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The Evidence

Oslo, documented.

These 13 insights are built for use — not just for reading. Each comes with a verified source and a short note on when and how to bring it into a conversation, a pitch or a presentation. They travel across sectors. Pick the ones that fit the conversation you are already having — and use them with confidence.

01 / 13

Oslo produces companies the world notices.

Oslo-founded companies like Kahoot!, Remarkable, Oda, Tise, Spacemaker, Gelato, Pexip and 1X have scaled across edtech, hardware, consumer tech, proptech and deep tech. Different sectors, same city.

Use this when

You work in culture, research, sport or the public sector — and someone asks why Oslo matters on the world stage. The startup story is your answer too: it signals that the conditions here — trust, talent, infrastructure — are right for serious ambition. Your Oslo address carries that credibility.

Sources
$4.8B raised by Oslo startups, 2020–2024
02 / 13

A city where ideas move quickly.

The Oslo region is home to almost 3,000 startups and 269 scaleups. The number of scaleups has doubled over the last decade — and grew by 37% in 2023 alone. Oslo-based companies account for more than 60% of all venture capital activity in Norway, and scaleups now employ 14,200 people and generate NOK 16.6 billion in value annually.

Use this when

You pitch internationally but you're not in tech. Nine $1B+ companies from a city of 700,000 tells partners and funders that Oslo is a place where ambitious ideas land. You don't need to be a startup to benefit from that reputation.

Sources
9 Nine $1B+ companies and exits in five years — from a city of 700,000.
03 / 13

Oslo makes it unusually easy to turn ideas into companies.

Healthcare, parental leave and income support stay in place whether a company succeeds or not. Just 9% of Norwegian startups are founded out of necessity — one of the lowest rates globally (GEM): entrepreneurship here is a choice, not a last resort. Inven2, the Nordics’ largest technology transfer office, manages a NOK 5 billion portfolio of university spinoffs from UiO and Oslo University Hospital.

Use this when

You’re recruiting someone who’s hesitating. Healthcare, parental leave and income support stay in place whether a project succeeds or not. Oslo is a city where trying something new doesn’t cost everything if it doesn’t work out.

Sources
9th globally for business competitiveness
04 / 13

Oslo is growing in numbers.

Oslo’s population has grown by more than a third since 2003. Around one in three residents has an international background. International investors account for around 65% of startup funding.

Use this when

You need to show that Oslo’s openness is structural, not just cultural. One in three residents has an international background, and 65% of startup funding comes from abroad.

Sources
2× growth in startups & scaleups in a decade
05 / 13

Oslo is built on trust.

Oslo ranks among the world’s highest-trust societies, with top positions across indices for transparency and democratic quality. A reliable, open system reduces friction for business and collaboration alike.

Use this when

An international partner wonders what working with Oslo is actually like. Trust is the invisible infrastructure that makes Oslo operate differently — faster contracts, more open data, fewer gatekeepers. Works for any sector.

Sources
#1 in the World Press Freedom Index, ten years running
06 / 13

Oslo sets the standard for climate action.

Oslo’s climate budget was among the first in the world — and its requirements consistently run ahead of what technology currently delivers, which is precisely the point: demanding standards create the market for innovation. NO₂ levels have fallen well below EU legal limits since 2017. The model was named one of 11 city-led climate solutions featured globally by The Earthshot Prize and Arup (2025).

Use this when

Partners, funders or talent ask about sustainability. Oslo’s climate budget means the city commits to measurable targets and follows through — which backs up your own organisation’s sustainability claims.

Sources
−30% cut in greenhouse gas emissions since 2009
07 / 13

Oslo is electric.

Oslo’s power grid runs on almost entirely renewable energy. Trams, metro, buses and ferries run on electricity. Electrification is expanding across construction and city infrastructure. This is not a plan — it is already happening.

Use this when

Someone says “but isn’t Norway all about oil?” Oslo’s answer is visible on every street: electric trams, buses and cars — powered by a grid that runs on renewable energy. The green transition here isn’t a target; it’s the infrastructure people use every day.

Sources
  • OFV · 31 December 2025
96% of new cars sold in Norway in 2025 were fully electric
08 / 13

Getting around Oslo just works.

A compact city with a dense public transport network means most of what you need is within walking or cycling distance. Trams, metro and buses run frequently across the city. The infrastructure is built around movement — not around cars.

Use this when

You’re describing what daily life in Oslo actually feels like. Everything is close, and the infrastructure makes it easy to move between work, nature, culture and home without planning around it.

Sources
2/3 of all journeys in Oslo are made without a private car
09 / 13

Activity and participation is the norm.

9 in 10 children take part in organised activities during their upbringing. Dugnad — collective neighbourhood work — is a genuine civic practice, not a nostalgic concept. Participation is how communities here stay connected, and how people with international backgrounds find their way in.

Use this when

You’re pitching Oslo as a place to belong, not just perform. Activity and participation are how the city stays cohesive — and how newcomers become part of it.

Sources
8/10 of Norwegians exercise at least once a week
10 / 13

Access to nature is built into the city.

The forest is inside the city boundaries — not a destination you drive to or pay to enter. Nature here is part of daily routines, not something you plan for. The Marka Act permanently protects it from development.

Use this when

Someone imagines Oslo as grey and remote. The forest is already there — free, walkable, on a Tuesday afternoon. Nature here is not something you seek out; it is part of how the city is built.

Sources
2/3 of Oslo is protected forest; 93% live a 10-min walk away
11 / 13

Oslo is being reshaped for people.

Docks and rail yards that once cut the city off from the fjord are being rebuilt as connected, mixed-use neighbourhoods — one of Europe’s most ambitious urban transformation projects.

Use this when

You want to show Oslo as a city with momentum, not just heritage. Nine kilometres of industrial waterfront rebuilt for people — use this to convey that Oslo is actively becoming something, not just preserving what it is.

Sources
9 km of former industrial waterfront returned to public use
12 / 13

Culture is diverse and close at hand.

Tons of Rock drew 150,000 people in 2024 — Norway’s largest festival, with visitors from more than 80 countries. Øyafestivalen is consistently ranked among Europe’s best music festivals. The National Museum is the largest art museum in the Nordic countries. Theatre, opera, independent music and neighbourhood stages run year-round — all within a compact, walkable city.

Use this when

Someone asks what people actually do in Oslo. The answer spans contemporary art, metal, opera, world-class museums and neighbourhood culture — in a city where everything is within reach. The offer is broader and more diverse than the size of the city suggests.

Sources
775,000 visitors to MUNCH in 2025 — and growing every year
13 / 13

Oslo is getting cleaner as it grows.

Growth and environmental quality are not in conflict in Oslo. The city tracks emissions and air quality like a financial budget, making environmental accountability a civic norm rather than a policy afterthought.

Use this when

Someone asks whether Oslo’s environmental progress is real. The city grew by more than a third and got measurably cleaner — because Oslo decided it should, tracked it publicly and held itself to account. That’s not just a result; it’s a signal of how the city makes decisions.

Sources
  • NILU · 31 December 2025
NO₂ ↓ below EU legal limits — even as the city grew by a third

Missing a fact? Send us a line.

We refresh this collection quarterly. Suggestions, links and corrections to post@osloandco.no.

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