Strategic support for investors and start-ups

Managing and growing startup investments can be a daunting task for both investors and founders. Investors often lack the time for detailed follow-ups, and founders, while passionate, may need guidance to effectively utilize large investments. This is where my expertise comes in.

The Challenge

Both investors and startups face significant challenges. Investors need to ensure their portfolio companies are managed effectively, while startups often struggle with:

  • Experience: Lacking the necessary expertise to make informed decisions.

  • Time: Balancing daily operations with long-term strategic planning.

  • Resources: Not having enough people to execute their vision effectively.

  • Strategic Development: Crafting and implementing growth strategies.

  • Efficient Use of Funds: Ensuring capital is used wisely to drive growth.

  • Talent Acquisition and Development: Building and nurturing a strong team.

  • Pitch Training: Effectively communicating their vision to potential investors.

My Solution

I provide strategic support to bridge this gap, helping both investors and startups thrive. My approach simplifies complex strategies, ensuring clarity and focus for both startups and investors.

Services I Offer

Weekly Portfolio Oversight: Regular check-ins to keep startups on track.

  • Strategic Guidance: Tailored advice on growth strategies and business models.

  • Pitch Training: Helping startups prepare and refine their pitches to attract the right investors.

  • Team Dynamics and Hiring: Assisting in building effective teams and structures.

  • Investment Strategy: Enhancing investment approaches for better returns.

  • Innovation Manager Services: Overseeing creative and strategic development to drive company innovation.

  • Vision and Strategy Development: Helping startups define their long-term goals and map the path to achieve them.

  • Investor Relations: Assisting in securing the right investors and ensuring a strong investment structure.

  • Product and Business Model Evolution: Contributing to the ongoing development and vision of the product and business model.

My Experience

As a Norwegian serial entrepreneur based in Lisbon, I’ve co-founded several companies. I am a co-founder of Zwipe, a company that raised significant funds and went on to complete an IPO in both Norway and Sweden. Additionally, as CEO of Extratime, I led the company in securing approximately €1 million in cash and services. My background includes a bachelor’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and an MBA in Strategy and Leadership. I’ve also served as an Expert Evaluator for the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program and provided strategic consultancy for companies like Nyby and Lexolve, helping them and others raise over €5 million.

Additional Achievements

Fullpotentialpeople: I am also an author, having written a book that explores the psychological and sociological dimensions of different personality types and their interactions with entrepreneurial environments. I share insights and strategies for navigating the challenges of building and scaling a startup and why everyone needs to be aligned to succeed. This work further underscores my commitment to helping founders and investors achieve success.

Explore my services

I invite you to explore my services and plans to see how I can help your company grow and, as an investor, how I can make your investments thrive.

  • Strategic Guidance: Tailored advice on growth strategies and business models.

    Strategic development and long-term vision of the company.

  • Team Dynamics and Hiring

    Assistance in building effective teams and organizational structures.

  • Weekly Portfolio Oversight: Regular check-ins to ensure startups stay on track.

    Identifying the real opportunities, spending and keeping control over smart use of invested money.

    Helping out finding new investments and government grants.

  • Innovation Manager Services

    Overseeing creative and strategic development to drive company innovation.

Choose your plan

Basic

Hourly rate:
For ad-hoc consultations and specific projects.

Intermediate

Monthly Retainer:
For ongoing support and regular strategic guidance.

15h per Month

Advanced

Monthly Retainer:
For ongoing support and regular strategic guidance.

Project-Based Fees: For well-defined projects with specific deliverables.

Success Fees: A percentage of the funds and grants raised or goals achieved, ensuring alignment of interests and outcomes.

Portefolio

  • Nyby

    Served as strategic consultant for Nyby

    Strategic Adviser for Nyby:
    I have completed several short-term projects as a strategic adviser and business plan writer for Nyby. I helped strategically develop the company and helped them raise funds through grant programs, which in turn fueled new investments.

    Working Areas Included:

    Strategic development

    Business development

    Product development

    Fundraising and grants

    Nyby.com
  • Lexolve

    Served as strategic consulant for Lexolve AI law tech

    Helped strategically develop the company and raised governmental grants that fueled Lexolve´s seed round.

