Since 2015, founders and investors have met in the Norwegian mountains. Mornings on skis or in a raft, afternoons on stage, evenings at a long table and a party that runs late.
Photo: Zygimantas Vaicaitis · Stavkroa, 2023
The program ran on a rhythm. Stages in the daytime, fire pits in between, long dinners and an even longer night. These are the formats that kept coming back, with the years they ran.
“Startup Extreme sported the perfect mix of activity and downtime to give its participants an opportunity to have the sort of deep conversations that makes this type of event worth while”
“Changemakers taking to the stages of Startup Extreme”
Keynotes, panels, fireside chats and pitches across two days. Politicians next to founders, investors next to students. By 2024 there were five stages in and around Stavkroa, two of them bonfires in the snow.
SX’s own description: “The stage where entrepreneurial craziness is celebrated, a leap of faith is encouraged, and the biggest challenges are our strongest motivation.”
“Aka Big-Startups-Day - Because winning corporates are just Big-Startups”
The block that opened the 2024 conference. Big companies and startups on founder mindset, innovation culture and how the two can work together.
“Founder to founder - learn and be inspired by fellow entrepreneurs”
Three hours for founders. A keynote from someone who has made it, then panels and fireside chats on building, scaling, marketing and getting through the rough patches.
“Tailored Networking & Expert Insights for Effective Scaling”
Round tables for founders at the same growth stage, led by experts and other scaleup founders. Growth plans, new markets, hiring, capital.
“Find your next co-investor at Startup Extreme Investor Day”
Investors only. VCs, angels, LPs and corporate VCs with keynotes, round tables and time to mingle. In 2024 it was held at Fyri Resort and opened by NVCA.
A stage of its own, with sessions for pre-seed, seed and growth, for AI and 50/50, and for delegations from abroad. Hundreds of investors and partners in the room. Some years the pitch happened on the water instead.
Innovation Norway brings a handful of its most promising companies to the stage.
2017–2020, 2022–2024
The national student startup competition run by Start Norge, with its semifinals and final at SX.
2024
Startups pitch to a jury of investors. The winner goes on towards the final in San Francisco.
2024
The Voss classic. Your pitch, your investor, one raft and a river.
2016–2019
Between sessions everyone spills out into the snow. SX calls the people who come Extremers, and this is where most of them meet.
“Where the Extremers collide to exchange ideas, connect and refresh between stage program and side-events.”
The yard outside Stavkroa: stands, food stalls, the matchmaking tent and fire pits, all within a few steps of the stages. Day one closed with Basecamp Afterski. It also went by the name SX-Arena, as in “Seek your next connection in the SX-Arena”.
“Networking is simply different when done in the Norwegian mountains!”
Meeting booking in an app (Brella in 2023, Dealroom in 2024) and a tent where you book a table. In 2017 it was personal matchmaking for VCs. In 2023 there was a Speedfriending Bonanza: “You snoose you loose. … Lets fill that Rolodex...”
Partners set up in the snow, local producers brought food, and the startup stands changed every day.
Four tracks through the 2024 event for smaller groups: AI, Energy, Investor and 50/50. Each came with its own two-day agenda, a closed group and invitations to partner events.
“Does living in Hemsedal give the ultimate work-life balance?”
A bus up to the terrace at Skarsnuten Hotel. The mayor of Hemsedal welcomed everyone, local founders and coworking spaces made their case, and then it was local food, drinks and a DJ, outdoors.
Partners hosted their own receptions, dinners and a poker tournament at hotels, cabins and restaurants around the valley.
The warm-up started in Oslo weeks before: mingling at The Conduit, a women’s sauna network at KOK, a digital session for investors and a morning event for Hallingdal at Stavkroa.
On the second evening everyone picks a table. Each dinner has its own theme and its own place in the valley, so you end up eating with people who care about the same thing you do.
Fausko2023–2024
“Founders that failed have the honest stories of the startup life...” An evening of epic failures, told by the people who had them.
Hemsedal2023, 2024
The gender-balance dinner. In 2024 it came back as “Innovation for all”, at Skarsnuten.
Huso Lodge2024
A viking feast with a serious subject.
Deli di Montagna2024
“to cover the highs, lows, wins and fails of being in the startup world”
Skigaarden2024
Under the big chandelier, facing the mountain.
Fyri2024
What AI does for a growing company, over dinner.
Smalahovetunet, Voss2015
Where it started: “Drink and dine with your new extreme friends and tell about your most extreme startup stories”.
“The epic, wonderfully chaotic and extremely fun karaoke lands to Hemsedal!”
