Trondheim Startups to Watch in 2027: Verified NTNU-Area Companies in Medtech, Ocean Robotics, Maritime Autonomy and Data
Trondheim is the main city of central Norway and home to NTNU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and St. Olavs University Hospital. That mix shows in its startups: medical devices born in hospital research, underwater robots, self-driving ferry software and data platforms for the ocean industries. The 2026 version of this article listed ten names. When we checked them, three turned out to be based in Sandnes, Bergen or near Oslo, two had gone through bankruptcy, and two could no longer be found operating. For this 2027 edition we checked each company on its own website and in the official Brønnøysund register in November 2026 to confirm that it still operates, that it is based in Trondheim and what it sells. What happened to the old names is listed near the end.
Quick answer: the Trondheim startups to watch in 2027 are Cimon Medical (brain blood-flow monitoring for newborns), Picterus (newborn jaundice screening with a phone), Blueye Robotics (underwater drones), Zeabuz (autonomy software for ferries and boats), MazeMap (indoor maps), Eelume (all-terrain underwater robots) and Clarify (an industrial data platform). For support, start with NTNU Technology Transfer, the student-run Spark* NTNU, Innovation Norway and the Research Council of Norway's SkatteFUNN tax scheme.
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Why Trondheim Matters for Founders in 2027
Most companies on this list grew out of research in the city. Cimon Medical's technology comes from NTNU's ultrasound research and St. Olavs Hospital, MazeMap's first client was St. Olavs Hospital, and Zeabuz lists several NTNU professors as advisers. Many of them also work on the sea: Blueye, Zeabuz and Eelume build underwater or maritime technology, and Clarify sells data tools to fish farms and shipping companies. If you come from health or ocean technology, Trondheim gives you researchers, test sites and early customers close together.
If you plan to visit, our guide to startup events in Norway lists where founders and investors meet, and startup events in Oslo covers the capital. For other European research cities, compare our lists for Zurich, Aachen, Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Glasgow.
Trondheim Startups to Watch in 2027 Compared
Sources: each company's official website and the Brønnøysund Register Centre, checked 2 November 2026. None of these companies publishes a funding total on its site, so we cite none, except MazeMap's EU grant.
The Trondheim Startups to Watch in 2027
1. Cimon Medical: monitoring blood flow in newborns' brains
Cimon Medical develops and manufactures Doppler ultrasound technology for hospitals. Its first product, NeoDoppler, gives continuous, non-invasive monitoring of blood flow in a baby's brain during birth, resuscitation and intensive care; the company also shows a second product, ResQDoppler. Its about page says the technology comes from the ultrasound research community at NTNU and St. Olavs University Hospital, where it was invented by Professor Hans Torp and paediatric cardiologist Siri Ann Nyrnes, and that NeoDoppler launched as its first regulatory approved product in the fourth quarter of 2022. NeoDoppler is CE certified and sold across Europe through distributors and direct sales. The company's address is Professor Brochs gate 6 in Trondheim, and the old article's claim that it is an Oslo company was wrong.
Lesson for founders: Cimon Medical started from a clinical gap that doctors at its partner hospital saw every day. When your first users sit in the same building as your inventors, you can test and improve much faster.
Best for: founders in medtech, neonatal care and medical imaging.
2. Picterus: jaundice screening with a smartphone
Picterus makes Picterus Jaundice Pro, an app that screens newborns for jaundice with a smartphone camera and a calibration card, without a blood test. Its about page says it was founded in Trondheim in 2015, that the app is CE certified as a class IIa medical device, and that in 2025 it set up a nonprofit, Picterus Newborn Health, to bring screening to low-resource settings. Its homepage reports more than 10,000 newborns screened. It does not publish funding figures.
Lesson for founders: Picterus turned a phone that parents and midwives already own into a medical screening tool. Software on existing hardware can reach far more people than a new device.
Best for: founders in digital health, maternal and child health and global health.
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3. Blueye Robotics: underwater drones for professionals
Blueye Robotics builds small remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) used in aquaculture, defence, shipping, ports, research and search and recovery. In May 2026 it launched its next generation of products, the Blueye X7 and X3 Ultra ROVs and the Blueye Cloud, after what it calls a decade of supporting underwater operations worldwide. In August 2025 it announced a contract to deliver ROVs to the Royal Netherlands Navy. Its address is Strandveien 43 in Trondheim, and the Brønnøysund register lists Blueye Robotics AS there since 2015.
Lesson for founders: Blueye sells the same core product to fish farms, inspectors and now navies. One sturdy product can open several markets when you add the right software and services.
Best for: founders in ocean tech, robotics and dual-use hardware.
