entire world. Among the many awards bSafe has won are TiE Midwest, Mobile Premier Award, The Rosing Prize, and The Bully Award which were all won by bSafe in 2010.

“bSafe Has Saved Lives. With a wave of sexual assault cases hitting the capital of Norway, bSafe became the natural companion for many women. Users have reported that bSafe has functioned as an effective deterrent, scaring away attackers and allowing emergency personnel to arrive promptly. bSafe is also becoming greatly popular among men, as well. Many use the app while working or exercising alone,” according to bSafe.

Most recently bSafe has won the Red Herring Global 100 as well as red Herring Europe Top 100 in 2012,  the Rookie of the Year award and the Always OnMobile award in 2013.

 

3- Kahoot 

Known for its great education system, it is understandable that a Norwegian tech startup dedicated to take learning to a whole new level has been developed.

Free game-based learning platform Kahoot was launched in August 2013 and it is now available in 180 countries helping students as well as teachers enjoy learning and teaching respectively and strive to learn even more. Played by more than 50 million people from all over the world, Kahoot! has become a must-have app for a lot of people. Easy to use, this app also offers its user the opportunity to create and design their own learning game.

 

4- Aspiro 

Media technology company Aspiro is focused on redefining music consumption. Headquartered in Norway, Aspiro was founded by Jörgen Adolfsson, Christer Månsson and Klas Hallqvist in 1998.  Being in the market for quite a long time, Aspiro has been striving for success every year that has passed by. With additional offices in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Poland, the company which provides music streaming services under WiMP Music and Tidal brands, managed to reach 500,000 subscribers by the end of December 2014.

“The Aspiro Group aims to be the leader in providing world-class music entertainment through content and technology. Our vision is based on the following key principles: Access: Delivering the best music entertainment service across multiple devices and platforms, ranging from mobile phones to the user’s living room, Quality: Providing the best quality sound and music experience to our customers and Audience: Helping music content to reach its global audience,” according to the company.

Aspiro was acquired on March 13, 2015 by Project Panther Bidco Ltd (owned by Jay Z) after receiving a $56 million takeover bid. Within itself Aspiro has acquired various companies including Midab Data, InfoCreator, Mgage Systems, Picofun, Melody Interactive Solutions, Emode, Cellus, Inpoc, Boomi, Mobile Avenue, Rubberduck, Voolife, Mobile Entry, etc.

 

5- Unacast 

Number one platform used to connect beacons and other proximity sensors to online marketing platforms Unacast so far has 1.4 million beacons worldwide. The company collects and harmonizes proximity data for some of the largest proximity solution providers all over the world.

“The retailer, brand or proximity company always fully controls the usage rights to the proximity data. Personal data is never shared. Unacast PROX is a robust system, built with privacy at the core of its design from day one. Unacast always maintains the highest standards for handing data privacy, security and data ownership,” according to Unacast official website.

Regarding growth and fragmentation, according to Unacast, there are currently more than 350 proximity companies all over the world. By 2020, it is expected that these 350+ companies (the number of which will increase even more), will deploy over 400 million beacons, which are considered by many as the future of advertising.

 

6- Xeneta 

Aiming to keep on transforming global logistics, Xeneta has raised raised 8.5 million dollars since it was first launched in 2012. Among its investors are Creandum, Alliance Venture, Point nine Capital, etc.  

“At Xeneta we believe there is an untapped potential for everyone in the industry, to systematically learn from our individual and collective efforts. We hold true that "if you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it". That’s why we think actionable metrics is the key to continuously evolve for every business, and ultimately the entire industry. Rethinking global logistics is the vision of Xeneta,” according to the Official website of Xeneta.

With a lot of  international experience, the company managed to increase the number of their customers by 280% in 2015, which consequently helped them increase their revenue by 230%. Headquartered in Oslo, Xeneta also increased their team by 141% in 2015 and  increased their pricing data coverage by over 70%. The company's services are used in six continents.

 

These were just some of the top tech startups in Norway. Soon there will be a part two of this article, so stay tuned!

 Image Source: louisianaconsularcorps.com