Dear amazing members, partners and supporters!

As we approach the end of a remarkable year, we want to reflect on every jump, turn and pirouette that has left its mark on Kobben in 2023.

Some of the highlights this year:

  • The EC conference, which this year had sustainable transition as its theme, came to life
  • As always, the Founders' Festival was a highlight, and we're particularly happy for Kobben member Niklas from Perfect Farm, who won the idea award
  • Horten Tech Festival was new this year. What has previously been two days of Made-in-Horten has now become a week of exciting activities for young and old
  • Vestfold Investor Network underwent a change of pace this year, with new project managers and Investor Forums in Tønsberg and Sandefjord
  • The Incubator Program and Growth Program continue to roll on. Registration for the spring program is coming soon!

38 companies connected to the incubator

Then we can't forget all the exciting things that are happening here at the company. Our companies are constantly making progress, whether it's an IPO or a breakthrough in product development. Some are expanding and gaining more employees, others have to pivot and adjust their business plan. Wherever they are on their journey, it's great fun to have the pleasure of working with so many exciting entrepreneurial companies.

Kobben Talks, our own backstage to the inner life of startups, is here to stay. We've had the pleasure of hearing inspiring talks from our own stars (such as Oliver Hollingsæter of OceanTherm, Didrik Lysvoll of InvestWiser and Egill Elvestad of nanoCaps). This fall, we had a sustainability special with Linn Fagerberg from Electronic Coast.

Did you catch these things?

And what about the Kobben brochure we published earlier this year? You can read it here.

Exciting calendar for 2024

The Swedish Language Council named "AI-generated" as the word of the year. And that's probably not shocking to any of us.

2023 was truly the year where ChatGPT and AI (Artificial Intelligence) really took off. Many of us have a new best friend, or new colleague if you will, who does a lot of the heavy lifting for us. Yes, maybe it even wrote this text?

What we're seeing now is probably just the start. Now it's time to embrace the technology, because it's here to stay. That's why we've brought in experts from ARTI Consult who will go through the basics of AI, best practices and pitfalls - as well as practical examples. You can find more information about the event here.

The goal of taking a Christmas vacation without a single item on the to-do list didn't work out this year either, but it was a short Christmas vacation. Now we are looking forward to a new year, where the calendar is already starting to fill up, with Kobben Talks in January, ChatGPT courses in February, and Investor Forum in Larvik and the EC conference in March.

Thank you for a fantastic 2023! We look forward to a new year with many exciting projects on the horizon.

With wishes for a happy new year.

/Team Kobben