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4. Zeabuz: autonomy for ferries and boats
Zeabuz makes autonomy software for vessels: its core product ZeaMate can pilot a vessel, with autonomous navigation, autodocking and collision avoidance, and its ZeaControl motion control system is also sold on its own. It serves urban and road ferries, workboats, aquaculture and defence. The company says its technology powered MF Estelle in Stockholm, which it calls the world's first autonomous commercial passenger ferry. Its news page reports that the first Virtual Cable Ferry System went into use in Åland in September 2026 and that Zeabuz was selected for Yinson GreenTech's HydroFerry programme in October 2026. Its main office is at Skippergata 14 in Trondheim, and its advisers include several NTNU professors in marine and autonomous systems.
Lesson for founders: Zeabuz points to a real passenger ferry as proof while it sells its software as a platform for many vessel types. A visible flagship project makes a hard technology easy to believe.
Best for: founders in maritime tech, autonomy and mobility.
5. MazeMap: indoor maps for campuses and hospitals
MazeMap builds indoor maps and wayfinding for universities, hospitals and offices, plus space booking, indoor positioning and analytics. Its timeline says it started in 2013, when the team behind Campusguiden founded the company and St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim became the first client. It opened offices in the US in 2016 and Australia in 2017, had clients in 25 countries by 2018, won NOK 21 million in EU funding in 2019, and in 2025 bought thing-it.com and launched MazeMap Workplace for desk, room and parking booking. Its contact page lists its Norwegian office at Strandveien 43 in Trondheim and a German office in Frankfurt.
Lesson for founders: MazeMap started with one local hospital as a client and grew into campuses abroad. A demanding first customer next door can become your best reference.
Best for: founders in proptech, workplace software and mapping.
6. Eelume: all-terrain underwater robots
Eelume builds what it calls all-terrain autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs): robots with an articulated body that can move close to the seabed, along steep slopes, under ice and around subsea structures to inspect them with sonar and cameras. Its S-series is available to order, for defence and security, infrastructure and energy, and research. Its about page says it is headquartered in Trondheim, at Transittgata 14, and the Brønnøysund register lists Eelume AS there since 2015. It does not publish funding figures.
Lesson for founders: Eelume's unusual body shape lets it go where torpedo-shaped vehicles cannot. In crowded hardware markets, a clear physical difference is easy for buyers to understand.
Best for: founders in subsea robotics, defence tech and energy infrastructure.
7. Clarify: turning industrial data into decisions
Clarify runs an industrial data platform that collects sensor and operations data and adds analytics, alerts and AI on top, for aquaculture, defence, shipping and infrastructure. Its customer stories include the land-based salmon farmer Salmon Evolution. Its site says it was founded in 2013 and gives its address as Jarleveien 4 in Trondheim; the company is registered as Searis AS, and the old searis.no address now leads to clarify.io. In October 2026 it announced that it had become a core partner in Testination, combining data from sensors and autonomous systems into one operational picture.
Lesson for founders: Clarify serves the ocean industries around it, from fish farms to shipping and defence. Selling to the industries in your own region can give you a strong niche before you go wide.
Best for: founders in industrial software, IoT and aquaculture tech.
Where Trondheim Startups Get Support
- NTNU Technology Transfer: since 2005 it has helped researchers and staff at NTNU and the Central Norway Regional Health Authority turn ideas into products and companies, with rights clearance, patents, business development, prototypes, company formation and licence deals.
- Spark* NTNU: free, student-run guidance for NTNU students in Trondheim, Ålesund and Gjøvik who want to start something. It says it has guided more than 1,000 startups since 2013, offers the SMN-Bidraget grant of up to NOK 25,000 to test technology or a market, and runs Boost Henne.
- Proneo: incubator services, business development and commercialisation support, with offices in Verdal, Stjørdal, Flatanger and Trondheim.
- Digs: a coworking community that calls itself the leading startup community in Trondheim, now part of Mesh Community, with memberships from flexible desks to offices, meeting rooms and events.
- Innovation Norway: the state's business development agency offers financing, advice, networks and free online courses, with a start-up section for businesses with a new idea for the market.
- SkatteFUNN (Research Council of Norway): a tax deduction for research and development projects, open to companies of any size registered in the Brønnøysund register and taxable in Norway. The 2026 call gives a deduction of 19 per cent of project costs.
Trondheim Companies From the Old List That Changed or Could Not Be Verified
The 2026 version of this article listed ten names. Here is what we found when we checked each one in November 2026:
- Kept: Cimon Medical (corrected: it is based in Trondheim, not Oslo) and Blueye Robotics still operate from Trondheim.
- Boost.ai: a real conversational AI company, but the Brønnøysund register lists it in Sandnes, near Stavanger, not Trondheim, so we left it out.
- Sensor Globe: active in salmon farming data, but its site gives addresses in Bergen and Stavanger, so we left it out.
- Wattif EV: the register lists it in Bergen, and the old web address no longer loads, so we left it out.
