🇳🇴 Foreign ownership of Norwegian brands
20.2% of the 89 Norwegian brands with a controlling owner (18) are owned by a company headquartered outside Norway, most often in China, the United States and Denmark. That ranks 41 of 94 countries analysed.
Which countries own them
| Owner headquartered in | Brands | Share of foreign-owned | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | 9 | 50% | |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 3 | 16.7% | |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1 | 5.6% | |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 1 | 5.6% |
Largest foreign owners
| Owner | Headquarters | Norwegian brands owned |
|---|---|---|
| Kunlun Tech | 🇨🇳 China | 9 |
| Block | 🇺🇸 United States | 1 |
| Hilding Anders | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1 |
| Hilti | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 1 |
| HX Group | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1 |
| Kesko | 🇫🇮 Finland | 1 |
| Kontoor Brands | 🇺🇸 United States | 1 |
| Mondelēz | 🇺🇸 United States | 1 |
| Royal Unibrew | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 1 |
| Thai Union | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 1 |
Where foreign ownership is highest
Top-level categories with at least 5 Norwegian brands that have a controlling owner.
| Category | Brands | Foreign-owned | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet & digital | 11 | 10 | 90.9% |
| Home, garden & DIY | 9 | 3 | 33.3% |
| Food | 11 | 2 | 18.2% |
| Travel & transport | 34 | 1 | 2.9% |
| Energy | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Finance & insurance | 7 | 0 | 0% |
| Media & entertainment | 5 | 0 | 0% |
Examples
- Byggmakker owned by Kesko
- Freia owned by Mondelēz
- HX Expeditions owned by HX Group
- Hansa owned by Royal Unibrew
- Helly Hansen owned by Kontoor Brands
- Jensen owned by Hilding Anders
- King Oscar owned by Thai Union
- MiniPay owned by Kunlun Tech
- Oglaend System owned by Hilti
- Opera owned by Kunlun Tech
- Opera AI owned by Kunlun Tech
- Opera Ads owned by Kunlun Tech
How this is computed
Of 89 Norwegian brands recorded, 89 have a current controlling owner (outright or a stake of 50% or more, followed up to the ultimate parent). The other 0 are licensed, part-owned or lack a current owner and are left out. A brand is foreign-owned when that ultimate parent is headquartered in a different country from the brand's origin. Data as of . Method and ranking for all countries.
Coverage caveat. The brands tracked skew towards those held by large filing companies, so this overstates foreign ownership relative to every brand in the country. See also the Norway country page.