The Forge, Norway’s national biotechnology accelerator successfully concludes its first edition

After six months of intensive training and mentoring, The Forge has reached its conclusion with a two-day investment masterclass and a high-energy pitching competition.

Launched to transform research and founders into the next generation of science-driven companies, The Forge brought together 12 teams and 22 participants from early-stage companies and six Norwegian universities.

Over six months, the teams received training and access to a network of peers. During five in-person workshops and six webinars, participants advanced their market understanding, technology roadmaps and investor readiness.

The program closed with the pitching competition. The winning project, RESQF7, led by researchers Benedikte Stavik and Giacomo Roman from Oslo University Hospital, is developing a cell-based therapy for a rare bleeding disorder. The jury praised the project for addressing a critical medical need, its unique therapeutic approach, and the potential to expand into related diseases. The runner-up were DuctMimic from the University of Oslo. Both projects are part of the SPARK Norway program.

«Initiatives like The Forge are crucial for building the bridge between research and entrepreneurship. What we saw throughout the programme was how quickly these teams were able to transform their scientific insights into real business opportunities. That kind of momentum is exactly what Norway needs to strengthen its health innovation ecosystem,» said Shane West, Advisor at Aleap.

The Aleap Prize for Best Health Impact was awarded to AntiFENT, a team from NMBU working on innovative solutions against fentanyl abuse. They received three months of free membership at Aleap, providing access to Norway’s largest health-focused incubator community.

«The Forge was an experiment. We made a bet that by bringing together the most exciting biotechnology teams from around Norway, and providing the best in national and international training, we could more rapidly accelerate ideas towards commercialisation. Thanks to the hard work of the organisers and (more importantly) the teams, the bet paid off spectacularly, and we look forward to seeing what’s next,» said Andrew Boyce, Senior Innovation Advisor at Digital Life Norway.

Inven2, one of the programme’s partners, contributed both expertise to the jury and the NOK 25,000 prize for the winning team.

«We see that The Forge provides essential tools and networks to research-based startups seeking to enter the market. Inven2 finds it highly valuable to help promote and support the most promising innovations, and we hope that more of our projects will benefit from this type of initiative,» said Mohammed Amarzguioui, Vice President Project Management at Inven2.

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About The Forge

• Duration: Six months (April–September 2025)

• Participants: 12 teams, 22 participants

• Universities represented: University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), University of Tromsø, University of Bergen and NTNU

• Organisers: Aleap and Digital Life Norway

• Funding: Supported by the Innovation Roadmap Project, managed by dScience, University of Oslo

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