Highsoft Nominated Norway’s Entrepeneur of the Year

Could Highsoft be the Entrepreneur of the year?

This article is translated from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s website. Authors are Eli Eikenæs Vengen. Read the original article and watch the video at NRK Sogn og Fjordane.

Won in 2012: Entrepreneur of the year in Sogn og Fjordane. Here are Grethe Hjetland (CEO) and Torstein Hønsi (CTO) after receiving the title entrepreneur of the year in Sogn og Fjordane, in October 2012. Photo: Gro Ravnestad/NRK

Highsoft Solutions is nominated to an exquisite title

Innovation Norway is behind the award ceremony, “Signalkonferansen”, which takes place in Oslo May 28, 2013.

Innovation Norway is the Norwegian Government’s instrument for innovation and development of Norwegian enterprises and industry and is now rewarding Norwegian companies in the categories: entrepreneur of the year, the company of the year, best innovation environment and best value initiator.

The companies represent the elite of Norwegian industry and are a significant part of the future of Norway.

-We are proud to present the finalists with such diversity. It has not been easy to choose the finalists, says Gunn Ovesen, CEO in Innovation Norway.

Honor and NOK 250 000

-They are already winners. There are 3 candidates in each category, and being one of them is already a big accomplishment, says Halvor Flatland, president of Innovation Norway´s division in Sogn og Fjordane.

The winning company in each category gets honor and a check for NOK 250 000 (about USD 43,000).

Highsoft Solution AS derives from an idea of visualization of snow depth on the mountain surrounding Vik, where Highsoft Solutions AS now is established as a solid company.

Torstein, CTO, had initially no intentions on commercializing his idea and is now nominated to become the entrepreneur of the year, together with Beck Engineering from Oslo and West Drilling Products from Rogaland.

In 2012 Highsoft Solutions won the same title at a regional level. The title was then presented by The Savings Bank Foundation of Sogn og Fjordane and the local Savings bank in Sogn og Fjordane, together with the local division of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). Highsoft won the title and a check of NOK 100 000 (about 11,000 USD).

A fairytale starting as a hobby

This is the fairytale of Torstein Hønsi who made international business on his hobby. With a genius business model and a product in world class we are looking at a great example on how a local idea may have global potentials, says Flatland.

The company develops Highcharts and Highstock that are programming tools used to visualize graphs and diagrams in a web browser, a dashboard or in web applications.

The tools may i.e. be used to visualize financial data like currency- and stock markets, weather data or as management tools.

-The nomination is motivating and inspiring for the entire Highsoft Solutions AS team. We have worked hard to get where we are and it is therefore rewarding to be appreciated for all the hard work and to see that we are achieving good results, says Grethe Hjetland, CEO.

Hjetland and Hønsi are currently in Silicon Valley, were they are participating in an entrepreneur program for IT startups (Tinc), hosted by Innovation Norway.