Norway Was His New Home. Finta Became His NextMove.

When Truong Thanh Tai moved to Norway with his family, he arrived in the middle of the pandemic, with no friends nearby and a long stretch of hotel quarantine before he could see anything of his new home. Like many newcomers, Tai quickly understood that building a life here would depend on building a network: professional contacts, a community, and people who could point him in the right direction. Along the way, Tai spotted a gap in Norway’s hospitality market and decided to join the Changemaker, CHARGE’s incubation program, to develop his business idea. After several months of hard work and with the support of friends & family, and Innovation Norway, Tai has launched his first venture in Norway: Finta.no.

From a Broad Idea to a Clearer Plan

Tai joined CHARGE’s incubator to meet founders and develop his ideas. Speakers and mentors helped him better understand his customers and their needs. Initially, he began building features before confirming that customers wanted them. Conversations with business owners, friends, and his wife helped him focus on three clear needs: local partnerships, shared loyalty and AI marketing support. The experience taught Tai to start with a specific idea and listen closely to the people who might use it.

How Finta Brings Businesses Together

Tai created the name Finta by combining “fint,” a Norwegian word meaning “nice” or “fine,” with “alt,” meaning “everything.” The name reflects his vision for a platform where different local businesses can connect and support one another. Finta helps small businesses reach more local customers, even without a dedicated marketing team. Restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and salons can partner with nearby businesses to promote one another through shared offers, helping each reach new customers beyond paid advertising. The platform also includes a shared loyalty programme: customers earn points at one participating business and redeem them at another. This encourages repeat visits while helping customers discover more local shops and services. Finta’s AI feature supports routine marketing by creating and publishing Facebook content using information and settings provided by each business, saving owners time.

A Different Approach to Sales and Fees

Finta doesn’t process customer payments or take a commission on sales, so businesses receive their revenue directly. Tai wants the platform to help small businesses grow without adding a fee to every transaction. Businesses will be able to start for free, with subscriptions as a possible option once they see the value. Building a strong community of participating businesses is one of Finta’s main challenges. Tai is starting in Østfold and Oslo, where he hopes local partnerships and recommendations between business owners will help the network grow.

His Advice to Other Founders

Tai’s experience has shaped the advice he gives to other people, especially newcomers who are thinking about starting a business in Norway:

● Start small and specific: Choose a modest starting idea that fits your financial situation and your life.

● Connect with support organisations: Organisations such as CHARGE and Innovation Norway can open doors that are hard to open alone.

● Test before you build: Ask real people what they want before investing time in new features.

● Write things down and plan your days: Keep your ideas on paper and use a daily task list so that a busy mind does not take over the whole day.

● Protect your family time: Set working hours and keep weekends for the people who matter most.

● Rest, then continue:When you feel like quitting, take a day to regroup before deciding anything.

Connecting With Finta

Tai is looking to connect with owners of restaurants, coffee shops, salons and other small businesses who might benefit from joining the Finta network. He is also open to hearing from other founders, mentors and anyone interested in the platform or in local business partnerships, including event organisers. He hopes to expand Finta to Sweden and other European markets, but first is focused on growing its network of Norwegian businesses and learning from users. To learn more or get started, visit the Finta website at https://finta.no or contact Tai by email at tai@finta.no.