There was a time when the term startup related to igniting some fallible engine that had conked out on a country road in the sticks somewhere – probably near Ølstykke.

But it’s all about the tech now, and 2018 saw a host of exciting startups hit their stride in Denmark across a broad spectrum of sectors, from business and healthcare to public service and sports.

There were plenty of bids to make the top 5, such as wine app Vivino, the tattoo booking platform Tattoodo and Peergrade, the electronic platform that allows students to evaluate each other’s assignments. But our top 5 was as follows:

5 Corti: Founded in 2014, Corti has developed an app that implements AI to use sound-recognition software to help emergency dispatchers recognise that someone is suffering from a heart attack, even if that person is not the caller. The AI can spot a heart attack in 95 percent of cases, compared to 73 percent of cases identified by Danish dispatchers.

4 Brickshare: Founded in 2016, Brickshare is the first digital platform for property investment in Denmark. Over the past year, the company has seen ten-fold growth in staff and now has over 1,100 investors (70 percent which are first-time investors) in its portal. Investors can shoot in a minimum of 10,000 kroner (soon to be reduced to 1,000kr) and are paid a dividend four times a year that is based on the rent income generated by the property in question. The firm has a goal to have 1 billion kroner in capital by the end of 2019.

3 Monsenso: Founded in 2013, Monsenso has developed an app solution that seeks to optimise the treatment of mental disorders by connecting patients with carers and clinicians. The startup has already attracted millions of kroner from investors, and it was among the nominees for Best HealthTech Startup at the recent 2018 Nordic Startup Awards. This year, the firm has also partnered with the University of Cambridge to help identify the possible causes of behavioural problems for those with mental disabilities.

2 Templafy: Founded in 2013, Templafy enjoyed a sterling year in 2018. Not only was it named the Startup of the Year at the 2018 Nordic Startup Awards, but it secured over 100 million kroner in investment over the course of the year. The firm, which promotes synergy at the office through its user-friendly solution for managing company templates, has tripled its turnover in 2018 and sold over 600,000 licences to customers. It also recently raised an additional 100 million kroner to further its accelerated growth.

1 Tonsser: Founded in 2014, the football app Tonsser recently raised 41 million kroner in investor funding, allowing it to consolidate its position as the top youth football player and performance app in Europe. With around 850,000 users in eight countries so far, Tonsser helps connect aspiring footballers to clubs based on a scouting approach with the aim of increasing the chance of tomorrow’s stars being discovered. So far, eight professional clubs have signed on to the app, and the startup recently landed its first Premier League client in Huddersfield Town.