Norwegian entrepreneur Philip Berntsen is on a mission to transform renewable energy financing. His Swiss-based company, Frigg, leverages blockchain to unlock billions for small and medium renewable energy projects often overlooked by traditional finance.
With an ambitious goal to raise $120 million USD in 2025, and to multiply that amount tenfold in both 2026 and 2027, Berntsen and his team aim to play a meaningful role in closing the estimated $4 trillion global funding gap and accelerating the transition to clean energy.
Raised in Norway but educated and professionally established in Switzerland, Philip Berntsen brings a unique Nordic perspective to the world of finance. The company’s name, Frigg, is inspired by Norse mythology, reflecting both his heritage and a commitment to the elements of earth and air. While Frigg is headquartered in Switzerland, the team of twelve includes two members based in Norway, and a significant portion of the renewable energy projects they support are located in the Nordic region-underscoring Berntsen’s ongoing connection to his roots as he pursues a global impact.
Berntsen’s experience in Swiss finance quickly revealed the inefficiencies of private markets, which are often hampered by manual processes and high costs. “We saw the opportunity to launch a solution with an innovative and cutting edge in a very traditional market,” he says. With Frigg’s digital-native infrastructure, due diligence and documentation are streamlined, making it feasible to finance projects valued below $100 million-projects that typically struggle to attract investors due to prohibitive transaction costs.
Although blockchain technology is often linked to cryptocurrencies and speculation, Berntsen envisions it as a force for positive change in the fight against climate change. “Finance is the real problem of climate change,” he explains, emphasizing that access to capital remains the biggest hurdle for renewable energy projects. Frigg’s research highlights a staggering $4 trillion funding gap for achieving global sustainability goals. With global financial markets valued at approximately $250 trillion, Berntsen argues that even a small reallocation of capital toward renewables-enabled by blockchain’s transparency and efficiency-could have a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions.
By standardizing how projects are evaluated and bundling multiple ventures into single investment cases, Frigg opens up new opportunities for both project developers and investors. Berntsen describes this approach as creating a “new asset class,” made possible through the tokenization of real-world assets. Through blockchain-based tokens, investors gain exposure to diversified renewable energy portfolios with enhanced liquidity. Frigg’s platform is flexible, supporting both debt and equity financing to meet the unique needs of each project.
Last autumn, Frigg successfully raised 12 million Swiss francs to finance a dozen renewable energy projects. Building on this momentum, the platform now features registered projects with a combined value of 1.5 billion Swiss francs. Looking ahead, the Frigg team is preparing for a major roadshow with the ambitious goal of raising 100 million Swiss francs (approximately $120 million USD) by the end of 2025. If successful, the team plans to multiply this amount tenfold in both 2026 and 2027, aiming to dramatically scale their impact in bridging the renewable energy funding gap.
As for Berntsen’s motivations, he is clear that the mission goes beyond financial gain. In interviews, he emphasizes his commitment to creating real climate impact and enabling the transition to a more sustainable energy system. For those interested in the financial details and strategy, Berntsen is transparent about the numbers and the structure behind Frigg’s approach.
Ultimately, Frigg’s journey highlights how innovative finance and blockchain technology can help address some of the toughest barriers to clean energy adoption, offering a new pathway to bridge the funding gaps that have long slowed progress on climate change.
You can watch the video interview below.
Timeline:
00:00 Short intro to Frigg
00:39 Welcome to Philip Berntsen
01:21 The Frigg name
02:10 Background and journey
05:06 A new path emerging
06:17 A four trillion dollar finance gap
08:03 How to redirect the capital flow
09:23 Targeting green infrastructure projects
12:16 What is the solution?
14:33 How are the projects financed and offered
16:11 The legal framework
18:16 Non custodial wallet solution
20:47 Abstracting the technology layer
22:50 Tokenization of Real World Assets (RWA)
23:47 Focusing on renewable energy
24:52 Using tokenization for good
26:48 The future of finance
27:36 Value of projects on the platform
28:35 Minimum Viable Product
29:17 The plan for 2025
30:30 Debt or equity
31:20 Access for Nordic investors?
33:30 A new asset class
34:43 Is this part of the solution?
