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StartupLab
StartupLab, co-founded by Per Einar Dybvik in 2012, runs a hybrid incubator-accelerator-venture platform that has backed over 185 Norwegian tech startups.
StartupLab
StartupLab opened in Oslo in 2012, founded by Per Einar Dybvik, an operator turned early-stage architect. The firm positions itself as a founder-first institution — not a pure venture fund — blending an on-site incubator for more than 100 active startups with a three-month accelerator sprint and a direct-investment arm, Startuplab Ventures. Its service layer includes workspace in Oslo and Bergen, mentorship from a network of former founders and corporate strategists, and industry-specific access tracks for energy, construction, fintech, AI, and hardware startups. Startuplab Ventures writes pre-seed and seed checks into Norwegian and Nordic technology companies, often before institutional venture rounds. The program has backed more than 185 portfolio companies since inception, with density in enterprise software, fintech, AI/ML, climate tech, energy transition, and construction tech. The accelerator component compresses go-to-market and scaling work into a three-month sprint, connecting founders to later-stage investors and strategic corporate partners. Confirmed relationships include deep industry-access programs with Norway's largest energy and construction firms, giving portfolio startups a direct line into sectors that are otherwise difficult to penetrate. Geographic coverage centers on Norway, but the firm actively supports companies targeting global markets. The team counts 12 professionals under CEO Marie Mostad, with Gisle Østereng leading investments and Nissik Juell overseeing operations as COO. StartupLab's Bergen expansion — run by Erlend Waaler — anchors a western Norway presence alongside the main Oslo hub. February 2024: The firm advanced its corporate-partnership model by formalizing an industry-access track for construction-tech startups under Head of Construction Anniken Holst, linking early-stage founders to pre-screened enterprise collaborators in the Norwegian building sector. StartupLab's structural differentiator is its three-layer operating model: an incubator that provides physical space and community to over 100 concurrently active startups, an accelerator that imposes a three-month cadence and investor exposure, and an in-house venture arm that deploys capital directly. This layered design allows the firm to hold relationships with founders years before a formal fundraise, creating a deal-flow engine that traditional Nordic venture firms cannot replicate from a pure-fund structure.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2012
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Norway
City
Oslo
Corporate office
Gaustadalléen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
Additional offices
Solheimsgaten 7c, 5058 Bergen, Norway
Principals
Marie Mostad
CEO
Per Einar Dybvik
Co-Founder & Partner
Gisle Østereng
Head of Investments
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at StartupLab?
Investment decisions are led by Gisle Østereng, Head of Investments, reporting to CEO Marie Mostad. Co-founder Per Einar Dybvik remains closely involved as Partner. The investment team operates within Startuplab Ventures, the firm's direct-investing entity, which evaluates pre-seed and seed-stage companies, typically those already admitted to the incubator or accelerator programs.
Is StartupLab structured as a venture capital fund or an incubator?
StartupLab operates a hybrid model: an incubator providing workspace and services to more than 100 startups, a three-month accelerator program for selected teams, and a direct-investment vehicle — Startuplab Ventures — that writes equity checks. This three-layer structure allows the firm to support companies with non-financial resources early and invest selectively, without operating as a limited-partner fund marketing to external LPs in the traditional venture sense.
Does StartupLab participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Available sourcing describes StartupLab executing direct pre-seed and seed investments through Startuplab Ventures. There is no public indication that the firm commits as a limited partner to external venture funds. Its capital deployment is concentrated on companies within its own incubator and accelerator pipelines, plus select external Norwegian startups that fit the sector focus.
How does StartupLab source proprietary deal flow?
Deal flow originates primarily from the incubator — which houses over 100 active startups at any time — and the accelerator program, giving the investment team multi-month visibility into founding teams before a formal raise. Additional sourcing comes through the firm's corporate-partnership network involving large Norwegian energy, construction, and financial-services companies that refer startups for industry-specific tracks.
Which sectors does StartupLab explicitly focus on, and which does it avoid?
The firm publicly signals active focus on enterprise software, AI/ML, fintech, climate tech, energy transition, construction tech, and hardware. StartupLab has not published explicit exclusion criteria, but its industry programs and portfolio density suggest a preference for B2B and deep-tech verticals over consumer internet, social platforms, or life sciences.
What is StartupLab's geographic mandate?
StartupLab's physical operations are concentrated in Norway, with hubs in Oslo and Bergen. While its programs and investment activity are Norway-centric, the firm explicitly targets companies capable of scaling internationally. Its corporate-partnership model is designed to give Norwegian startups access to global enterprises and later-stage capital networks outside the Nordics.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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