###

That Charlotte Stigen Låstberg would become an entrepreneur was never the obvious path and certainly not within chemical engineering. She grew up with the industry present around the kitchen table through her father’s work in the family business focused on surface treatment. But joining the company herself was never part of the original plan.

[Grab your Feminvest magazine.](https://r0n1xa-uq.myshopify.com/products/feminvest-magazine-no4)

“I’m a social psychologist by background and genuinely interested in relationships and human behavior. It was never really my intention to get involved in the family business,” she says.

Still, it was impossible to ignore the entrepreneurial spirit that shaped her upbringing. She saw firsthand the passion that drove her father.

“I have never heard him complain about a single workday. It was always about making things happen and building a growing, healthy company. That mindset rubbed off on me.”

The family business works on components few people ever notice, yet many industries depend on; wheel bolts for Volvo, turbine discs for Siemens, and parts for Assa Abloy.

Everything changed in 2010 when an opportunity arose to acquire assets from a bankrupt company. Charlotte had been out of university for only two years when she was asked to take responsibility for HR and finance.

“When I got to sit on the board and contribute from a business perspective, I suddenly realized how exciting it was, especially building trust and relationships with customers.”

Five years later, she became CEO of a subsidiary within the group, focused on formulating, producing, and selling chemical technology products. During frequent customer visits, the first seed of what would later become Digiclean Solutions was planted.

“I saw how many customers were guessing and often overdosing chemical products. It became clear that a volume-based business model benefits neither the customer nor the planet. The real value lies in using the product correctly.”

That insight led to a bigger idea: turning the product into a service model and helping customers use chemistry smarter, more efficiently, and more sustainably.

> “Digiclean is fundamentally built on customer value. I realized the greatest difference I could make was not selling more chemicals, but helping industry use less.”

### Building Digiclean Solutions

In May 2024, Charlotte founded Digiclean Solutions, an AI-driven deeptech company transforming how industry manages process chemicals and reduces waste.

> “It is a SaaS platform that monitors process liquids in real time. Using sensors and AI algorithms, the system automatically controls dosing, ensuring chemicals are used correctly while improving industrial efficiency.”

Digiclean is not only creating a new operating model for industrial productivity. It is establishing a new framework for how industry can combine efficiency with sustainability.

**Its software can:**

* cut carbon emissions by up to 50%
* reduce chemical consumption by up to 60%
* lower water consumption by up to 97% 

 

The results have attracted major customers including Volvo, SKF, companies in the defense sector, and Parker Hannifin. 

 

### Facing the Capital Gap

But when Charlotte entered the venture capital world, she encountered another reality.

“I was devastated by how unevenly capital is distributed. Women own an incredibly small share. Since then, it has become a strong motivation for me to help change those numbers.”

Today, Digiclean Solutions is majority owned by women. Among its investors is Feminvest Ventures, which backed the company early.

“Having Feminvest as a partner has been fantastic. They bring not only capital, but tremendous commitment and network value. They support us throughout the growth journey.” 

 

### Building a Company and a Family Life

Outside work, Charlotte is also raising four children, alongside a husband with an equally demanding career.

“I’ve spent a lot of time on self-leadership, planning, and creating structure at home. Making everyday life work is a balancing act between the company and family. It’s about prioritizing and accepting that everything cannot be perfect.”

For her, structure creates freedom and with the right systems in place, high ambition and active family life can coexist. 

 

### Driven by Something Bigger

When Charlotte looks ahead, it is not growth alone that motivates her.

“If we can help industry truly transition, then we are impacting more than a single business. We are contributing to something bigger. That is what drives me.”

Article by [Elin Liljero Eriksson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elin-liljero-eriksson-a6112629/) 

 

Join the [Feminvest](https://www.linkedin.com/company/feminvestsweden/) community here: [https://lnkd.in/dccMV5Fb](https://lnkd.in/dccMV5Fb)

You can buy the Feminvest Magazine here: [https://lnkd.in/dDnZ5C\_u](https://lnkd.in/dDnZ5C_u)

Apply to the fund: [https://lnkd.in/dbRPWpny](https://lnkd.in/dbRPWpny)&#x20;

blog

From Social Psychologist to Deeptech Founder: How Charlotte Stigen Låstberg Is Transforming Industry

We are proud to announce our investment in Charly Tech AB, a platform combining HR infrastructure with financial planning. Feminvest has followed the founders Lisa Malmros and Alexandra Karnig, they are addressing one of the most overlooked drivers of financial inequality: the economic impact of parenthood. 

