Access denied: how Norway proved difficult terrain for defence startup

When Norwegian startup BlinkTroll made its first sale to the Norwegian defence forces, the deal did not open doors into the system.

It triggered a warning.

The company, which offers autonomous moving targets, had delivered the order and sent an invoice - a straightforward process from their side. 

The response from the Norwegian acquisition organisation, FMA, was immediate: the proper procedures had not been followed, and future sales had to go through proper bureaucratic procedures.

If not, there could be consequences.

- I had better adhere to the rules or I could be banned, they told me.

He describes a structure where even basic dialogue was difficult to establish, and where interest from end users does not necessarily translate into access. In practice, demand alone was not enough, entry had to be managed through formal processes.

Defence Nordic has presented FMA with the criticism but the organisation was unable to respond within the deadline of this article.

The dynamic looked different in Denmark where BlinkTroll relocated to in 2023 in pursuit of growth in a more established ecosystem as Skorpen earlier told Defence Nordic.

Barren ground

After Danish soldiers showed interest in Blinktroll’s systems, the company was contacted directly by the acquisition organisation, FMI. Instead of being told to step back, they were offered help navigating the system, including assistance with obtaining a NATO stock number to make procurement easier.

For Skorpen, the contrast was immediate. Where the Norwegian system created distance, the Danish system reduced it.

As he puts it, they “seemed to care more about helping us than being an obstacle.”

He points to similar differences beyond procurement.

In Norway, he found limited connection between startups and the defence industry, describing the environment as “pretty barren ground”, with few established links to help new companies enter the sector.

In Denmark, those connections were already in place, forming a more integrated setup between companies, partners and institutions.

There were also structural factors.

Norway’s position outside the EU added friction in working with partners across Europe, particularly in early-stage collaboration. 

In Denmark, operating within the EU framework made those interactions more straightforward, placing BlinkTroll closer to the market both physically and structurally.

For Blinktroll, the difference was not abstract. One system made entry difficult, the other made it possible.