Founder Profiles: Marie Jacobsen Lauvås, Capeesh
Photo: Marie Jacobsen Lauvås
Capeesh creates gamified digital training courses designed for an organisation’s language minority speakers. By combining gaming technology with AI, it offers specialised language training for people across various fields and languages. Capeesh has secured partnerships with renowned companies like Babbel due to its unique solution.
Company: Capeesh
Founded: 2017
Location: DIGS
Interviewee: Marie Jacobsen Lauvås, co-founder & CEO
What’s your background?
I was educated at NTNU as a technical engineer in industrial chemistry and biotechnology, and then combined that with a master's from the School of Entrepreneurship. As for my work background, I’ve been involved in building various tech startups based on research from NTNU and SINTEF. I was also part of developing what is now Trondheim Tech Port and am currently on various boards.
We started out with great technical talent in Trondheim, born out of the research environment here.
- Marie Jacobsen Lauvås
Why did you launch your startup?
As entrepreneurs, we’re always solving problems to create a better future. What was particularly compelling for me about Capeesh was that we targeted a group of underserved people. It’s an internationally recognized problem that our systems are not well designed to help newcomers integrate and fully utilize their potential. So, we set out to solve this by creating a learning platform that could help people learn and access information through games in their native language.
We started out with great technical talent in Trondheim, born out of the research environment here. We had the technology related to language, but that was only half the picture. It wasn’t until we merged with a gaming startup from Oslo that we found the magic combination, and Capeesh was born.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
It was a big moment when Babbel reached out to us for a partnership because they were so impressed by our platform. But the biggest wins are the real stories of our users. When the war broke out in Ukraine, we chose to help refugees by giving them full access to the Norwegian training for free. Since then, we have been supporting 1,500 Ukrainians, and their progress has been amazing. They play up to 4 hours a day, and we’ve received feedback from some of them that it’s the best app they’ve ever used.
What’s your favourite way to unwind?
I like taking the train to Rotvoll and hiking from there. I always start at Rotvoll Safteri, preferably at 13:00, because that’s when they serve warm, freshly baked bread. From there, you can walk the Ladestien out to Sponhuset and have lunch. Afterwards, it’s perfect to walk to the botanical garden next to Ringve Museum to enjoy the beautiful scenery while listening to a great book or podcast.
What advice would you give to new founders in Trøndelag?
Many founders often keep their amazing ideas a secret because they’re afraid they might be stolen. But I say, do the opposite: share, share, and overshare with anyone who could help you on your journey. Execution is what matters, so talk about your ideas freely and find the right team to bring them to life. Also, visit other tech hubs and form connections!
The List Magazine
Former English language Magazine in Trondheim
Trondheim Work & Tech
More on Greater Trondheim tech and professional life?