Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which manages Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, has awarded a mandate to Swedish stock-picking boutique Origo Fonder through a separately managed account (SMA). NBIM allocates NOK 994 billion – about €84 billion, or 5.0 percent of its capital, to external managers across 114 mandates, with Origo Fonder among its most recent Nordic additions. 

“It is proof that our management model is attractive and that we are doing something right,” Origo Fonder’s founder, Stefan Roos, tells Dagens Industri. “It is an honor for us, of course. Norges Bank is a highly respected asset manager and one of the largest in the world,” adds Roos, who serves as co-Chief Investment Officer alongside Bodenholm founder Per Johansson.

“It is proof that our management model is attractive and that we are doing something right. It is an honor for us, of course.”

Stefan Roos, Origo Fonder’s founder and co-CIO.

With Origo Fonder specializing in stock picking among smaller companies in the Nordic region, the mandate, the specifics of which remain undisclosed, likely seeks exposure to the Nordic small-cap universe. “We are experts in Nordic small companies, so that is our starting point. Our fund Origo Seleqt was last year’s best performing small-cap fund in the entire Nordic region, so people have probably seen and noted that,” emphasizes Roos. After launching in the challenging market conditions of 2022 and ending its inaugural year down 9.5 percent, Origo Seleqt gained 5.9 percent in 2023 and delivered a solid 25.3 percent return in 2024. This strong performance placed Origo Seleqt at the top of Morningstar’s list of 78 Nordic small-cap equity funds.

“We are experts in Nordic small companies, so that is our starting point. Our fund Origo Seleqt was last year’s best performing small-cap fund in the entire Nordic region, so people have probably seen and noted that.”

Stefan Roos, Origo Fonder’s founder and co-CIO.

In parallel with the mandate award from NBIM, the team at Origo Fonder expanded its resources last year and remains focused on its growth plans. “We recruited more people last year and have a plan to keep growing. This strengthens our ambition,” concludes Stefan Roos. “We foresee that we will bring in additional analysts to the firm and continue with what we are doing.”