Speakers · 2027

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We’re booking people who are building things themselves. The first names are out soon. Meanwhile, here are the 2026 speakers.

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On stage in 2026 · 29 speakers

UNIT 001.:TAKE OFF / Maskinhallen
Jan Inge Pedersen
Co-Founder and CEO, Kabal
The Kabal Story: Scaling a World-Leading SaaS from Stavanger
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Jan Inge Pedersen is the co-founder and CEO of Stavanger-based tech company Kabal. Over the past 15 years, he has led the company’s growth from a local startup to the energy industry’s preferred logistics platform. His talk explores the Kabal story, focusing on the grit, strategic ambitions, and international focus required to build a global SaaS powerhouse.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 002.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Stian Løkling Pedersen
CEO and Founder, Foodback
Investor Pitch (founder jury)
UNIT 003.:ALL IN / Scene 1
Siri Kalvig
CEO, Nysnø Climate Investments
Where Is the Capital?
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Siri is the CEO of Nysnø. She is a meteorologist with a PhD in offshore wind technology and has extensive experience from research, entrepreneurship, and investment within climate technology. Before joining Nysnø, she led the research network for environmentally friendly energy at the University of Stavanger. She also co-founded StormGeo, which grew to become a leading international weather forecasting company.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 004.:ALL IN / Scene 1
Odd Egil Haug
Business Transformation Manager - Technology, Aker BP
Co-Creating the Future of Energy
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Odd Egil is Business Transformation Manager – Technology at Aker BP and chairs the company’s R&D Council, driving innovation and technology development. He holds a Master’s degree in Engineering and brings more than 25 years of international experience in the oil & gas industry, having worked through the ranks and gained broad knowledge across products and services.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 005.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Arve Janbu Fresvik
Managing Partner, Momentum
Investor Pitch
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Arve is the co-founder of Momentum and has been instrumental in the company’s development since 2013. With extensive experience in management consulting, business development, and transactions, spanning startups, SMEs, and large corporations across a wide range of industries, he brings a strong strategic perspective to growth and innovation. In addition to his role at Momentum, Arve is an active early-stage investor and serves as a board member in several companies in Norway and abroad.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 006.:ALL IN / Scene 1
Preben Songe-Møller
Co-Founder and Partner, Skyfall Ventures
Where Is the Capital?
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Preben is co-founder and partner at Skyfall Ventures, a Norwegian early-stage venture firm with over 1 billion NOK under management. Skyfall has backed 50+ companies including Oda, Tise, Enode, Riff, Starflow and Firi. Preben has a background as a founder of several tech startups, management consultant and venture investor, and believes that the best investments come from backing founders building things that matter.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 007.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Siri Hoven
Senior Investment Manager, Equinor Ventures
Investor Pitch
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Siri Hoven is a Senior Investment Manager at Equinor Ventures, where she plays a key role in identifying, developing, and accelerating innovative companies shaping the future of energy. With expertise at the intersection of business development, strategic investment, and technology‑driven innovation, Siri brings a holistic understanding of how emerging solutions can drive both sustainability and commercial impact. Siri is committed to fostering innovation that enables the transition to a low‑carbon future.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 008.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Hege Fiskå
CEO and Founder, Kakadu
Investor Pitch (founder jury)
UNIT 009.:TAKE OFF / Maskinhallen
Jez Averty
Senior Vice President for Subsurface in Exploration and Production Norway, Equinor
Building Bridges and Unlocking Funding in a Fragmented World
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Jez Averty is Senior Vice President for Subsurface in Exploration and Production Norway at Equinor, and Equinor’s Location Manager in Stavanger. With over 30 years in oil and gas across northwest Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and North America, Jez brings broad exploration and production experience from roles in London, Oslo, Luanda, Houston, and Stavanger. In recent years, he has become a strong advocate for diversity, inclusion, and mental health, convinced that workplaces that truly embed these values are safer, make better decisions, and create happier teams.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 010.:ALL IN / Scene 1
Michelle Williams
Business Transformation Lead, Aker BP
Co-Creating the Future of Energy
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Michelle leads Business Transformation at Aker BP, where she works with innovation, technology and digitalization to evolve the company’s operating model. Her role includes scouting, adopting and integrating emerging technologies, as well as advancing offshore and industrial robotics, autonomy, AI and automation to enable safer operations, higher efficiency and scalable transformation in complex, safety-critical energy environments.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 011.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Line Hjartarson
