From the 30th to the 31st of October, the fourth edition of Stage Two took place in Berlin, bringing together Europe’s top university startups. Among this year’s competitors was Naya Development, representing NTNU with CTO and co-founder Nora Antonsen at the helm.
By Vilde Falck Husum
What is Stage Two?
Stage Two is a prestigious competition that showcases the best startups spinning out from Europe’s leading universities. NTNU is a member of the Enhance Alliance – The European Universities of Technology Alliance. Enhance aims to connect research and innovation beyond national borders. Stage two is a key part of this mission, offering a platform for university-affiliated startups to gain exposure on the European stage.
The competition gathers more than 50 startups, nominated by 40 entrepreneurship centers. Since the start of Stage Two in 2021, NTNU has consistently been represented, with past representatives such as Useless and Aviant. The startups have two valuable minutes to pitch their business models in front of Europe’s venture capital firms and industry leaders. By participating, startups get access to investors, academic frameworks and networking, as well as cash prizes and awards. But first, they have to get through the local selection process – stage one.
Stage One – The Local Stage
Before the summer, Engage conducted the initial Stage One to select NTNU’s representative for stage Two in Berlin. The startups were evaluated based on the qualifications for Stage Two: innovativeness, scalability, defensibility and impact on the world of tomorrow. Applicants, including both students and university staff, went through the selection process consisting of interviews and pitching rounds.
The jury had a tough evaluation with strong candidates from NTNU in the qualifying round for Stage One this year. There are many investors among the audience in the final of Stage Two, so the main goal was to find someone who could excel both in the competition and as an investment object – Jury member Lars Reyes-Gjølme, SFU Engage
In the end, the jury landed on Naya Development, currently residing at Gründerbrakka. Ingrid Berg Sivertsen, Assistant professor at the NTNU School of Entrepreneurship, explains that Naya made an interesting case, because they were not only investment-ready, but would also benefit from an arena like Stage Two. Firstly, Stage Two attracts a lot of early-stage investors, as one of the criteria for startups to attend is to be an in an early-stage investment phase. Secondly, Naya’s focus on social impact and international scalability suits the competition as they operate at international level.
Naya Development – A Holistic Perspective on AI Development
Naya Development empowers women in North India’s slum areas through employment and streamlining data labelling for artificial intelligence. As a social business, Naya work outside the scope of just employment. Education, English lessons, economic empowerment, and childcare is all part of their mission to reduce poverty and oppression. The three women behind the startup, Eirin Fossberg, Victoria Jenserud and Nora Antonsen, met at NTNU’s School of Entrepreneurship through their shared passion of helping others. Together with their team of administrators, developers, and data labelers, they are committed to making an impact.
Our mission is centered around our people – not just our services – Naya Development
While Naya is primarily a social business, it also offers a dual value proposition through its strategic and ethical business model. Antonsen highlights their competitive edge: by taking on the labor-intensive task of developing AI, they enable companies to focus on other core areas, making their services profitable for other businesses. Many clients are willing to invest in Naya’s services, not just for social impact, but also because of the high quality of work and results. However, clients also expect transparency, requesting a social impact report. Further, Naya hopes to attract businesses with sustainability goals, aligning their social impact with environmental consciousness.
Despite meeting some early skepticism that their model might not be sustainable due to its primary focus on social issues, Naya now competes on Europe’s largest stage for university-based startups, even securing a prize.
The next stage
Naya Development’s participation highlights the value of platforms like Stage Two for early-stage startups looking to scale their impact. Winning the Start2Explore Skilling Award affirms their efforts to drive social change while maintaining a sustainable business model. Sivertsen shares that Engage’s role goes beyond just selecting the right candidate—they also travel with the startup to support them during the competition.
We get to travel with the startup representing NTNU and proudly showcase their work to investors and other universities – Ingrid Berg Sivertsen.
She states that Stage Two is a great arena for networking and gaining new perspectives on how to facilitate entrepreneurship from other universities. NTNU will continue to participate, with applications for the next Stage One opening again in 2025. She also finds it interesting to observe how trends shift, with the focus moving this year from health tech to deep tech. Stage Two remains an essential arena where innovative ideas meet early-stage investors. Over the coming months, it is expected that up to NOK 50-60 million will be invested in the attending startups, providing the capital needed to accelerate their growth. Naya Development has not only represented NTNU with pride but also set a strong example of how social entrepreneurship and tech innovation can drive meaningful global impact.