This is Kistefos

Kistefos AS is a privately owned investment company located at Aker Brygge in Oslo.

The business consists of wholly owned industrial enterprises in the offshore, shipping and property department sectors, as well as strategic investment interests in various listed and unlisted companies, primarily in the field of IT and telecommunication.

In Kistefos, quality in both the investment and ownership phases is critical to the successful long-term creation of value. The ability to develop a good analytical basis for decision-making and following up decision-making procedures in a thorough and professional manner, reduces risk and helps to guarantee an attractive return on capital invested.

The company is owned by Christen Sveaas and is under the leadership of Managing Director Åge Korsvold.

Kistefos is organised into the following divisions:

Venture Capital
Private Equity
Offshore
Shipping
Real Estate
Other Businesses

History and Investment Philosophy

Kistefos is owned by Christen Sveaas and the name originates from the Kistefossen waterfalls south of Jevnaker, where the Sveaas family once ran A/S Kistefos Træsliberi. The renovated factory dating back to 1889 has now become a museum of industry and art, Kistefos-Museet.

The Kistefos investment philosophy is based on long-term value creation through active ownership. By supplying a combination of capital, industrial and financial skills and professional business management, Kistefos seeks to lay the foundations for profitable growth in the companies. In most cases this principally involves a combination of strategic repositioning, the implementation of operational efficiency measures, an adaptation of the financial structures and sector consolidation. Active ownership means that Kistefos on its own, or in a formalised collaborative effort with other shareholders, manages a controlling share in close collaboration with the companies' management and other shareholders.