Startup hub manager Anette Gangnæs of Business Lillestrøm looks forward to an even closer collaboration with Rælingen Mayor Gro Langdalen and business liaison Monica Nymoen. Photo: Lars Mariåsen, Rælingen Municipality
The Rælingen municipal council has decided to enter into a three-year partnership agreement with the startup hub Business Lillestrøm for operational support from 2026 to 2028.
The agreement entails Rælingen Municipality entering into a partnership with the startup hub Business Lillestrøm to strengthen local entrepreneurship and business development. This includes operational support of NOK 200,000 per year.
Rælingen Municipality is facing increasing demands for restructuring, value creation, and sustainable community development.
– To meet these challenges, there is a need for a robust business sector, new jobs, and a strengthened ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship. A collaboration with the startup hub Business Lillestrøm therefore appears to be a natural and strategic choice to strengthen business development and the municipality's overall innovation capacity, says Rælingen Mayor Gro Langdalen.
Solid track record
General Manager of Business Lillestrøm, Anette Gangnæs, views the decision by the Rælingen municipal council as a strong recognition of the work done to help startups succeed.
– Business Lillestrøm is intended to be an arena for creativity and opportunity, a place where entrepreneurs are encouraged to think big, test ideas, and develop the solutions of the future. With this initiative, entrepreneurs gain visibility and access to a large network from day one, which provides entirely different conditions for early success, says General Manager of Business Lillestrøm, Anette Gangnæs.
Since its inception in 2015, Business Lillestrøm has supported 161 startup companies, which have created more than 550 jobs. The survival rate for these companies (measured after four years) is 76 percent. That is almost double the national average.
Strongly anchored
The agreement between the municipality and Business Lillestrøm means that local entrepreneurs will have access to guidance, networks, facilities, and programs for startups. Rælingen Municipality will gain access to expertise, partner days, and visibility.
The new partnership is anchored in the municipality's action plan for 2026–2029. The agreement fills an unmet need for local startup support. It will also contribute to strengthening the Romerike region's ability to create the 12,500 new jobs by 2030 that NHO estimates are needed.
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