Ferd
Also known as Ferd AS, Ferd Capital
Oslo investment company owned by the Andresen family (value-adjusted equity NOK 55.3bn at end-2025); Ferd Capital takes 34–100% stakes in Nordic private companies with NOK 0.5–3bn tickets.
USEFUL FOR Fund managers raising capital · Business owners seeking a long-term partner · Co-investors
Oslo investment company owned by Johan H. Andresen and his daughters (Andresen family, formerly Tiedemanns tobacco). Ferd Capital is its direct-investment business area; Ferd Real Estate, Ferd External Managers, Ferd Impact Investing and Ferd Social Entrepreneurs are sister business areas, not separate firms.
Family & background
- FAMILY
- Andresen
- WEALTH ORIGIN
- Tobacco (Tiedemanns Tobaksfabrik, acquired 1849; family left the tobacco industry in 1998)
- HEADQUARTERS
- Oslo, Norway
- FOUNDED
- 2001
Investment approach
- GEOGRAPHY
- NorwaySwedenDenmarkFinland
- STAGES
- GrowthBuyout
- ROUTES
- Direct investments · Funds (as LP)
- STRATEGIES
- Direct investmentsPublic equitiesReal estateFunds (as LP)Impact
- TICKET
- NOK 500M–NOK 3B
Overview
Ferd is a family-owned investment company owned by the fifth and sixth generations of the Andresen family, Johan H. Andresen and his daughters Katharina and Alexandra Andresen; the family bought Tiedemanns Tobaksfabrik in 1849, left tobacco in 1998 and renamed the group Ferd in 2001. Its value-adjusted equity was NOK 55.3 billion at 31 December 2025, of which NOK 37.9 billion sat in Ferd Capital, with the rest in Real Estate, External Managers, Impact Investing and Social Entrepreneurs. Ferd Capital invests NOK 500 million to 3 billion of equity in Nordic companies with proven business models beyond the early phase, typically owning 34–100% of private companies and 10–25% of listed ones, and does not make venture investments. Private holdings at end-2025 were Aibel, Aidian, Benchmark Holdings, Brav, Fjord Line, Fürst, General Oceans, Interwell, Mestergruppen, Mnemonic, Norkart, Simployer and Try.
Investment thesis
Active, long-term ownership of Nordic companies with proven business models, strong competitive positions and aligned values, where Ferd can add value as a partner; no venture-stage investments.
Holdings & investments (11)
- Fürst Medisinsk LaboratoriumNOTABLEHealthTech
- AibelNOTABLEIndustrial & Manufacturing
- MnemonicNOTABLESoftware & SaaS
- General OceansDeep Tech · since 2023
- Mobility & Logistics · since 2015 · Exited
- SimployerSoftware & SaaS
- BravConsumer & E-commerce
- MestergruppenIndustrial & Manufacturing
- InterwellIndustrial & Manufacturing
- NorkartSoftware & SaaS
- AidianHealthTech
People
Classification
Family Holding. A family's holding company that owns stakes in several separate businesses or invests beyond its own group, without calling itself a family office. How family capital is classified →
FAQ
Ferd is a family holding based in Oslo, Norway, founded in 2001.
Ferd invests on behalf of the Andresen family (Tobacco (Tiedemanns Tobaksfabrik, acquired 1849; family left the tobacco industry in 1998)).
Ferd invests directly in companies and in third-party funds as an LP. Its stated asset mix includes direct investments, public equities, real estate, funds (as lp) and impact.
Ferd invests at Growth and Buyout stages.
Ferd's stated ticket size is NOK 500M–NOK 3B.
Key people at Ferd include Morten Borge (CEO), Johan H. Andresen (Chair of the Board (owner)), Kristian Eikre (Co-Head, Ferd Capital) and Are Dragesund (Co-Head, Ferd Capital).
Ferd's holdings and investments include Fürst Medisinsk Laboratorium, Aibel, Mnemonic, Simployer, Brav, Mestergruppen, Interwell and Norkart, among others.
The most recent publicly reported investment by Ferd is General Oceans (Co-ownership stake (minority, alongside founder)), announced in Dec 2023.