CONNECT in Norway consists of five regional networks. The network's members are companies that represent competences from all branches both public and private sector. Their aim is to help entrepreneurs speed up their commercialisation process and prepare them to meet investors and industrial partners.

CONNECT Springboard®

CONNECT's main activity is assisting start-up companies and entrepreneurs in refining their business and financial strategies through a prosess called Springboard®. The entrepreneurs present their business plan before a group of business, marketing and management experts in order to improve their strategies and increase their chances of commercial success. The expert panel is selected especially for each entrepreneur helping entrepreneurs solve problems and identify opportunities, as well as providing practical advice on what actions should be taken to tap into these opportunities. In addition pre-springboards are organized for entrepreneurs with more immature business ideas and post-springboard for following up entrepreneurs.

Other activities

CONNECT also arrange other activities. At the CONNECT Investment Forum selected start-ups seeking venture capital meet venture capitalists interested in investment opportunities. CONNECT Partnership Forum is for start-ups, potential strategic partners and investors within the same or a related field.

Building successfull businesses in Norway

The benefits of a CONNECT membership is access to innovation and new business ideas as well as builing competence for the members' employees.  Being part of the CONNECT network is meeting new partners and or customers. CONNECT-members conduct corporate social responsibilty by contributing to build more successful businesses in Norway. CONNECT in Norway has more than 500 members.

The history of CONNECT

The Connect model and philosophy was founded by University of California San Diego (UCSD) in 1985. Today there are CONNECT organisations in New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Jordan, Estonia, Latvia, Taiwan, Mexico, Japan, Scotland, England with many others at an embryonic stage.  These organisations and others with a similar mission are linked by Global CONNECT in an informal international network.