Startup wants to turn the engineer's role upside down with AI: 'Enormous potential'

A Norwegian startup called Solvera wants to change what it means to be an engineer by using AI. It was founded in the summer of 2026 by Thorvald Thorsnes, Arif Mirza and Pål Rasmussen, who first met as students at NTNU in 2010. The company is positioned as a consultancy for the construction sector, working in the field of consulting engineers, and the headline quotes one of its voices describing the potential as "enormous."

The material available here is limited to the headline, a photo caption and tagging, so it doesn't spell out what Solvera's product or service actually does, how it applies AI to engineering work, who its customers are, or how it is funded. Claims about how exactly the engineer's role would be "turned upside down" are not detailed here.

What can be said is the framing. Solvera presents itself as a new entrant aiming to rework the traditional role of the consulting engineer rather than simply add AI tools to existing practice. The story was published on 22 October 2026 in a Norwegian construction industry outlet, written by journalist Andrine Resvoll with photos by Eirik Helland Urke.

The story is relevant to the Nordic AI scene because it shows AI-driven startups moving into established, expertise-heavy professions such as building and civil engineering consultancy, and doing so with founders who have a shared academic background at one of Norway's main technical universities. Readers wanting specifics on the company's technology, business model or timeline will need the full interview.