E24 i Silicon Valley SAN FRANCISCO (E24) Left with responsibility for three small children, Bjørn Holte came up with a business idea. Now he has taken the entire family to the US to bet everything. By Linn Kongsli Hillesta and Klaudia Lech (photographer) Published 17 February Original article here - brief summary in English below Article highlights the journey of entrepreneur, Bjørn Holte, and his family – from New York City to the mountains of Norway and now the suburbs of Los Angeles. Bjørn, father of 5 kids, was previously married to a Norwegian woman who developed a rare, aggressive form of cancer and passed away when their 3 kids were ages 1, 3, and 5. As a widower, Bjørn moved to Hemsedal, a ski town in Norway, and created Hedgehog Dryer as a solution to his daily challenge of children’s wet shoes, boots, and gloves during the often-rainy and often-snowy weather. Hedgehog Dryer featured specialized technology and the drying time was faster than competitor products. As a result, Hedgehog has had great success throughout the Nordics, which prompted Bjørn, his wife/business partner, and his family to move to Los Angeles to expand the business to North America. They have been busy and had challenges with the family and business, but are eagerly expanding with some of the biggest US and Canadian retail chains.