Karaoke on the main stage on night one, run by Singa, the Finnish music-tech startup.
“The legendary Stavkroa Afterski welcomes the Extremers”
The official closing party, last item on the program and only for people with an SX pass. The first edition in 2015 ended the same way, with a midsummer party in Voss.
April, 2022–2024
In 2022 the event moved to Hemsedal and to April, with plenty of snow still on the ground. Everything centred on Stavkroa, a big timber hall best known for its après-ski. The main stage was inside. Right outside the door were a tent stage, a pitching stage, two bonfires and Basecamp.
Dinners, side events and some of the activities spread out across the valley:
Inside the timber hall, under the beams and the disco ball. Corporate Day, politics, Norway Demo Day, energy and the VC panels.
The second main stage, under canvas. Startup Day, climate, cyber and AI, and the Venture Cup final.
Pitches from pre-seed to growth, the Venture Cup semifinals and the Startup World Cup regional final.
Two fire pits in the snow. In SX’s words: “The bonfire “stage” is an inviting 20 person meeting-zone with a pre-defined conversation.” Partners, startups and investors took turns hosting.
June, 2015–2019
Before the snow there were summers in Voss, which SX called “the extreme sports capital of Norway”. The first edition was built around The Extreme Camp, a festival tent for talks, meals and meetings, with cabins and bunk beds nearby. Later years filled tipis with long tables and sheepskins.
From 2016 to 2018 it opened with a conference day in Bergen. In 2016 the Crown Prince of Norway did the honours with a ceremonial flag planting, and a tradition was born. In 2019 SX ran alongside Ekstremsportveko, the extreme sports festival in Voss.
Pick an activity, head out in a small group, and come back on first-name terms with people you would never have booked a meeting with.
Parallel slalom in the Ski Slopes Arena, heats and a final.
Hemsedal · 2023, 2024
Skin up one of Hemsedal’s tops with a local guide, take in the view, ski down.
Hemsedal · 2024
The Voss signature: founders and investors down a frothy river together.
Voss · 2015–2019
“Strap yourself to an experienced skydiver and jump out of a perfectly working plane.”
Voss and Hemsedal
Two to a sled, one sits and one steers.
Hemsedal · 2024
“Slide and connect.” Fast and cold, and nobody keeps their dignity.
Hemsedal · 2024
“Imagine a wind powered private lift to escort you across snow-covered lakes and hillsides.”
Hemsedal · 2024
In 2023 it was ice bathing in the river, with a sauna on the bank.
Hemsedal · 2023, 2024
In 2024 Simen Malmin from Nysnø skipped the bus. He let the wind carry him over the mountains from Finse to Hemsedal, and anyone could follow him live on GPS.
“COMPETITION time! Get ready to compete with your down-hill skills!”
Parallel slalom in the Ski Slopes Arena, heats and a final. Two prize classes: one for the fastest, one for the best outfit.
Hemsedal · 2023, 2024
Skin up one of Hemsedal’s tops with a local guide, take in the view, ski down. There was a group for beginners.
Hemsedal · 2024
The Voss signature: founders and investors down a frothy river together, and the river does not care who is who. The 2015 brief: “Leverage the forces of nature or find a quick exit strategy.”
Voss · 2015–2019
“In the same boat; to invest in a young startup is like jumping into a plastic boat with the founder, right in front of a deep river. So why not take a test ride first, down the rivers of Voss.”
SO YOU THINK SKY DIVING IS EXTREME? TRY BUILDING A FAST GROWING STARTUP!
“Strap yourself to an experienced skydiver and jump out of a perfectly working plane.” That was 2015. In 2023 the jumps were from a helicopter over Hemsedal, and the landing area doubled as a place to network with the people waiting their turn.
Voss and Hemsedal
Two to a sled, one sits and one steers. Afterwards there is time with the huskies, a snack and a hot drink with the rest of the group.
Hemsedal · 2024
“Slide and connect.” Fast and cold, and nobody keeps their dignity.
Hemsedal · 2024
“Imagine a wind powered private lift to escort you across snow-covered lakes and hillsides.”
Hemsedal · 2024
“Buffet breakfast and full-on spa experience!” In 2023 it was ice bathing in the river, with a sauna on the bank.
Hemsedal · 2023, 2024
“In 15 years of attending tech and startup conferences, I’ve never experienced anything like Startup Extreme, and I can’t wait to do it again! [Maybe this time without falling in that arctic water!!].”
Hemsedal, 2024
Voss, 2015. Everyone picked one and went out in a small group.
On the fjord kayak: “With some luck you could even have a networking session with the local seals or eagles.”