We are proud to announce our investment in Charly Tech AB, a platform combining HR infrastructure with financial planning. Feminvest has followed the founders Lisa Malmros and Alexandra Karnig, they are addressing one of the most overlooked drivers of financial inequality: the economic impact of parenthood. 

 

"We believe that the commercial contracts signed in 2026 will significantly scale the distribution and sales of Charly’s services." states Mareauline Bernitz, Investment Manager Feminvest Ventures. 

 

Charly provides a B2B SaaS solution for employers that helps employees understand and plan the financial consequences of parental leave. By combining employer policies, social insurance rules, and financial modelling, the platform enables families to make informed decisions and supports companies in improving retention and workplace equality. In addition, Charly integrates savings and financial products, creating a long-term financial planning layer for employees. Distribution is through employer and advisory networks. 

We believe Charly operates at the intersection of several important trends: increasing focus on employee wellbeing, and the need for employers to retain talent through key life events. Parenthood remains one of the most critical moments where long-term income and pension gaps are created, particularly for women.  

 

 

**<u>We’ve also invested in Imagi, an Ed-Tech platform for schools to safely bring AI into the classroom</u>**

As AI adoption accelerates, schools are facing a clear challenge: they want students to learn and use AI, but cannot deploy consumer tools due to privacy, safety, and regulatory constraints (COPPA, FERPA, GDPR). Imagi solves this by offering a single, secure environment where students can access best-in-class AI tools, adapted for classroom use and aligned with curriculum.

The platform combines AI access, computer science education, and teacher workflows into one system. Teachers can easily integrate AI into lessons, while schools maintain full control over data, usage, and compliance. Imagi is already working with 80+ schools and districts, primarily in the US, with strong retention and growing demand driven by both bottom-up teacher adoption and top-down institutional interest.

Founder and CEO Dora Palfi combines deep product understanding with strong credibility in education and policy a rare combination when selling into schools and governments. Together with co-founder and CTO Beatrice Ionescu and a growing commercial team, Imagi is well positioned to scale.

This investment reflects our belief that the next generation should not only consume technology, but understand and shape it. We’re excited to support the team as they scale across schools, districts, and new markets.

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Feminvest Ventures invests in Charly and Imagi

A year ago, I brought in the first investors to our inaugural fund. It’s a responsibility I feel every day, especially in a complex market environment defined by financial risk, limited liquidity, and a geopolitical landscape that has created a new normal for investors.

[Explore interest to join our investor network.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedgB9nkFMlgAA48PnWdtVkKjPG07R3fJGQC6w3KYeoFQ_4Qw/viewform?usp=header)

Over the past year, more than 1,700 companies have applied for capital from the fund. We have selected companies by following them closely through our community. What we look for are strong founding teams who have built their businesses and reached customers, where commercialization is a key factor. In less than a year, we have invested in six companies so far. One portfolio company has interesting conversations going at a doubled valuation, another has tripled by the interest from other investors. We have also invested in an AI company collaborating with OpenAI. 

 

Building a fund with a community at its core has clear advantages. One example is our ability to share portfolio progress at FEARLESS, the largest conference in the Nordics for women in entrepreneurship, which we host ourselves. We use our community to evaluate investments, support commercialization, contribute to business development, establish international collaborations, and make relevant investor introductions. Through the community, our communications gain broader reach, and access to networks and expertise is always close at hand.

We have also had the opportunity to invest in two companies that actively sought us out, precisely because of who we are and what we stand for. There is still much work ahead. A fund typically spans seven to ten years.

We have already achieved a great deal, thanks to the trust we have been given, but also because our community provides valuable data points to guide us. That gives us renewed confidence and purpose moving forward. 

 

[Michaela Berglund](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelaberglund/)&#x20;

CEO [Feminvest](https://www.linkedin.com/company/feminvestsweden/) and Founder [Feminvest Ventures](https://www.linkedin.com/company/feminvest-ventures/)

&#x20;

[Join our community.](https://www.feminvest.se/en/medlemskap/)

[Apply to Feminvest Ventures](https://www.feminvest.se/en/ventures/)

[Grab a copy of our magazine.](https://r0n1xa-uq.myshopify.com/products/feminvest-magazine-no4)

The Feminvest Approach to Building Real Value

When Christian Dahl describes the Norwegian investment debate as "disappointing" in [Finansavisen](https://www.finansavisen.no/finans/2026/04/16/8344474/formue-sjef-til-motangrep-debatten-i-norge-er-skuffende), he points to a fundamental problem: "We are often more concerned with choosing away than understanding and learning." For family offices and private investors in the Nordics, this represents a familiar challenge. While local markets focus on limitations, real opportunities emerge through international perspectives and global networks.

## From local limitations to global opportunities

Christian Dahl's criticism, as reported by [Finansavisen](https://www.finansavisen.no/finans/2026/04/16/8344474/formue-sjef-til-motangrep-debatten-i-norge-er-skuffende), hits a nerve in Nordic investment circles. When an experienced capital manager describes the national investment debate as more focused on "choosing away rather than understanding and learning," it signals a fundamental difference between local and international investment philosophies.

