Trond Edvardsen, CEO of LCA.no, is a key figure in cloud-based environmental declarations. With a background in research and development, as well as programming since 1994, he has been a driving force behind innovative solutions that help companies document the environmental impact of their products.
In just a few years, the Fredrikstad-based company LCA.no has become a global leader in EPDs and environmental declarations, and Edvardsen’s journey began with fish scanning.
Development of environmental declarations and EPDs
Edvardsen began his career as an IT consultant in the early 1990s and eventually found his way to Oslo around 2005, where he worked on developing tools to scan fish and analyze protein content. Later, an exciting job opportunity arose in Fredrikstad:
– I had a strong desire to work in research and development, especially applied research that yields concrete results. This led to a position at Østfoldforskning. At that time, Mie had already started developing an Excel tool for environmental declarations, which turned out to be a great success.
Mie Vold is a co-founder of LCA.no, with many years of experience at Østfoldforskning, now NORSUS. She contributed to the development of preventive environmental practices, from technical environmental analyses within a company to environmental and resource considerations of products in a life-cycle perspective.
From excel to cloud-based solutions
With his expertise in software development, Edvardsen began moving Vold’s Excel project to the cloud.
– The first generator was completed in 2013 – imagine, we already celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year! We already had customers in place and were fortunate to have Østfoldforskning’s support.
– But we started making good money from it, which caught the attention of the Research Council. We were simply earning too much from commercial activities. The board then decided to establish an entirely separate company in 2016, a bold and correct decision. We tried to run both under the same umbrella, with a separate board, but it’s challenging to manage two very different operations under the same leadership. So, it was a good separation.
At this time, Edvardsen was the director of Østfoldforskning. Together with Vold and Ole Iversen, they started a new company from scratch, LCA.no.
From zero to profit
It was one thing to have Østfoldforskning’s support. Now, Edvardsen, Vold, and Ole Iversen were on their own; the latter with a master’s degree from NTNU in Industrial Ecology, specializing in life cycle assessment, and several years of experience at Østfoldforskning.
– Now that we were standing on our own, the first goal was simply not to go bankrupt. We were practically starting from scratch, and I felt responsible for having brought Mie and Ole from stable jobs and benefits. What we’re developing requires a lot of groundwork and project development. I’m not exaggerating when I say we lived hand to mouth well into the pandemic years.
The road ahead was long, but Edvardsen and the team were determined to succeed.
– The first milestones were reaching one million kroner in 2017, and in 2018 we passed two. That’s when we could finally start seeing a profit and paying employees. We hired our fourth employee, Caesilia Wernersen. Maybe that’s why we’re especially proud now to be a Gazelle company for the fourth year in a row? We truly know that earning money isn’t guaranteed when running your own company and growing quickly.
From 2020, the real growth began.
Growth, development and world leadership
Today, LCA.no has grown to 30 employees, and this year’s revenue is expected to reach around 36 million NOK.
They have moved locations several times but have remained based in the Værste area in Fredrikstad. Now, they occupy the top floor of the new tech building by the bridge.
– It feels a bit surreal; there’s movement everywhere. We were so few for so long, each in our own office. Now we have an open-plan office and have grown our team tenfold, so the atmosphere is unique. I feel grateful to be recognized locally. It’s important for us to give back to the community, NORSUS and our landlord “Værste” which has been incredibly supportive along the way.
A driving force for standardization
LCA.no continues to be a pioneer in environmental declarations, demonstrating how technology can help create a more sustainable future for all. Vold is heavily involved in standardizing systems and information about what is required to meet environmental regulations.
– Although we have the necessary standards, regulations don’t always keep up. It’s crucial that recycling and similar processes are prioritized.
With a uniform standard, it becomes easier for everyone to track and compare different data, which is essential in areas like bidding. If everyone uses different reporting standards, it’s challenging to identify which approaches yield the best results and have the least environmental impact.
Strong support
Fredrikstad Municipality and Østfold County have consistently been supportive and encouraged the initiative.
– It has been a great help for us that the municipality and county have truly backed us and understood that this was a natural spin-off from Østfoldforskning. There was never any debate around it, and everything flowed naturally. This has given us a sense of security and peace of mind to focus on our work.
Loyal customers
Several customers have been with LCA.no from the beginning and have been part of the company’s journey.
– Those who have been with us all along have also helped push us to where we are today. Take, for instance, the Prysmian Group, which joined us in 2019. They were initially concerned—we were small, with few employees, while they were large and growing. It’s especially rewarding to now welcome them to our beautiful offices with 30 employees.
– We’ve experienced the same with other clients we first engaged with at Østfoldforskning, like Jotun. Now, many of these major clients want us involved in their core operations.
Tenfold Increase in Revenue by 2027
With a solid foundation and a clear vision for the future, Edvardsen and LCA.no are poised to shape the global implementation of environmental declarations. The cloud-based solution provides customers with better tools to reduce their environmental footprint, and with their expertise and Edvardsen’s leadership, the future looks bright for the company.
– Our goal is to increase our revenue tenfold by 2027. It’s an ambitious target, but we see the growing global demand and are fortunate to be approached by major international investment funds—green tech is in the spotlight. This makes us feel that achieving this goal is possible.