"It started as dissatisfaction with mittens and shoes that never dried. Now the Hemsedal couple manage towards 50 million in turnover."

DN article by Lars Kristian Solem, photos by Øyvind Elvsborg. Dagens Næringsliv - DN.no - is a Norwegian newspaper with a focus on business news. Published 15 September, 2024.

For complete article, click here. Summary of article below.

Hedgehog founders and married couple, Bjørn Holte and Erin Eriksson, met with DN in their home office, where they work across all time zones. Life was turned upside down when Holte developed an idea: a high-powered shoe dryer.

Holte created the idea out of necessity in Hemsedal, Norway, where the shoes, gloves, and boots were constantly wet. He realized the shoe dryer industry had been completely overlooded and decided to innovate. The company has had great success gaining a foothold in several major Nordic and North American chains, with revenue hopes of 50 million NOK (about $5 million USD) this year. They spent time in the US to help establish a North American presence.

Now Hedgehog has grown to have a small office in Hemsedal with a few employees around the world and production in China. The brand has patented "turbo" technology for its fans, developed with the NTNU Hydropower Laboratory, and has also developed new products including hair dryers. The company is family-owned with no plans to bring in outside VC investors. 

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