AIREL Takes the Stage: Innovating Forestry Management for Norway’s Grid Companies
This October, Energy Valley sat down with Frøydis Arntzen Dale, Design Manager at AIREL, to discuss their cutting-edge approach to forestry management for grid companies and their opportunity to present at Energirampen’s Pitch Night during the energy industry´s IT conference, “Teknologioptimistene.”
The story of AIREL
“AIREL?” Many first-time listeners struggle with the pronunciation (it’s Air-el), but the name is intentional: AIREL stands for AI, Air, Relations, and Electricity. The company combines these four pillars to provide digital solutions to long-standing challenges in forestry management and energy infrastructure.
As Frøydis explains, AIREL´s founder, Magne Kaspersen, saw first-hand the inefficiencies in grid management when working at Norgesnett in 2019. “With a unique combination of forestry and IT expertise, he spotted areas for improvement that others overlooked, and that’s how AIREL was born,” she shares.
AIREL is set on transforming forest clearing along power lines, estimating an impressive 56 million NOK in savings for their first customer, Norgesnett.
What is AIREL´s edge?
“We combine forestry expertise with tech savvy, which is rare. Magne is both a forester and a developer, and that’s why we can bridge the knowledge gap that often exists between these two fields,” Frøydis explains.
“Grid companies could attempt what we’re doing, but having expertise under one roof means we’re a few steps ahead, especially with five years of field testing.”
This industry experience allows AIREL to optimize processes and automate areas of grid management that others hesitate to tackle.
“It is a topic that many may find a bit unsexy. There’s this whole part of the grid that a lot of people don’t want to touch – but there’s a lot to fix there!” Frøydis says with a smile.
“The sector is ripe for digitalization, and there’s a lot of savings to be made through automation and AI,” she adds.
Pitching in front of Norway’s energy IT decision-makers
Through our partnership with Energirampen, Energy Valley worked closely with Nicolai Kirkeng Vennerød, founder of Energirampen, to select three startups to pitch in front of 450 people at the energy industry´s IT conference. Our Head of Innovation and Ecosystem was invited to introduce Frøydis Arntzen Dale on stage.
Just hours before the event, Frøydis reflected on the aim of their pitch: “We’re not trying to win over investors; we’re looking for partners and customers. The secret to a good pitch is to tailor the message and maybe even provoke a little. You want to grab attention, but in a way that shows we’re bringing something different,” Frøydis shares.
“It’s not influencer-style provoking,” she laughs. “But more about daring to ask the real questions that matter.”
“In a tough competition with a lot of impressive companies, Frøydis and AIREL early stood out as a favorite with their well-thought-out pitch, clear value proposition, and exciting team! It was a true pleasure to introduce AIREL on stage in front of 450 potential stakeholders,” Ola shared after the event.
Looking to the future
For AIREL, digitalization, AI, and security are front and center in their vision. “AI, LiDAR data, and smart data models drive our approach, and it’s great to see that this shift in focus is a priority at this year’s conference,” Frøydis concludes.