Founder, Aline
TECHbar: AI in Digital Product Development
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Line Hjartarson is the founder of Aline, where she bridges strategy, design, and engineering to help teams build better MVPs and deliver products with more clarity and speed. Her work spans product experience, frontend quality, design systems, and practical AI workflows that support faster iteration and stronger execution. Before starting Aline, she was Director of Design at Omny, leading cross-functional product development, building design culture and processes, and shaping user experiences for complex industrial software.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 012.:ALL IN / Scene 1
Kurt Østrem
CEO, Zaptec
From Startup to Stock
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Kurt Østrem is the Chief Executive Officer of Zaptec, where he has led the company’s journey from early-stage Norwegian tech start-up to a listed European EV charging player. With a solid finance background and nearly a decade in Zaptec’s leadership, he has been central in shaping the company’s growth strategy, international expansion, and preparation for the capital markets. Previously, Kurt played a key role in scaling the Norwegian retail chain Europris from 20 to over 200 stores, giving him deep experience in building profitable, scalable business models.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 013.:ALL IN / Scene 1
Fredrik Harestad
Founder and CEO, Unlisted
From Startup to Stock (moderator); Where Is the Capital?
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Fredrik Harestad is the founder and CEO of Unlisted. In addition, he holds several board positions, including at NAST – the Norwegian Alliance for Startups and Tech, which works to promote strong framework conditions for startups and technology companies. Fredrik also has experience as an angel investor and previously served as a Senator at the World Business Angel Investment Forum. He founded Unlisted to help entrepreneurs succeed on their journey by giving them better control and the right tools for managing ownership and capital structure in their companies.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 014.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Anne Emilie Fosse
CEO and Founder, Knitandnote
Investor Pitch (founder jury)
UNIT 015.:TAKE OFF / Maskinhallen
Jennifer Forbes Iannolo
VP Business Acceleration, CodeBase
Scaling Beyond Borders: Designing International Readiness
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Jennifer Forbes Iannolo is the VP of Business Acceleration at CodeBase and a globally recognised expert in entrepreneurship development. With experience supporting founders across six continents, she brings deep insight into resilience, scaling, and international readiness. She focuses on strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems and enabling long‑term, sustainable growth.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 016.:TAKE OFF / Maskinhallen
Maria Aasbø
CEO, Ungt Entreprenørskap Rogaland
Stage moderator
UNIT 017.:ALL IN / Scene 1
Remy Atle Bilsback
Foreign Exchange and Interest Rate Broker, Sparebanken Norge
When Currency Meets Company Culture, Who Owns the Risk?
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Remy Bilsback graduated from Arizona State University in 1995 with dual degrees in Management and Finance. With more than 28 years of experience, Remy has built and implemented currency strategies across a wide range of industries. A deep understanding of a company’s business objectives, organizational structure, culture, and key roles is essential when identifying and managing financial risk. A company’s level of preparedness can ultimately determine its success or failure.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 018.:ALL IN / Scene 1
Eirik Fjellså Hærem
CFO, Zaptec
From Startup to Stock
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Eirik Fjellså Hærem is CFO and Deputy CEO of Zaptec, responsible for the company’s financial strategy, funding, and capital markets engagement. He brings broad experience from finance and energy, including private equity and cross-border capital market transactions. Since joining Zaptec in 2022, Eirik has been a key driver in strengthening the company’s financial platform, optimizing its capital structure, and supporting its evolution from scale-up to mature listed player.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 019.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Maria Mår Johansen
Sales & Membership Lead, Næringsforeningen i Stavanger-regionen
Speed Networking
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Maria Mår Johansen holds a key role in the care and expansion of Næringsforeningens 1.900 members and offers Speed Networking and pitch events to accelerate business connections and unlocking new opportunities within the network. With a degree in photography she can easily juggle the creative side of herself as Næringsforeningen world of events and involvement offer a range of interesting captures.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 020.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Filip Nag
Founder and CEO, Jegerhub
TECHbar: AI in Digital Product Development
