From Startup Founder to Global Changemaker: Niklas Adalberth Receives Founder of the Year Honorary Award

Niklas Adalberth, Founder of Norrsken Foundation, received the Growth Rings in Gold as Founder of the Year Honorary Award for being a changemaker and his work for global impact. Niklas was awarded at the Founders Awards Gala at Berns in Stockholm on September 25.

“This isn’t about me, it’s about the thousands of founders, funders and enablers who are building incredible solutions to problems that actually matter, as part of the global Norrsken ecosystem. I’m honoured to accept the award on their behalf”, says Niklas.

The Passionate Journey of Niklas Adalberth, Founder of Klarna and Norrsken Foundation
Founders who dare to dream beyond limits - and go even further by redefining what success truly means - can create real change for the world and pave a new way forward.

Niklas embodies that by showing us that the entrepreneurial mindset - the hunger, the pace, the daring - isn’t limited to creating profitable companies. It can also power solutions that heal, uplift, and transform. He has shown us what leadership with vision, courage, and conscience looks like.

Niklas began his journey as a co-founder of Klarna, one of Europe’s most successful tech companies. A pioneer in fintech, he helped reshape how millions of people interact with money online. But while others might have stayed to build more wealth, Niklas made a rare and courageous choice.

He stepped away - not to retreat, but to redirect his ambition toward something even bigger than business: impact.

He founded the Norrsken Foundation and later Norrsken House, with a vision to create a home - not just for startups, but for startups that matter. Today, Norrsken House in Stockholm is one of the world’s leading hubs for impact entrepreneurship. It brings together innovators, investors, researchers, and changemakers who are tackling some of humanity’s most urgent challenges - from climate change and global health to education and equality.

But Norrsken is not stopping there.

In Kigali, Rwanda, the foundation has built the largest entrepreneurial hub in East Africa. In Barcelona, it is building a new Southern European home for purpose-driven founders. Now also Norrsken House Brussels - a state-of-the-art hub designed to gather Europe’s leading voices on sustainability, entrepreneurship and clean technology -right on the doorstep of the European Parliament. Norrsken has raised nearly 1 billion Euro through its five venture funds - Norrsken VC, Norrsken Accelerator, Norrsken Launcher, Norrsken Africa Seed and Norrsken22. Through them, it’s investing into what Niklas calls impact unicorns - companies aiming to improve the lives of one billion people.

Through Norrsken, Niklas is not just building companies. He is building infrastructure for hope. A platform for global problem-solvers. A movement that proves that purpose and profit not only can coexist - but must. His work is inspiring not only a new generation of founders, but also a new definition of success.

How the Winner Is Chosen as Founder of the Year Honorary Award
The Founder of the Year Honorary Award, honors exceptional founders who have made an enduring contribution and a lasting impact through sustainable and long term company building and serve as exemplary role models.

The award criteria includes founding a company with annual revenue exceeding 10 million euros and contributing to societal well-being, and not required to be currently active in the company's operations.

Evaluated and selected by the Founders Alliance, the winner of Founder of the Year Honorary Award receives The Growth Rings in gold.

Photo: David Thunander and Evan Pantiel