Business innovator Fertram Sigurjonsson has launched Arctell, a High North innovation and investment platform, at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik. The new venture is designed to build globally competitive companies rooted in Arctic science, entrepreneurship, and frontier innovation. Its mission is to connect founders, researchers, universities, investors, industry leaders, and public institutions across the High North.
Launch at the Arctic Circle Assembly
Arctell was unveiled at the opening of the Arctic Circle Assembly, the world's largest international gathering dedicated to the High North. The Assembly brings together heads of state and government, ministers, scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, Indigenous representatives, and business leaders from more than 70 countries. Arctell positions itself at the intersection of Arctic resilience, science, entrepreneurship, and long-term capital.
Innovation Hubs and Global Reach
Headquartered in Isafjordur, the principal town of Iceland's Westfjords, Arctell maintains an international presence spanning Reykjavik, Nuuk, Copenhagen, and Luxembourg. The company inaugurated Arctell Sandvik in Reykjavik as its flagship Innovation & Knowledge Hub, alongside Arctell Stockholmsgade in Copenhagen, with additional hubs planned for Isafjordur, Nuuk, and other strategic High North locations. These hubs create a connected Nordic platform where entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and international organizations collaborate across borders.
Access to International Capital
Arctell's Luxembourg presence creates a direct conduit to international capital. It connects family offices, institutional investors, and strategic partners with high-potential opportunities emerging from the High North. The platform is closely affiliated with the family investment office of Fertram Sigurjonsson and his wife Fanney Hermannsdottir, combining patient long-term capital with decades of entrepreneurial experience to support long-term company development.
Leadership and Entrepreneurial Experience
Fertram Sigurjonsson currently serves as Chief Innovation & Technology Advisor to the CEO of Coloplast and Senior Emissary for Investment & Business at Arctic Circle. He is best known as the founder of Kerecis, Iceland's first unicorn, which pioneered fish-skin tissue repair technology from the Westfjords of Iceland. He said the company proved that the High North possesses the human capital, resources, and innovation to build world-class unicorns.
A Mission Rooted in Arctic Resilience
Arctell builds and invests in ventures that transform scientific discoveries, regional expertise, and natural resources into scalable global businesses. The platform focuses on the High North's world-class science, resilient communities, and unique natural advantages. Sigurjonsson said that by combining these assets, Arctell connects the region's extraordinary talent with the capital, partnerships, and global networks needed to build world-leading companies.
Expanding the Regional Ecosystem
Arctell's Innovation & Knowledge Hubs serve as collaborative focal points for startups, venture building, educational programs, research collaborations, international organizations, public policy forums, investor events, service providers, and visiting entrepreneurs. Together, the hubs bridge the High North with Europe's leading scientific and financial ecosystems. The company's initial hubs are in Reykjavik and Copenhagen, with additional locations planned for Isafjordur, Nuuk, and other strategic locations across the region.
The launch of Arctell signals a new phase in the development of the High North as a source of globally significant companies. With hubs in Reykjavik and Copenhagen, a base in Luxembourg for international capital, and plans for further expansion, the platform is designed to support founders from research to scale. Its leadership positions Arctell to build on Kerecis's legacy while creating broader opportunities across the region and connecting local expertise with international capital.