)
Published: 28 January 2026
Text: Anne-Marie Korseberg Stokke
Photo: Anne-Marie Korseberg Stokke
“Not just anyone can start a biotech company. It usually requires that you’ve already developed an idea through an academic or clinical career. We see that the quality of the companies spinning out of the research environments at OUS is high, and that many appear to be succeeding,” says Esben A. Nilssen, Managing Director of the biotech incubator ShareLab at Oslo Science Park.
)
One of ShareLab’s members is the biotech company Authera. The company is built on several decades of research from OUS and the University of Oslo, and both Research Director Torleif Tollefsrud Gjølberg and CEO Simone Mester earned their PhDs there. They are working to develop new treatments for patients with serious eye diseases.
“We have already demonstrated that a specific molecule plays an important role in disease development, and we are now researching how an antibody should be tailored to work as effectively as possible. By treating the disease from a new angle, we have good reason to believe that we can save the eyesight of patients who currently lack adequate treatment,” explains Gjølberg.
Among other exciting companies that have emerged from OUS, Nilssen mentions Cellmover, Klyv Therapeutics, Immunoquest, Tribune Therapeutics, and Pioneer Research—all of which are in the preclinical phase of developing new medicines. Among the more mature companies, he highlights 3Skin, which is currently conducting a clinical study, and Agiana Pharmaceuticals, which recently launched a Phase 2 trial of a new heart medication.
)
ShareLab offers laboratories, guidance, and networks to early-stage companies. Nilssen points out that while many biotech founders have extensive academic and clinical experience, they have not necessarily built a company before.
“For many researchers, this can be a major transition, and starting a company requires an entirely different skill set. Suddenly, they must think about everything from financing, rights, and legal issues to marketing and sales. Fortunately, many people master both the academic and the commercial,” says Nilssen.
The Oslo Science Park CEO, Bjørn Erik Reinseth is optimistic about the many companies emerging from OUS:
“Everyone knows that Oslo University Hospital excels in treatment and research. What is less widely known is that much of this research can be commercialised and turned into companies. That’s why it’s encouraging to see the emergence of new companies with OUS researchers on their teams.”
Reinseth also acknowledges that the entrepreneurial journey is not straightforward.
“It takes time, it takes effort—and not least, money—but there is no reason why we shouldn’t have a strong health industry in Norway based on research. At Oslo Science Park, we strive to do our part to create the best possible conditions for those who choose to start a company to succeed,” Reinseth concludes.
)
)
After many years as a cardiologist and researcher, Maria Vistnes has traded hospital corridors and academia for a day-to-day life as a founder in her own biotechnology company, Klyv Therapeutics. The driving force is not a desire to leave the medical profession, but a conviction that the most effective way to help patients is to develop a new treatment.
)
In Health2B, a collaboration lab has now been established – a new shared workspace where employees from Oslo University Hospital (OUS) and Oslo municipality work side by side to develop better health services for the residents.
)
Cellmover is now making great strides in developing next-generation cancer therapies. The company has recently secured funding through the Eurostars program, and CSO Miriam Aarsund Larsen has been named one of Norway's 50 leading women in technology. How did she transition from researcher to leader, and what is driving Cellmover forward?
)
Artificial intelligence is making its way into the healthcare sector and can help solve the complex scheduling of shifts. The Aleap company Synplan offers an innovative solution that not only makes the job easier, but also improves working conditions and saves resources. It is now being tested at the renowned Mayo Clinic in the US.
)
)