Schibsted has for years been leading in scouting, developing and building strong entrepreneurial digital companies in Sweden. Schibsted Growth has expanded from Sweden into Norway and France. Now Schibsted Growth is ready to take further advantage of the unique combination of a strong Scandinavian position and a global footprint.
”Some great work has been done in this area and I’m very much looking forward to exploring our opportunities going forward”, comments Raoul Grünthal. ”Schibsted has proven to be a great place for entrepreneurs with ambitions to grow and scale. Now we will take this to the next level, we have untapped potential in coordinating our efforts and setting a common strategy within the group.”
With the new Growth initiative Schibsted will strengthen its position as an enabler for innovation and an incubator for start-ups. Schibsted Growth has seen the success of companies such as Lendo, Prisjakt, Kundkraft and tv.nu in Sweden, some of the brands have already an international approach. Growth in Norway and France have in short time established themselves as a destination for entrepreneurs. Growth is also on the agenda for SCM Ventures in Norway.
”Now we will try to coordinate all of these great initiatives and people to give Schibsted Growth a new even stronger position within the group, amongst entrepreneurs and in the market.” says Grünthal.
In Sweden, Schibsted Growth has established a cluster around Personal Finance (Lendo, Compricer, Kundkraft. Mobilio) and one around Small and Medium Enterprises (Servicefinder, Let’s Deal, Hitta).
”This has proven very successful, and opens for synergies and cooperations between companies in the same area. Personal Finance is very interesting and we see many possibilities in this field, not least in combining services and adding new ones”, says Grünthal.
A strategy group (CEO Rolv Erik Ryssdal, EVP Strategy and Digital Transformation Frode Eilertsen, CFO Trond Berger and Raoul Grünthal) for the Growth initiative will also be formed within the management team of Schibsted Media Group.