Epinova and eleven other companies become one NOVA

“We will continue to build on our strengths while removing barriers to collaboration and growth,” says Group CEO Geir Allan Hove.

Since 2007, we at NOVA have built specialist teams with extensive senior expertise. Through new ventures and acquisitions, we have expanded our range of disciplines and geographic reach. Today, we are more than 500 people across twelve companies in Norway and Sweden. Last year, our combined revenue was just under NOK 1 billion.

The merger is the biggest change in NOVA’s history.

“We believe our specialist focus is well suited to the IT market of the future, and that AI will only increase the need for senior expertise. At the same time, we are seeing growing demand for full-service providers. We are therefore removing the barriers between the subsidiaries, enabling us to deliver senior-led, integrated teams across disciplines,” says Hove.

NOVA’s strong specialist teams and specialist focus will continue to be an important part of the company.

“We do not want to become yet another large, centrally managed generalist. On the contrary, we will build on our strengths: deep expertise, specialisation and autonomy. But we will make it easier for specialists from different disciplines to work together and submit joint bids for the most exciting and complex client engagements,” says Hove.

One of the largest digital services practices in the Nordics

Epinova will join Novacare, Pineberry, Rocket and Dekode in the new digital services business area. Together, the companies have revenue of more than NOK 500 million.

Together, we will become one of the largest digital services practices in the Nordics. We will deliver web development, e-commerce, content management solutions and marketing.

The other three business areas will be:

• Northern Beat and the newly established NovaNXT will focus on strategy, change management and user experience.

• Point Taken will focus on implementing Microsoft solutions.

• Novanet and Agder-based Egde will spearhead NOVA’s work in AI, data and analytics.

Cybersecurity has also been identified as a fifth growth area, with plans to establish it through acquisitions.

Moving forward together in the Nordics

The merger is also part of NOVA’s ambition to continue growing across the Nordics.

“We already have a strong position in Norway and Sweden, and the new structure will serve as the platform for building a leading Nordic group. A unified NOVA makes us better equipped to support our clients across national borders and attract the strongest specialist teams from across the region,” says Hove.

“The core of NOVA, our strong specialist teams, will remain. We will ensure that our consultants experience as little change as possible in their day-to-day work in the short term. At the same time, a unified NOVA will provide more career paths, broader professional networks and better opportunities for development,” says Hove.

Better equipped for an AI-driven market

Explore Equity has held a 45 per cent minority stake in NOVA since 2020. Mats Erik Mikkelsen is Investment Director at Explore Equity.

“We believe the reorganisation will leave NOVA much better positioned to take a leading role in AI. With a senior-led organisation and expertise in technology consulting and change management, NOVA is already well placed to respond to the changes ahead. Bringing the group together will allow us to move even faster and win the AI race,” says Mikkelsen.

Explore Equity, the other owners and the management team all support the decision.

“We are making these changes now because we want to shape our own development and build the NOVA of the future on our own terms. The purpose is not to shrink, cut costs or abandon what has made us strong. It is about bringing our strengths together so that we can continue to grow, win larger clients, share knowledge more effectively and create more opportunities for our people,” says Hove.

Read NOVA’s press release