 

"We believe that the commercial contracts signed in 2026 will significantly scale the distribution and sales of Charly’s services." states Mareauline Bernitz, Investment Manager Feminvest Ventures. 

 

Charly provides a B2B SaaS solution for employers that helps employees understand and plan the financial consequences of parental leave. By combining employer policies, social insurance rules, and financial modelling, the platform enables families to make informed decisions and supports companies in improving retention and workplace equality. In addition, Charly integrates savings and financial products, creating a long-term financial planning layer for employees. Distribution is through employer and advisory networks. 

We believe Charly operates at the intersection of several important trends: increasing focus on employee wellbeing, and the need for employers to retain talent through key life events. Parenthood remains one of the most critical moments where long-term income and pension gaps are created, particularly for women.  

 

 

**<u>We’ve also invested in Imagi, an Ed-Tech platform for schools to safely bring AI into the classroom</u>**

As AI adoption accelerates, schools are facing a clear challenge: they want students to learn and use AI, but cannot deploy consumer tools due to privacy, safety, and regulatory constraints (COPPA, FERPA, GDPR). Imagi solves this by offering a single, secure environment where students can access best-in-class AI tools, adapted for classroom use and aligned with curriculum.

The platform combines AI access, computer science education, and teacher workflows into one system. Teachers can easily integrate AI into lessons, while schools maintain full control over data, usage, and compliance. Imagi is already working with 80+ schools and districts, primarily in the US, with strong retention and growing demand driven by both bottom-up teacher adoption and top-down institutional interest.

Founder and CEO Dora Palfi combines deep product understanding with strong credibility in education and policy a rare combination when selling into schools and governments. Together with co-founder and CTO Beatrice Ionescu and a growing commercial team, Imagi is well positioned to scale.

This investment reflects our belief that the next generation should not only consume technology, but understand and shape it. We’re excited to support the team as they scale across schools, districts, and new markets.

Feminvest Ventures invests in Charly and Imagi

A year ago, I brought in the first investors to our inaugural fund. It’s a responsibility I feel every day, especially in a complex market environment defined by financial risk, limited liquidity, and a geopolitical landscape that has created a new normal for investors.

[Explore interest to join our investor network.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedgB9nkFMlgAA48PnWdtVkKjPG07R3fJGQC6w3KYeoFQ_4Qw/viewform?usp=header)

Over the past year, more than 1,700 companies have applied for capital from the fund. We have selected companies by following them closely through our community. What we look for are strong founding teams who have built their businesses and reached customers, where commercialization is a key factor. In less than a year, we have invested in six companies so far. One portfolio company has interesting conversations going at a doubled valuation, another has tripled by the interest from other investors. We have also invested in an AI company collaborating with OpenAI. 

 

Building a fund with a community at its core has clear advantages. One example is our ability to share portfolio progress at FEARLESS, the largest conference in the Nordics for women in entrepreneurship, which we host ourselves. We use our community to evaluate investments, support commercialization, contribute to business development, establish international collaborations, and make relevant investor introductions. Through the community, our communications gain broader reach, and access to networks and expertise is always close at hand.

We have also had the opportunity to invest in two companies that actively sought us out, precisely because of who we are and what we stand for. There is still much work ahead. A fund typically spans seven to ten years.

We have already achieved a great deal, thanks to the trust we have been given, but also because our community provides valuable data points to guide us. That gives us renewed confidence and purpose moving forward. 

 

[Michaela Berglund](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelaberglund/)&#x20;

CEO [Feminvest](https://www.linkedin.com/company/feminvestsweden/) and Founder [Feminvest Ventures](https://www.linkedin.com/company/feminvest-ventures/)

&#x20;

[Join our community.](https://www.feminvest.se/en/medlemskap/)

[Apply to Feminvest Ventures](https://www.feminvest.se/en/ventures/)

[Grab a copy of our magazine.](https://r0n1xa-uq.myshopify.com/products/feminvest-magazine-no4)

The Feminvest Approach to Building Real Value

When Christian Dahl describes the Norwegian investment debate as "disappointing" in [Finansavisen](https://www.finansavisen.no/finans/2026/04/16/8344474/formue-sjef-til-motangrep-debatten-i-norge-er-skuffende), he points to a fundamental problem: "We are often more concerned with choosing away than understanding and learning." For family offices and private investors in the Nordics, this represents a familiar challenge. While local markets focus on limitations, real opportunities emerge through international perspectives and global networks.