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Filip Nag is the Founder and CEO of Jegerhub, one of Norway's first companies built and operated with AI agents as its core workforce. With a background in product development and commercialization from the tech industry, Filip has spent the last two years proving that a single founder with the right AI infrastructure can build what used to require entire teams. At Jegerhub, AI agents run product development, marketing, design, and daily operations. His view: we're entering an era where speed of adoption determines who builds the future.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 021.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Line Kjærran Norling
Project Manager, Kulturkompaniet
Break the Echo Chamber
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Line Kjærran Norling is a Project Manager at Kulturkompaniet, an agency helping organisations leverage culture as a competitive advantage. Line has built her career across TV and media production, project management and strategic advisory — in both the cultural and business sectors. For the past 12 years, she has been part of Kulturkompaniet, helping organisations and businesses find direction, move forward, and build the human foundations that drive lasting growth.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 022.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Rebecca Sjølie
CEO and Co-Founder, ReLi
Investor Pitch (moderator)
UNIT 023.:TAKE OFF / Maskinhallen
Fredrik Bringager
CCO, Hive Autonomy
Building Bridges and Unlocking Funding in a Fragmented World
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Fredrik is an experienced leader within applications of physical AI and industrial robotics and a co-founder of Hive Autonomy, where he has spent the past year collaborating with some of Europe’s leading industrial companies to develop end-to-end autonomous value chains. He is driven by a strong vision of empowering the next-generation workforce through AI and autonomy, with the goal of ensuring that no worthwhile project is hindered by a lack of skilled labor.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 024.:ALL IN / Scene 1
Henrik Pedersen
Co-Founder and CEO, OTee
Co-Creating the Future of Energy
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Henrik Pedersen is one of the founders and CEO at OTee. He is an Industrial Automation entrepreneur with 11 years experience from leading innovation at ABB, and an academic track record from leading Universities, such as Stanford GSB and NHH.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 025.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Christin Møller
Project Manager, Næringsforeningen i Stavanger-regionen
Speed Networking
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Christin Møller is a Project Manager and Business Developer at Næringsforeningen, leading initiatives focused on competence development and talent attraction. She has extensive experience in recruitment, career counselling, and the financial sector, and is dedicated to connecting talent with opportunities while strengthening the local business community.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 026.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Andreas Melvær
Partner and Managing Director, SmplCo
TECHbar: AI in Digital Product Development
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Andreas Melvær is the founder of SmplCo, a product development partner that helps startups and scaleups turn ideas into market-ready solutions. With expertise in digital product design and rapid prototyping, he works closely with founders to develop products that attract users and investment. In addition, he is an investor and owner in multiple companies. SmplCo collaborates with both startups and established businesses, including through Barclays Eagle Labs, to drive innovation and build the digital products of the future.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 027.:TAKE OFF / Maskinhallen
Daniel Varming
Founder and CEO, Space Lab
Securing Norway’s Access to Space
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Daniel Varming was born and raised in Stavanger and is the founder and CEO of Space Lab - a Norwegian space company developing reusable launch vehicles. Space Lab is working to secure Norwegian and European sovereign access to space, with the goal of a first launch around 2030. Daniel has a background in technology and rocket development, and is the founder of UiS Aerospace, where he served as a leader for five years. When he’s not working on spaceflight, he’s happiest out on the waves along Jæren and at Vigdelstranden.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 028.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Marte Sootholtet
CEO, Impact StartUp
Investor Pitch
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Marte Sootholtet is the CEO and architect behind Impact StartUp, playing a pivotal role in its development since 2018. With over a decade of experience in social innovation and entrepreneurship, she is recognized as one of Norway’s leading experts on business’s role in social innovation. Marte is dedicated to leveraging the knowledge gained from accelerating a diverse range of impact startups, contributing to the emergence of new business practices where impact is not just a goal but a measurable reality.
LinkedIn →
UNIT 029.:ACTIVATE / Loftet
Ingrid Ringen
Co-pilot, Kulturkompaniet
Break the Echo Chamber
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Ingrid Ringen is Co-pilot at Kulturkompaniet, an agency helping organisations leverage culture as a competitive advantage. Holding an M.Sc. in Economics from Copenhagen Business School, Ingrid brings an international perspective shaped by professional experience across Denmark, New Zealand, and the Netherlands — spanning management advisory, education, technology and health. At Kulturkompaniet, she focuses on the strategic and operational backbone of the business, ensuring the organisation is built to perform and grow.
LinkedIn →