- Lift Ocean: the original Lift Ocean AS went bankrupt according to the register; the hydrofoil product now comes from Lift Ocean Marine AS at Fornebu near Oslo, so it is not a Trondheim company.
- Dropracks: its web shop still lists roof racks, but the register shows only a bankruptcy estate for Dropracks AS in Trondheim, registered in March 2025, so we did not list it.
- CardioMech: its site still gives a Trondheim postal address, but the register now lists its business address care of an Oslo law firm, and its heart valve repair device is still for investigational use only, so we could not confirm a team in Trondheim.
- FlowMotion and Kybernesis: FlowMotion's website no longer loads and we found no Trondheim company of that name; Kybernesis's web address only forwards to a social media page, so we could not confirm that either still operates.
We also removed the old article's unsourced claims, its links to third-party startup lists and its general marketing sections.
Which Trondheim Startup Should You Learn From?
- You build medtech: study Cimon Medical for working with a university hospital from day one, and Picterus for turning a phone into a certified medical device.
- You build ocean or subsea hardware: study Blueye for selling one product to fish farms, inspectors and navies, and Eelume for a product shape that is easy to tell apart.
- You build autonomy or mobility: study Zeabuz for using a real passenger ferry as its showcase.
- You build B2B software: study MazeMap for growing from one local hospital to clients abroad, and Clarify for serving the industries in its own region.
- You are a student: start with Spark* NTNU for free guidance, then NTNU Technology Transfer if your idea builds on research.
- You need money for R&D: look at Innovation Norway's start-up support and the SkatteFUNN tax deduction.
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How Founders Use Trondheim's Startup Scene
Notice the pattern: most companies here began with research at NTNU or a need seen at St. Olavs Hospital, used local support and public money first, and later sold far beyond Norway. If you build deep tech, plan for each step. Compare programmes in our guides to deep tech incubators in Europe and deep tech accelerators in Europe, and see where similar companies cluster in our guide to deep tech cities in Europe. For money, see deep tech VCs in Europe, deep tech angel investors in Europe, grants for early-stage startups in Europe and grants for female entrepreneurs.
If you are still choosing a base, compare Norway with other options in our guide to the best countries for startups in Europe and our list of startup incubators in Europe. Medtech and robotics founders can meet buyers and investors at the top medtech startup events and top robotics startup events.
Before you copy any of these business models, validate your startup idea with real customers. Hospitals, navies and industrial buyers research suppliers long before they call, so you need to be easy to find online: list your startup in the F/MS marketing directories, publish your startup press release, and write about your product with the F/MS AI SEO Tool so customers, investors and AI assistants can find you.
FAQ About Trondheim Startups to Watch in 2027
Which Trondheim startups should I watch in 2027?
Our verified list: Cimon Medical, Picterus, Blueye Robotics, Zeabuz, MazeMap, Eelume and Clarify. Each still operates and gives a Trondheim address on its own site or in the Brønnøysund register, checked in November 2026.
Why do so many Trondheim startups come from NTNU and St. Olavs Hospital?
NTNU is Norway's university of science and technology and works closely with St. Olavs University Hospital. Cimon Medical's technology was invented there, MazeMap's first client was St. Olavs, and NTNU Technology Transfer helps staff turn research into companies.
Is Trondheim good for ocean tech startups?
Yes. Blueye Robotics builds underwater drones, Eelume builds all-terrain underwater robots, Zeabuz builds autonomy for ferries and boats, and Clarify sells data tools to fish farms and shipping companies, all from Trondheim.
Which Trondheim startups work in health?
Cimon Medical monitors blood flow in newborns' brains with its CE-certified NeoDoppler, and Picterus screens newborns for jaundice with a CE-certified smartphone app that it says has screened more than 10,000 newborns.
What happened to Boost.ai, Lift Ocean and Dropracks?
Boost.ai is registered in Sandnes, not Trondheim. Lift Ocean's original company went bankrupt and the product now comes from a new company near Oslo. Dropracks AS shows only a bankruptcy estate in the register, although its web shop is still online.
How much funding have Trondheim startups raised?
None of the seven companies publishes a funding total on its own site. The only figure we can cite is MazeMap's NOK 21 million in EU funding in 2019, from its own timeline.
Where can students in Trondheim get help starting a company?
Spark* NTNU offers free guidance to NTNU students and the SMN-Bidraget grant of up to NOK 25,000. Researchers and hospital staff can go to NTNU Technology Transfer.
What public funding can Norwegian startups use?
Innovation Norway offers financing and advice for start-ups, and the Research Council of Norway's SkatteFUNN scheme gives a tax deduction of 19 per cent of R&D project costs in its 2026 call.
What can founders learn from Trondheim startups?
Start from real research and a real user nearby, show the product working for one visible customer, and then sell the same core product into several industries or countries.
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You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools. Get a quality backlink.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
