Tonje’s Take: From Oslo to New York: Climate Tech First
Oslo and the Nordics cannot afford to let climate slip down the agenda. We must lead.
One thing is clear: the urgency of the climate crisis isn’t going away. Both globally and in Norway, climate has slipped down on the political agenda. Next week is Norway’s parliamentary election, and the discussion in the run up has been about tax, tax, tax. Taxes and good conditions for entrepreneurs and investors are of course important. But they must go hand in hand with policies that enable growth capital and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis.
At Oslo Business Region, we’re working to bridge public and private markets. For us, climate tech remains the most important area where Nordic startups can make a global difference. Oslo has taken a strong stance on climate, and we believe the city and the Nordics must take a leading role.
We have the foundation: renewable energy, ocean industries, and some of the world’s most sustainable cities. On top of this, breakthroughs are emerging in offshore wind, carbon capture, hydrogen, and circular business models. The Nordics are uniquely positioned to become the global hub for next-generation climate solutions. It’s no coincidence The Drop, the largest climate tech conference for startups and investors, takes place here.
We also see Nordic climate tech investors taking a clear role in shaping the European market. Funds such as Norrsken VC, Greencode Ventures, Climentum Capital, and Sandwater are building strong portfolios across energy, industry, and mobility. Public funds like Nysnø, Tesi, Almi Invest Greentech and EIFO provide critical early-stage backing and co-investment.
From Oslo to New York
That’s why we’re heading to New York Climate Week: to showcase that the Nordics are a leading source of investable climate tech. From Denmark’s Klimate, rapidly scaling carbon removal credit platforms, to Sweden’s Flower, transforming energy grid management, Finland’s ICEYE, delivering real-time climate monitoring via satellite, and Norway’s Skyfri, optimising solar and storage assets through software.
What I’m most looking forward to is meeting investors and founders from around the world and bringing back insights that can strengthen our work with climate tech in Oslo. The Nordics have a real opportunity to position themselves as a global hub for climate tech but achieving that requires working internationally and learning from the best. I’m also excited to host a Nordic LP dinner with our partners at Helsinki Partners, together with the Finnish and Norwegian Consulates, showcasing the strong collaboration across the region. In addition, we are partnering with Super Climate NY to build stronger bridges between the Nordics and the global climate tech ecosystems.
The message is simple: Oslo and the Nordics cannot afford to let climate slip down the agenda. We must lead.
