The iPhone creates a new type of company
Apps AS, a small Norwegian company, is setting up shop in Trondheim, Norway. They already have a small development office in Oslo and are now expanding to a new city. Trondheim is mostly known as the only city in Norway that once housed Google, Yahoo, Sun, ARM and Microsoft development groups. A result of the local NTNU university which focuses heavily on math, structural engineering, shipping, architecture and cybernetics. Trondheim also has a high number of female intellectuals. Although most of them prefer medical professions and jobs that require expensive wardrobes.
Here are some pictures from Pirsenteret – a technology incubator building for start-up companies, education institutions and established businesses. Office space costs a fortune in Norway and because of this many start-ups end up next to the shipping industry since the land is cheaper there. Well, cheaper in a Norwegian context that is. Norway is basically like Alaska with inner city Tokyo prices.
What makes Apps special is that they only focus on the Norwegian iPhone marked. And since the iPad is still not available they will probably see more growth ahead. They are still not making real money, but expenses are low and the marked is hot.
These guys are not related to my other iPhone platform success story.