DNB becomes a partner of BI Startup Village
3 November 2026BI Norwegian Business School and DNB have entered into a long-term partnership to strengthen student entrepreneurship and connect student entrepreneurs more closely with expertise, networks, and the business community.
DNB will become an active partner in BI Startup Village, providing professional guidance to support young entrepreneurs throughout their journey, from start-up to growth and scaling. In addition, the two organisations will develop events and meeting places that connect students with investors and established businesses.
Aleksander Stensrud Akerjordet (Special Adviser, Business and Community Relations, BI), Caroline Wannehag (Startup and Growth Specialist, DNB), Erik Larsen (Senior Business Developer, DNB), Ida-Cathrine Jørgensen (Director of Business Relevance, BI) and Yngve Kveine (Director of Business and Community Relations, BI).
– We want to engage with entrepreneurs from the very beginning and contribute expertise and networks that can make the journey from idea to growth easier. BI has a strong student and entrepreneurship community, and BI Startup Village provides an exciting platform for us to meet and support the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, says Erik Larsen, Senior Business Developer at DNB.
BI Startup Village was established in 2025 as part of BI’s long-term commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation. The partnership with DNB will help realise the ambition of making BI Startup Village an important meeting place between academia and the business community.
– If Norway is to succeed in creating more new businesses and accelerating innovation, academia and the business community must work more closely together. DNB brings expertise, experience and networks that provide tangible value to our students and entrepreneurs. It is exactly the kind of partner we want to build BI Startup Village with, says Yngve Kveine, Director of Business and Community Relations at BI.
Ida-Cathrine Jørgensen, Director of Business Relevance at BI, also highlights the value this partnership will bring to students.
– We are pleased to give student entrepreneurs a unique advantage by combining academic knowledge with DNB’s specialist expertise. We look forward to developing this partnership further, says Jørgensen.
The partnership will run until the end of 2028.
Facts about BI Startup Village
- A new space on BI’s Nydalen campus, established in 2025, with the aim of creating an environment where ideas are developed, projects are built, and collaboration takes place across disciplines and industries.
- The nearly 1,000-square-metre space features flexible facilities, workshop areas, a pitch stage and social spaces, all designed to facilitate practical learning and idea development.
- BI Startup, with more than 450 student members, plays a central role in the initiative. Since its establishment in 2017, it has helped create several successful start-ups that have generated jobs and created value for society.