From smooth installations to smooth receipt collections
How Gunnar Windsand Sem, co-founder and CEO at Installer.com, Norway's leading installer collaboration platform, streamlined their financial operations with Cardboard.
About Installer.com
When Gunnar Windsand Sem and Kristoffer Gjerde founded Installer.com (formerly Proptly) in Rogaland in 2022, they had a clear vision: revolutionize how businesses connect with installers for everything from heat pumps to EV chargers. Today, as they prepare for their US launch in 2026 and operate across 20 countries, the Norwegian startup has discovered that scaling globally requires more than just great technology – it demands operational excellence at every level.
Building for hypergrowth
The numbers tell a compelling story. After raising 44 million NOK in their latest round (on top of 9 million NOK previously), Installer.com has been on a hiring spree, attracting what CEO Gunnar Windsand Sem calls "some of the biggest tech talents in Norway." Last year, the company brought on board Hans-Wilhelm Warlo from Oda, Carl Andreas Julsvoll from McKinsey, and Kristoffer Larsen from Y Combinator-backed AI Supervision.
With the latest fundraise the team has expanded to include talent from well-known companies such as Tesla, Kahoot!, and Easee. The international expansion includes countries such as the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlads, Luxembourg and the USA.
"We're building an A-team," Sem explained when announcing the hires. The talent acquisition reflects the company's ambitious growth trajectory – from a Rogaland startup to a global platform serving major clients like EL-PROFFEN AS, Norway's largest installer chain with over 180 member companies.
The unsexy problem that nearly derailed growth
However, behind the impressive growth metrics and high-profile hires lay a mundane yet critical challenge: receipt management. Like many fast-growing startups, Installer.com initially relied on a single company card for all subscriptions and expenses. What seemed like a simple solution quickly became a bottleneck.
"We spent far too much time hunting for lost receipts, and our accountant was just as frustrated as we were – and billed us for that frustration too!" recalls Erlend Nundal, COO at Installer.com. The irony wasn't lost on the team: a company dedicated to streamlining complex installation processes was drowning in receipt chaos.
For a startup preparing to enter the US market and managing operations across multiple countries, this wasn't just an annoyance – it was a genuine threat to their operational scalability. Every hour spent chasing receipts was an hour not spent on product development, customer acquisition, or strategic planning.
Finding the right tool for the job
Enter Cardboard. Just as Installer.com matches businesses with the right installers for specific jobs, they needed to find the right tool for their financial operations. The solution was elegantly simple: automated receipt collection that integrates seamlessly with their existing accounting system, PowerOffice.
The transformation was immediate. Receipts that once scattered across multiple employees now flow automatically into a centralized system. The hours previously spent on administrative tasks could be redirected to what actually matters – building the platform that CEO Sem envisions will "disrupt the global installation market."
Laying the foundation for international expansion
As Installer.com prepares for its US launch and continues expanding across Europe, having robust financial operations isn't just nice to have – it's essential. The company's focus on automation extends beyond just connecting businesses with installers; it's about creating efficient systems at every level of the organization.
"Just as Installer.com fixes installation jobs without hassle, Cardboard fixes receipt management without stress," notes Nundal. It's a fitting parallel for a company that understands the value of specialized solutions for specific problems.
The timing couldn't be better. With plans to raise capital in the US by 2026 and a growing international team, Installer needs financial processes that can scale as rapidly as their ambitions. What started as a frustrating hunt for receipts has transformed into a streamlined operation that matches the sophistication of their core platform.
The bigger picture
For the Norwegian startup ecosystem watching Installer.com's journey, the lesson is clear: operational excellence matters as much as product innovation. As Carl Andreas Julsvoll noted when joining the company, "The opportunities are enormous." But seizing those opportunities requires more than just vision and talent – it requires the right infrastructure at every level.
The synergy between Installer.com and Cardboard extends beyond mere functionality. Both companies share a commitment to simplifying complex processes through smart technology, saving businesses time on non-core activities, providing transparency and control over critical operations, and enabling growth by removing operational friction.
Installer.com's experience offers straightforward guidance for other fast-growing companies: "If you enjoy spending your work time hunting for receipts, Cardboard isn't for you. But if you'd rather use your time for something meaningful, you should test Cardboard. It's simply a no-brainer."
Today, as Installer.com continues its mission to become the leading global business-to-contractor marketplace, they can focus on what they do best: revolutionizing how installations happen worldwide. The receipts? They take care of themselves.
Join Installer.com and other tech companies who've already made the switch to Cardboard for managing their software subscriptions and online spend.
Your CFO (and your entire team) will thank you!