Capeesh creates gamified digital training courses designed for an organisation’s language minority speakers. Combining gaming technology with AI allows it to create specialised language training for people across various fields and languages. Capeesh has landed partners such as the renowned Babbel due to its unique solution.
The List: Founder Q&A
Marie Jacobsen Lauvås: Co-Founder and CEO of Capeesh
What’s your background?
I was educated at NTNU as a technical engineer in industrial chemistry and biotechnology. I then combined that with a master's from the School of Entrepreneurship. But as for my work background, I’ve been part of building different tech startups based on research from NTNU and SINTEF. I was also part of developing what today is Trondheim Tech Port and I’m on various boards as well.
Why did you launch your startup?
As an entrepreneur, you’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 known problem that our systems are not well designed to help newcomers integrate and fully utilise 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 regarding 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.
"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"
- Marie Jacobsen Lauvås
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 away the whole Norwegian training to them for free. Since then, we have been supporting 1500 Ukrainians and their progress is amazing. They play up to 4 hours a day and we’ve gotten 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 then they serve warm freshly baked bread. From there you can walk the Ladestien out to Sponhuset and eat lunch there. Afterwards, it’s perfect to walk to the botanical garden next to Ringve Museum to enjoy the beautiful scenery while enjoying 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 make them a reality. Also, visit other tech hubs and form connections!
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