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Key people at Bakken & Bæck AS.
Bakken & Bæck AS is a technology-driven design and innovation studio based in Oslo, Norway, that builds custom software, digital products, and emerging technology solutions. The independent agency generates revenue through business-to-business consulting, user experience design, and full-stack development fees, occasionally taking equity stakes through its venture-building arm. Operating across five international offices in cities including Amsterdam, London, Bonn, and Barcelona, the firm employs a workforce of approximately 100 people. The studio provides artificial intelligence, blockchain, and product development services to a diverse client base that includes recognizable enterprise and technology companies such as IKEA, Coinbase, Stripe, Vipps, and Phantom. The organization also develops internal tools, previously spinning off its design collaboration application Wake, which was subsequently acquired by InVision. Bakken & Bæck AS was originally founded in 2011 by co-founders Johan Bakken and Tobias Bæck.
Bakken & Bæck AS is a design and technology studio based in Oslo, with offices in Amsterdam and Bonn, that builds digital products from strategy to launch, while also functioning as an early-stage investor through its "Investment Pool." Founded in 2011 by Tobias Bæck and Johan Bakken, the firm invests in pre-seed, seed, and early-stage startups, particularly disruptive tech ventures in areas like artificial intelligence, focusing on hands-on support with product strategy, design, and an international network.[1][2][5] Their investment philosophy emphasizes serendipity, design as a key to success, and partnering with founders who aim to disrupt industries and solve real-world problems, often blending cash, time, or equity with operational expertise.[2][3][4]
Beyond pure investing, they invent, build, and launch products for startups, established companies, and themselves—such as Wake (a design collaboration app spun out as its own company), Orbit.ai, Synthdata, and Mesh—while maintaining a unique employee perk via the Investment Pool that shares upside in promising companies.[2][3][4] This hybrid model positions them as active players in the startup ecosystem, driving innovation through technology-driven, transdisciplinary approaches.[2][5]
Bakken & Bæck was co-founded in 2011 by Tobias Bæck and Johan Bakken in Oslo, born from a spirit of serendipity and a rejection of corporate norms. Tobias, with a bachelor's from Kaospilots in creativity, innovation, and business development, plus a master's in management from BI Norwegian Business School, has co-founded five businesses (four with Johan). Johan brings a broad background from the University of Oslo in philosophy, psychology, programming, and database systems, with extensive experience in web design and development.[2][3]
The idea emerged after a failed startup attempt; the duo pivoted to building digital products for others, launching just a week after Tobias became a father, committing to small, high-quality projects under their simple name: Bakken & Bæck. Early traction came from bold moves like funding a conference trip in France that secured major projects, reinforcing their belief in generosity and intuition over rigid planning. They've since evolved from a two-person operation to a studio with global offices, rooftop bees in Oslo (yielding nearly 1,000 jars of honey yearly), and spinouts like Wake, while expanding into investments and AI-focused ventures.[2][3]
Bakken & Bæck rides the wave of AI-driven product innovation and design-led disruption, where complex tech like deep learning (clients include Google DeepMind, World Labs) demands seamless strategy, design, and code—timing perfectly with the rise of generative AI and no-code/low-code tools post-2020s boom.[2][5] Market forces favoring them include Europe's growing startup scene (Oslo-Amsterdam hub), demand for hands-on studios amid talent shortages, and a shift toward transdisciplinary teams solving real-world problems beyond pure software.[1][2]
They influence the ecosystem by spinning out tools like Wake (internal design app turned company), investing in AI futures (Synthdata, Mesh), and promoting serendipity over bureaucracy—humanizing tech amid Big Tech dominance and enabling smaller founders via networks and perks. This positions them as enablers in a fragmented landscape, bridging consultancies, VCs, and builders.[3][4][5]
Bakken & Bæck's blend of studio craft and opportunistic investing primes them for expansion in AI productization, potentially scaling spinouts or deepening U.S./global client ties (e.g., Ramp, Phantom). Trends like agentic AI, decentralized tech, and sustainable design will shape them, amplifying their "think big" ethos amid regulatory shifts in Europe. Their influence may evolve toward more venture creation, leveraging employee pools for decentralized upside, solidifying as a nimble force in tech's next serendipitous wave—echoing their origin as two founders betting on intuition over plans.[2][3][5]
Key people at Bakken & Bæck AS.
