Norlantic Capital, a cross-border private markets firm, was established specifically to provide next-gen private equity investors—European and U.S. high-net-worth individuals, wealth managers, and family offices—diversified access to one of the most dynamic, diversified, and “fast-growing” markets in the world.
The firm claims that it offers investors “access to top-tier private equity managers through its broadly diversified fund complemented by its direct investment strategies.”
Tharald Sund Fongaard, “a Norwegian who has spent most of his professional career investing in the U.S. middle market, founded the firm in 2023.”
Norlantic’s cross-border platform is “supported by its strong Norwegian partners: The Blystad Group, a major family office and Ness, Risan & Partners, a leading alternative asset manager.”
The firm has offices in New York and Oslo.
Tharald said:
“I am excited to execute on our U.S. middle market-centric investing strategy that is focused on providing investors a well-diversified portfolio of investments by partnering with the leading managers in the market today. We are especially bullish about the enormous and highly resilient U.S. middle market, which includes over 200,000 capital-hungry family and founder-led companies where private equity penetration is only about 5%.”
Fredrik Platou, CEO of the Blystad Group, is confident that the timing is right to offer a broadly diversified entry point to private equity investment.
“Our experience tells us that this strategy offers next gen investors, in particular, a relatively conservative way to gain foundational exposure in what is today the best performing asset class.”
Ragnvald Risan, Managing Partner at Ness, Risan & Partners is excited to partner with Norlantic to invest in the U.S. middle market.
“We devote substantial time and resources to identify unique investment opportunities and our significant commitment to Norlantic Capital’s inaugural fund underscores our strong conviction with their investment strategy. We believe this partnership holds great promise for building a scalable investment platform to give global investors access to the ever-expanding private markets opportunity set.”
As noted in the update, the Blystad Group is “a family-owned business with decades of experience combining industrial expertise, ingenuity, and capital markets. Originally focused solely on the textile industry, today it has become a Nordic powerhouse for local and international activities and invests across sectors.”
The group is reportedly 100% “owned and controlled by Arne Blystad and his immediate family. Blystad is a second-generation ship owner following in the footsteps of his father Arne Blystad Sr., who acquired his first vessel in the late 1940s. The Blystad Group employs 20 professionals located at the company’s headquarters in Oslo. Their maritime organization employs ~50 onshore staff in Glasgow, Scotland, and ~1,100 seafarers onboard their fleet.”
Ness, Risan & Partners (NRP) is “an independent and privately-owned investment firm, offering direct investments and funds across various alternative investment strategies. The NRP group consists of one investment firm and three AIFMs licensed by the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway. The firm was founded in 2000 by Christian Ness and Ragnvald Risan.”
NRP says that it “offers clients direct investments and fund solutions within private equity, cleantech, mutual securities, and shipping.”
Their clients are said to ‘include family offices, private investors, investment companies, foundations, trusts, and institutional investors.”