Technology incubator Kobben challenges entrepreneurs to think outside the box.

HELPING ENTREPRENEURS SUCCEED

Kobben (formerly Silicia) is a Horten company that is a bit out of the ordinary. Their main focus is on building up local entrepreneurs so they can succeed in the global market. At Kobben, Vestfold entrepreneurs gain access to an innovative environment that has the expertise, network and investor capital needed to create competitive companies.

“We’re here in Horten because this is where the expertise within micro- and nanotechnology is to be found,” explains business developer at Kobben, Henrik Sæter.
“Horten is ‘the electronic coast’ in Norway, so it's completely natural for us to be based here.”

SEEKING LOCAL INNOVATION

The incubator relies heavily on the expertise in technology and electronics that can be found in Horten, which means that they are largely looking for start-up technology companies.

“We have companies that work with waste management, companies that design and develop applications, and we also have some that develop bubble curtains to reduce the strength of hurricanes. It's a broad spectrum, in other words,” Sæter says.
“We have the necessary tools for these companies to succeed better here than they would elsewhere.”

The incubator only succeeds when the founders themselves succeed; when new companies move out and become businesses standing on their own two feet. And many businesses do succeed after their time in Kobben:

“In 2018, our companies, both those that were in Kobben earlier and those that are here now, had a turnover of NOK 286 million,” Sæter says.
“So that says something about the size of our companies. There are many who grow big here.”

BETTING ON SUSTAINABILITY

The future looks promising for the technology incubator:
“Our path going forward is very much defined by our geographical catchment area. We are the only innovation company of our kind in Vestfold, so our plan is to further consolidate this position in the immediate future. We cannot grow more than the local entrepreneurial industry allows,” Sæter says.

The company’s plan for the future, however, is somewhat different for what has gone before:
“We’ll always have our expertise in electronics and technology, but we’re also going to focus more on sustainability. We believe this will be a hygiene factor in the future, and we’re looking forward to developing this aspect further together with industry in Vestfold.”