For family offices navigating today's complex capital landscape, understanding home markets alone proves insufficient. The most successful investors systematically build networks that stretch across borders and sectors.

## Why international networks create value

Global investment thinking centers on three factors that local markets often miss:

**Opportunity diversification**: When Nordic markets stagnate or become oversaturated, international contacts open doors to entirely new sectors and growth regions.

**Knowledge exchange**: Investors with global exposure see patterns and trends before they reach local markets. This provides a crucial time advantage in investment decisions.

**Strategic partnerships**: The most valuable deals often arise through recommendations and joint investments across borders.

## Building cross-border investment access

For experienced investors, global exposure delivers concrete advantages:

**Benchmarking**: Compare investment strategies with international counterparts to refine your approach.

**Deal flow**: Access opportunities that traditional Nordic channels miss entirely.

**Risk management**: Understand how global trends affect local investments before the impact becomes obvious.

When Christian Dahl criticizes Norwegian investment debate for being more focused on "choosing away," he highlights the need for open, international dialogue that builds understanding rather than barriers.

## The practical advantage of global perspective

International networks provide family offices with systematic access to:

* International investors seeking Nordic opportunities
* Entrepreneurs with scalability beyond local markets
* Established PE and VC networks with global reach

Previous Nordic investment gatherings have demonstrated how these connections materialize. When participants from different markets and backgrounds gather, the most valuable contacts often form during informal conversations between formal program segments.

The contrast with Dahl's observation becomes clear: while local debates focus on what to avoid, international networks focus on what to pursue. [Feminvest's investment community](https://www.feminvest.se/en/ventures) exemplifies this approach—creating spaces where Nordic and international investors can engage in the type of constructive, opportunity-focused dialogue that Dahl advocates for.

Beyond Norwegian borders: Building global investment networks

When [Svenska Dagbladets Affärsbragd](https://www.svd.se/a/K88QqX/starkt-startfalt-de-slass-om-svd-affarsbragd) nominates 2026's most outstanding companies, a pattern emerges that Private Equity actors cannot ignore. Among the nine nominated companies appears a clear trend: companies with strong female representation deliver growth while creating entirely new markets. Natural Cycles revolutionized contraception, and Bolon transformed from local manufacturer to global premium brand under the Eklund sisters' leadership. For PE funds seeking the next investment opportunity, Nordic female-owned companies become increasingly interesting. They combine operational excellence with market growth in ways that few other segments can match.

## From Academia to Global Market Dominance

When physicist Elina Berglund Scherwitzl developed an algorithm to predict ovulation for personal use in 2013, she created what would become the world's first digitally approved contraceptive. Natural Cycles turned over approximately $100 million in 2025 and has been profitable since 2022. This performance reflects many Nordic female-led companies.

Bolon shows the same pattern. Sisters Marie and Annica Eklund took over the family company founded in 1949 and transformed it from a regional mat manufacturer to a global premium brand in woven vinyl flooring. Their customers include Chanel, Four Seasons, and Apple – brands that demand extremely high standards for quality and delivery.

## Market Access Through Operational Excellence

For PE investors, these companies represent something beyond success stories. They demonstrate an investment pattern where female leaders often build sustainable competitive advantages through operational discipline rather than capital injections alone.

This operational focus creates more stable growth trajectories than many traditional startup approaches. The companies highlighted in [SvD's nominations](https://www.svd.se/a/K88QqX/starkt-startfalt-de-slass-om-svd-affarsbragd) show consistent profitability and international expansion based on product excellence.

## Access to Exclusive Deal Flow

What makes Nordic female-owned companies particularly interesting for PE is accessibility. Many of these companies receive less attention from traditional VC funds, creating arbitrage opportunities for investors who understand the segment.

The Nordic region particularly benefits from this trend, where female entrepreneurs often build companies with strong fundamentals before seeking external capital. Companies like Bioarctic (founded by professor Lars Lannfelt and doctorate Pär Gellerfors) and Natural Cycles demonstrate how academic excellence translates into commercial success.

## Investment Categories Worth Tracking

Several sectors emerge as particularly attractive within the Nordic female ownership space:

**Digital Health**: Natural Cycles proves regulatory approval and global scaling possibilities. The company secured both European and FDA approval for its app-based contraceptive method.

**Premium Manufacturing**: Bolon's transformation under female leadership shows how traditional industries can achieve luxury positioning and global reach.

**Impact Investing**: Norrsken Foundation's development over ten years demonstrates how capital and networks can solve societal problems while generating returns.

**Technology Innovation**: Companies like Lovable, founded by Anton Osika and Fabian Hedin, show how AI-driven solutions can disrupt established industries.

The companies nominated for SvD Affärsbragd 2026 validate a broader investment thesis: Nordic female-owned companies often combine technical innovation with commercial pragmatism in ways that create sustainable value.

For investors seeking exposure to this growing category, [Feminvest Ventures](https://www.feminvest.se/en/ventures) provides specialized access to Nordic companies with at least 50% female ownership.

## Call to Action

Explore investment opportunities in Nordic female ownership. Connect with PE actors who already invest in this growing category and access exclusive deal flow in the region's most promising companies.

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