Aker pushes AI startups with lightning-fast pitches and venture backing

Einar K. Holt and Oscar G. Westbye, two 20-year-old developers, pitched their AI venture Tenki to Aker Biomarine’s Matts Johansen and Runway’s senior partner Sagar Chandna inside Aker’s former “dinosaur” building, which now hosts the RunwayFBU tech hub and RunwayVC fund. Johansen, who publicly invited AI entrepreneurs on LinkedIn, decided to move forward with Tenki after a five-second pitch, while Chandna described himself as a personal AI shopper for the group.

The event also showcased other AI companies, including Digel, which optimises factory operations, and Tasteforge, which creates data-driven product concepts, both already working with Aker subsidiaries. While the team expressed growing worries about potential data leaks when using external AI models, they remain confident in one outlet solutions. Runway has selected 15 out of 50 interviewed firms for its AI & Robotics Lab, intending to integrate them into Aker’s broader industrial network and recycle capital from recent exits such as WSense. The effort reflects Aker’s strategy to accelerate AI adoption across its portfolio, especially in areas like krill-product research.