Board of Directors

Lars founded GRO in 2014 and is responsible for the organization of the firm, origination, investment execution, and managing portfolio companies. Lars has more than 20 years of experience in private equity, investment banking, and as an entrepreneur of a business he founded. In his career, Lars has sourced and led more than 10 successful investments, has been responsible for more than 20 exits, and has been a Board Member in more than 20, mainly knowledge-intensive, companies.

Before GRO, Lars was Managing Partner in DKA Capital, Head of Danisco Ventures, Founder and CEO of Pentamind, and worked in Investment Banking in SEB Enskilda in London.

Lars holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Copenhagen and the University of California, Santa Barbara. In addition, Lars holds a Global Executive MBA from Trium (NYU Stern, London School of Business, and HEC Paris).

Chris is an Investment Director at GRO, based in Oslo. Prior to joining GRO in 2022, Chris was a growth investor at Vitruvian Partners in London for 6 years. He started his career at Goldman Sachs as a Private Equity Analyst in New York and London.

Chris holds a BA in Economics & International Studies from Boston College.

Niclas is an Operating Partner at GRO, joining the firm in 2024. Niclas has 20 years of management consulting experience from QVARTZ and Bain & Co in Copenhagen and New York. During the years, Niclas has held various office leadership positions as well as the Nordic responsibility for advancing the DEI agenda.

Kim has been the CEO of Kirk Kapital since 2017 and is responsible for strategy and organization of the firm, origination, investment execution, and managing portfolio companies. Under his leadership, Kirk Kapital has evolved into a more active and long-term strategic investor with a focus on minority positions in market-leading B2B companies in Scandinavia. Kim has more than 20 years of experience in private equity. Before Kirk Kapital, Kim was a Partner and head of the Norway office at Nordic Capital and worked in Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs in London.

Kim holds an MSc in Economics and Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School. In addition, Kim completed executive education at INSEAD and at Harvard Business School.

Andreas has been CIO of Strategic Investments at Kirk Kapital since 2017 and is responsible for direct investments at Kirk Kapital, including origination, investment execution, and managing portfolio companies. Before joining Kirk Kapital, Andreas had more than 10 years of experience from Investment Banking and corporate finance at Nordea, FIH Partners, KPMG, and EY.

Andreas holds an MBA from IE Business School. In addition, Andreas holds a CFA in Finance from the CFA Institute.

Paul is a technology executive with more than two decades of experience in enterprise software, with deep expertise in cyber security, identity and access management, and product management. He currently serves as Chief Product Officer at AppViewX, where he leads the global product management organization and guides the company’s product vision, strategy, roadmap, and technology alliances. 

His career spans leadership roles at some of the most recognized names in the identity space. As CEO of SecureAuth, Paul led the company’s push into passwordless authentication and next-generation access management. Earlier, as Chief Product Officer at SailPoint Technologies, he was instrumental in shaping the identity governance category — driving major product launches, contributing to the company’s IPO, and supporting its international expansion. 

Beyond his executive roles, Paul is an active participant in the startup ecosystem, advising and investing in early-stage companies including Hydden Identity, LoginRadius, and Authomize. He holds an MBA from the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University. 

Outside of work, he enjoys hiking in Colorado, boating, fishing, and cooking with his family. He is based in Austin, Texas.