35:44 Personal motivation
Norwegian entrepreneur Philip Berntsen is on a mission to transform renewable energy financing. His Swiss-based company, Frigg, leverages blockchain to unlock billions for small and medium renewable energy projects often overlooked by traditional finance.
With an ambitious goal to raise $120 million USD in 2025, and to multiply that amount tenfold in both 2026 and 2027, Berntsen and his team aim to play a meaningful role in closing the estimated $4 trillion global funding gap and accelerating the transition to clean energy.
Raised in Norway but educated and professionally established in Switzerland, Philip Berntsen brings a unique Nordic perspective to the world of finance. The company’s name, Frigg, is inspired by Norse mythology, reflecting both his heritage and a commitment to the elements of earth and air. While Frigg is headquartered in Switzerland, the team of twelve includes two members based in Norway, and a significant portion of the renewable energy projects they support are located in the Nordic region-underscoring Berntsen’s ongoing connection to his roots as he pursues a global impact.
Berntsen’s experience in Swiss finance quickly revealed the inefficiencies of private markets, which are often hampered by manual processes and high costs. “We saw the opportunity to launch a solution with an innovative and cutting edge in a very traditional market,” he says. With Frigg’s digital-native infrastructure, due diligence and documentation are streamlined, making it feasible to finance projects valued below $100 million-projects that typically struggle to attract investors due to prohibitive transaction costs.
Although blockchain technology is often linked to cryptocurrencies and speculation, Berntsen envisions it as a force for positive change in the fight against climate change. “Finance is the real problem of climate change,” he explains, emphasizing that access to capital remains the biggest hurdle for renewable energy projects. Frigg’s research highlights a staggering $4 trillion funding gap for achieving global sustainability goals. With global financial markets valued at approximately $250 trillion, Berntsen argues that even a small reallocation of capital toward renewables-enabled by blockchain’s transparency and efficiency-could have a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions.
By standardizing how projects are evaluated and bundling multiple ventures into single investment cases, Frigg opens up new opportunities for both project developers and investors. Berntsen describes this approach as creating a “new asset class,” made possible through the tokenization of real-world assets. Through blockchain-based tokens, investors gain exposure to diversified renewable energy portfolios with enhanced liquidity. Frigg’s platform is flexible, supporting both debt and equity financing to meet the unique needs of each project.
Last autumn, Frigg successfully raised 12 million Swiss francs to finance a dozen renewable energy projects. Building on this momentum, the platform now features registered projects with a combined value of 1.5 billion Swiss francs. Looking ahead, the Frigg team is preparing for a major roadshow with the ambitious goal of raising 100 million Swiss francs (approximately $120 million USD) by the end of 2025. If successful, the team plans to multiply this amount tenfold in both 2026 and 2027, aiming to dramatically scale their impact in bridging the renewable energy funding gap.
As for Berntsen’s motivations, he is clear that the mission goes beyond financial gain. In interviews, he emphasizes his commitment to creating real climate impact and enabling the transition to a more sustainable energy system. For those interested in the financial details and strategy, Berntsen is transparent about the numbers and the structure behind Frigg’s approach.
Ultimately, Frigg’s journey highlights how innovative finance and blockchain technology can help address some of the toughest barriers to clean energy adoption, offering a new pathway to bridge the funding gaps that have long slowed progress on climate change.
You can watch the video interview below.
Timeline:
00:00 Short intro to Frigg
00:39 Welcome to Philip Berntsen
01:21 The Frigg name
02:10 Background and journey
05:06 A new path emerging
06:17 A four trillion dollar finance gap
08:03 How to redirect the capital flow
09:23 Targeting green infrastructure projects
12:16 What is the solution?
14:33 How are the projects financed and offered
16:11 The legal framework
18:16 Non custodial wallet solution
20:47 Abstracting the technology layer
22:50 Tokenization of Real World Assets (RWA)
23:47 Focusing on renewable energy
24:52 Using tokenization for good
26:48 The future of finance
27:36 Value of projects on the platform
28:35 Minimum Viable Product
29:17 The plan for 2025
30:30 Debt or equity
31:20 Access for Nordic investors?
33:30 A new asset class
34:43 Is this part of the solution?
35:44 Personal motivation
