Årets
Utmanare
2025

On 13 January 2026, Verdane announced the sale of Bildeler.no (“Bildeler”) to Evity for an undisclosed consideration. Evity is a long-term, active owner of high-quality small- and medium-sized companies in Northern Europe. Operating in Norway, Bildeler is a leading marketplace and e-retailer of automotive wear-and-tear spare parts, holding strong market positions in both the B2C/DIY segment and the B2B segment. The company has delivered significant growth in recent years, particularly within B2B. ABG Sundal Collier acted as financial advisor to Verdane in the transaction. ABGSC also acted as advisor in 2019 when Verdane and then-owner Canica announced the establishment of a partnership involving the further development of Bildeler and certain other e-commerce companies.

On 7 January 2026, Zilch, the UK and EMEA’s fastest-growing fintech, announced it has signed an agreement to acquire AB Fjord Bank, a Lithuania-based bank that is authorised and regulated by the Bank of Lithuania and the European Central Bank. Launched in 2021, Fjord Bank is a profitable and fully regulated challenger bank, focusing on online consumer lending and savings products that have built a strong reputation for trust, transparency and digital delivery. Zilch, the London-headquartered consumer payments platform, is backed by leading global firms including AWS, Deutsche Bank and Visa, and has surpassed $200m annual revenue and passed 5.5m registered customers. The acquisition represents a major strategic milestone for Zilch, enabling the business to passport its market-leading proposition across Europe with remarkable capital efficiency, whilst broadening its product capabilities. Zilch will establish Lithuania as its European headquarters, using Vilnius as its operational and regulatory platform for expansion across the region. The transaction is expected to complete in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approval. ABG Sundal Collier is delighted to have had the opportunity to support Fjord Bank in its ownership transition, and would like to thank the company and its owners for partnering with us in connection with this exciting transaction.

On 18 December 2025, Aquabyte Inc. (“Aquabyte” or the “Company”), a provider of AI-powered real-time monitoring solutions for the aquaculture industry, announced it has partnered with Vitruvian Partners (“Vitruvian”). Vitruvian has acquired a majority ownership position in the Company, with existing institutional investors, management and key employees remaining as significant minority shareholders. Existing institutional investors include, but are not limited to, Costanoa Ventures, NEA, SoftBank Ventures Asia and ArcTern Ventures.

Founded in 2017, Aquabyte has experienced rapid growth with its offering that combines advanced AI algorithms, sophisticated underwater camera technology and deep fish-farming expertise to provide a comprehensive smart monitoring software platform. The new ownership enables Aquabyte to further invest in technology, people and processes in a rapidly growing market.

ABG Sundal Collier is delighted to have had the opportunity to support Aquabyte in its ownership transition, and would like to thank the company and its owners for partnering with us in connection with this exciting transaction!

Norway’s Best Group (“NBG”) has completed the acquisition of Narvikfjellet and Polar Park, expanding its portfolio with a strategically significant destination in Northern Norway. The transaction strengthens NBG’s position as a leading operator within Norwegian tourism and reinforces its commitment to year-round, experience-based travel. With the combination of iconic natural attractions, a growing international visitor base, and strong regional support, the deal represents a highly strategic step for NBG as it scales its nationwide offering.

Norway’s Best Group is a leading Norwegian tourism company offering curated nature-based experiences across Western and Northern Norway, including major destinations such as Flåm, Myrkdalen and fjord cruises. By adding Narvikfjellet and Polar Park to its portfolio, NBG significantly enhances its reach and strengthens its product offering across seasons and regions.

ABG Sundal Collier is proud to have acted as exclusive financial advisor to Norway’s Best Group on this acquisition, supporting the company in executing its strategic ambition to develop a strong, sustainable and internationally competitive year-round tourism platform in Norway.

On Friday 12 December 2025, Jigsaw Bidco AS (“Puzzel” or the “Company”) successfully completed its inaugural NOK 1,000m senior secured bond issue with a 3-year tenor to refinance the existing debt in the Company and for general corporate purposes. The bond issue attracted strong interest from a broad range of institutional investors.

Puzzel is a leading provider of mission critical, cloud-based customer experience software solutions with its primary foothold in the Nordics and UK, and growing presence in Benelux. Puzzel serves ~950 active customers across industries with a particular focus on regulated sectors (e.g. finance, utilities, public sector). The Company is backed by Marlin Equity Partners, a leading global investment firm specialising in software and technology.

ABG Sundal Collier appreciates the opportunity to assist Marlin Equity Partners and Puzzel with their inaugural Nordic bond issue.

On Thursday 11 December 2025, Butterfly Holdco Pte Limited (“EQT”) completed the sale of 8 million shares in Enity Holding AB (publ) (“Enity”), corresponding to approximately 16% of the shares in Enity at a price of SEK 83 per share, yielding proceeds of SEK 664 million. Following the transaction EQT will hold approximately 24% of the shares in Enity.

ABG Sundal Collier acted as Joint Bookrunner in connection with the placement. This is ABG Sundal Collier’s second transaction with Enity and its main owner EQT, following the IPO earlier this year.