## From local limitations to global opportunities

Christian Dahl's criticism, as reported by [Finansavisen](https://www.finansavisen.no/finans/2026/04/16/8344474/formue-sjef-til-motangrep-debatten-i-norge-er-skuffende), hits a nerve in Nordic investment circles. When an experienced capital manager describes the national investment debate as more focused on "choosing away rather than understanding and learning," it signals a fundamental difference between local and international investment philosophies.

For family offices navigating today's complex capital landscape, understanding home markets alone proves insufficient. The most successful investors systematically build networks that stretch across borders and sectors.

## Why international networks create value

Global investment thinking centers on three factors that local markets often miss:

**Opportunity diversification**: When Nordic markets stagnate or become oversaturated, international contacts open doors to entirely new sectors and growth regions.

**Knowledge exchange**: Investors with global exposure see patterns and trends before they reach local markets. This provides a crucial time advantage in investment decisions.

**Strategic partnerships**: The most valuable deals often arise through recommendations and joint investments across borders.

## Building cross-border investment access

For experienced investors, global exposure delivers concrete advantages:

**Benchmarking**: Compare investment strategies with international counterparts to refine your approach.

**Deal flow**: Access opportunities that traditional Nordic channels miss entirely.

**Risk management**: Understand how global trends affect local investments before the impact becomes obvious.

When Christian Dahl criticizes Norwegian investment debate for being more focused on "choosing away," he highlights the need for open, international dialogue that builds understanding rather than barriers.

## The practical advantage of global perspective

International networks provide family offices with systematic access to:

* International investors seeking Nordic opportunities
* Entrepreneurs with scalability beyond local markets
* Established PE and VC networks with global reach

Previous Nordic investment gatherings have demonstrated how these connections materialize. When participants from different markets and backgrounds gather, the most valuable contacts often form during informal conversations between formal program segments.

The contrast with Dahl's observation becomes clear: while local debates focus on what to avoid, international networks focus on what to pursue. [Feminvest's investment community](https://www.feminvest.se/en/ventures) exemplifies this approach—creating spaces where Nordic and international investors can engage in the type of constructive, opportunity-focused dialogue that Dahl advocates for.

Beyond Norwegian borders: Building global investment networks

Feminvest can offer Executive members tickets to Arctic15 where Michaela Berglund is a keynote speaker. 

 

Read more here: [https://arctic15.com/arctic15-startup-conference-2026/arctic15-turns-15-years](https://arctic15.com/arctic15-startup-conference-2026/arctic15-turns-15-years) 

 

Email [sara@feminvest.se](mailto:sara@feminvest.se) to claim your ticket.

 

ARCTIC15 is a startup business event which gathers 1500-2000 attendees every year. This year which is ARCTIC15’s 15th Year Anniversary, we aim for 400+ investors, 600+ startups, 150+ corporates, 2500 attendees and again – the name of the game will be “Deal Room”. This is a unique matchmaking solution that makes it easy & efficient for you to meet as many relevant investors or potential clients as you can.   &#x20;

**Amazon has been very kind to host a community event at their amazing venue in Almedalen, bringing together the Swedish ecosystem of startups, scaleups, and growth companies, as well as all parties supporting this initiative.**

**​Agenda**

**​12:30 Registration and top-notch networking**

**​12:45 Grab your lunch**

**​12:50 Welcome remarks, Amazon**

**​13.00 Investor / Venture speed panel**

**​13:10 Startups, scaleups, and growth speed panel**

**​13:20 Sweden Celebration ceremony with the Swedish tech ecosystem**

**​13:25 More networking, mingle, and legendary contacts**

**​14:00 End of event**

**​Supported by the Swedish tech community**

Feminvest Membership

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Våra kommande events

Feminvest at Arctic15

The Feminvest latest

From Social Psychologist to Deeptech Founder: How Charlotte Stigen Låstberg Is Transforming Industry

Feminvest Ventures invests in Charly and Imagi

The Feminvest Approach to Building Real Value

Beyond Norwegian borders: Building global investment networks