From summer job to growth company – how qte and Qvik joined forces in the Nordic tech scene

Building a consulting company wasn’t the original plan. qte’s three founders were working on an app idea during a summer break from their studies in 2018, but they needed to fund the idea through consulting work. They soon found that their consulting services were in demand, and moved from helping acquaintances to a situation where established companies started reaching out to them.

“Once we made the decision to invest in this, there was no turning back. It was all or nothing,” says Jonatan Arnlund, CEO and co-founder.

Arnlund, 21 at the time, founded qte together with Oskar Råhlén and Jakob Råhlén, who were 21 and 18 years old respectively. They invested 50,000 SEK and set up a limited company. The strategy was to grow organically and steadily.

By pursuing clients with gradually higher demands, they built trust. Today, they hold an established position with companies such as DHL.

A track record of rapid growth

Growth has been continuous since the company’s founding. In 2023, qte was named the best among Blekinge’s gazelle companies, with 441 percent growth. Gazelle status is one of Sweden’s most prestigious recognitions for growth companies. That same year, the company was named Sweden’s 8th best workplace in the Great Place to Work survey. In 2026, qte reached Di Mästargasell status, having demonstrated continuous, stable growth over the long term.

Client relationships tell the same story. What started as first projects has grown into long-term partnerships with companies such as Koenigsegg, DHL, and Kvartal — partnerships that demand strong delivery capability, security, and continuity.

The next phase: Nordic expansion

In 2024, Lari Tuominen, CEO and founder of Qvik, reached out to Arnlund. Qvik is a Finnish consulting company founded in 2008, with long-standing clients such as Posti and several Finnish banks. For Qvik, the acquisition was a strategic decision to grow its presence in the Swedish market, and qte was the chosen partner.

“We had been following qte for a while and felt that we shared a similar culture, but also that they had strong expertise in web development and maintenance,” explains Tuominen.

For Arnlund, the answer was clear. “The fact that Qvik showed interest in us was proof that we had built something sought-after in the Swedish market. We were drawn to the opportunity to keep doing what we do, but on an even bigger scale,” he says.

Today, Qvik Group acts as the architect behind its clients’ digital products, with services spanning the entire chain from strategy and design to development, AI solutions, and maintenance. The group is backed by the Finnish private equity firm Bocap, and its partners include Adyen, Visa, and Signicat. Client work has been awarded, including the Publishing Prize, Grand One, and Red Dot.

Same goal, wider reach

Much has stayed the same: both the culture that made qte one of Sweden’s best workplaces, and the fast delivery times. The biggest difference is in the resources now available. For clients, this means a partner that combines the commitment of a smaller company with the capacity of a larger one.

Qvik and qte are pursuing the same goal: now that a Nordic foothold has been established, attention is turning toward the rest of Europe.

“Right now we’re making several exciting changes aimed at opening doors to the European market. Keep an eye on what we do in 2027,” Arnlund reveals.

The journey that began with 50,000 SEK continues — just on a much bigger scale now.