    Working Areas Included:

    Strategic development

    Business development

    Product development

    Fundraising and grants

    lexolve.com
  • Extratime

    Co-founder & early stage investor of Extratime

    Co-founder & investor of Extratime Ltd: I co-founded Extratime, As CEO, I invested and raised €120K in early stage round and raised about €1 million in cash and services in the following round.

    Past Roles: CEO and Board Member

    Working Areas:

    Strategic development

    Fundraising

    Business development

    Concept development

    Product development

    PR

    Advisory services

    Current Role: Passive shareholder

    Extratime.io

  • Zwipe

    Co-founder of Zwipe: I co-founded Zwipe, a company that raised significant funds and successfully completed an IPO in both Norway and Sweden.

    Roles at Zwipe:

    Sales and Marketing Director: Led the company’s sales and marketing efforts.

    Chairman and Board Member: Served as Chairman and board member during the company's formative years.

    Working Areas:

    Sales & marketing

    Strategic development

    Business development

    Product development

    PR

    Fundraising and grants

    Consultancy Role: Returned to Zwipe in 2018 as a consultant, where I authored an EC application that secured a €2.5 million grant from Horizon 2020.

    Current Status: Full Exit

    Zwipe.com
  • European Commission

    Served as Expert evaluator for the Innovation program Horizon 2020

    Served as an Expert Evaluator for the Innovation Program Horizon 2020 (2015-2018)

    During my tenure from 2015 to 2018, I worked as an Expert Evaluator for the European Commission's Horizon 2020 program. In this role, I evaluated hundreds of business plans, focusing on new business models, human resources, and artificial intelligence. My responsibilities typically involved assessing proposals and recommending the allocation of grants, often totalling up to 2.5 million euros.

    This experience provided me with deep insights into strategic innovation and the rigorous evaluation processes of large-scale European funding programs. The skills and knowledge I gained during this time continue to inform my current work, where I offer strategic advice and consultancy to businesses seeking to navigate complex innovation landscapes.

    Disclaimer: My current services are provided independently and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the European Union or any of its programs.

    Horizon 2020

  • Co-Author of the Fullpotentialpeople

    Co-author of a book focused on helping individuals and teams reach their full potential. The book delves into understanding the dynamics between founders and investors, as well as the different ways people think and operate within an organization. In addition to writing, I conduct workshops for companies and schools, where I share practical insights and strategies to foster collaboration and growth.

    fullpotentialpeople.com

About

Joakim is an award-winning dynamic series entrepreneur with a passion for creating and helping others reach their full potential. He has a Bachelor's degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Vest Agder University where he won the award for most innovative student company in Europe. Joakim holds an MBA in Strategy and Leadership from the University of Nordland.

Joakim´s natural fit is to take on high-energy projects. He loves a new challenge to do what he is best at, developing concepts, ideation, strategic big-picture thinking, and developing teams.

Throughout his career, Joakim has co-founded several companies, including Zwipe, IPO (known for creating the world's first contactless fingerprint payment card), LudusArts (a platform for creatives), Waterdrop (a film and animation production company) and Extratime (an AI generative sports solution). He also worked as a strategic consultant for startups such as Lexolve (an AI law tech company) and Nyby (a sharing economy platform in the health industry).

In each of these ventures, Joakim played a vital role in raising pre-seed and seed rounds, including governmental funds, and served as CEO and board member for several of them, guiding the companies through their early stages. His breakthrough energy and ability to build from chaos have been invaluable in his work.

In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Joakim is also an author, guest speaker, and workshop facilitator, sharing his insights and knowledge with schools and companies alike. The picture is from a workshop in Brussels where I delivered a speech and shared my insights on how to improve the evaluation processes for European Commission funding applications, specifically within the Horizon 2020 program, to better support innovative companies and optimize the program's overall impact.

Let’s Build!

I am ready to take work with you on your startup or investment and increase the chance of success. I promise a client-centric approach that empowers ideas, eases concerns, and delivers quality.

Contact Information

Feel free to reach out to me via email.

Email: joakim.e.solberg@gmail.com

Address: Rua da Prata 80, 1100-415 Lisboa