Nordnet’s Design Edge: How a Fintech Pioneer Is Redefining Digital Savings and Investments
Rasmus Järborg, Nordnet’s Chief Product Officer
When it comes to fintech innovation in Europe, few names resonate quite like Nordnet. Founded in Sweden in 1996, the company has steadily grown into one of the Nordic region’s most influential digital savings and investment platforms. With more than 1.9 million customers across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, Nordnet has become synonymous with accessible, transparent, and user-friendly financial services.
Now, the company is attracting international recognition for its design leadership. Nordnet’s mobile app recently received the prestigious Red Dot Design Award, one of the world’s most respected marks of excellence in product design. For Rasmus Järborg, Nordnet’s Chief Product Officer, the accolade underscores not just the company’s design credentials, but its broader mission to democratise savings and investments.
I spoke with Järborg about what this award means for Nordnet, how design has become a competitive differentiator in finance, and what users can expect from the platform in the coming years.
Simplicity at the core
Asked what impressed the Red Dot jury most about the Nordnet app, Järborg pointed to one of the company’s enduring values:
“One of Nordnet’s core values is simplicity, and our design-led approach to building the best platform for savings and investments was likely a key factor in the jury’s decision.”
Nordnet’s app is far from static. Built in small, focused teams, it evolves continuously through rapid iterations, informed directly by customer feedback.
“We have a very human-centric way of working — small, focused teams that build in tight loops with customer feedback. We ship new versions of the app roughly twice a week. That speed, combined with great design craft, helps us stand out in a very crowded space. As we say internally: always keep shipping.”
In the competitive world of finance apps, where dozens of products compete for users’ attention and loyalty, this ability to ship fast, learn fast, and refine user experience is a significant differentiator.
Design as a strategic advantage
Since its early days, Nordnet has positioned itself as a challenger in a sector traditionally dominated by established banks and pension funds. Its mission — to democratise savings and investments — required more than just offering cheaper or broader services. It required a complete rethinking of user experience.
As Järborg explained:
“Yes, design and user experience are definitely key differentiators for Nordnet. Our mission since 1996 has been to democratise savings and investments. That only works if the experience is simple, intuitive and even a little bit delightful. Great design is what turns financial tools into something inspiring that people actually want to use.”
In other words, for Nordnet, design is not a layer added on top of financial products, but a core enabler of its entire business model.
A unique position in Europe’s fintech landscape
While the Nordics have been fertile ground for fintech innovation, Nordnet has carved out a particularly distinctive role. Its platform is not just a trading app or a pension portal but a one-stop shop for savings, investments, and pensions — all tied together with competitive pricing and a strong brand built on trust.
As Järborg put it:
“Nordnet’s platform stands out in the European fintech landscape due to its unique combination of a comprehensive product offering (a ‘one-stop shop’), an excellent user experience and competitive pricing, all built on a foundation of trust. And trust is everything in savings and investments.”
Trust is indeed critical in finance, especially in regions where consumers have traditionally relied on large, established banks. By winning recognition for design and consistently scoring highly in customer satisfaction, Nordnet has built credibility that enables it to challenge incumbents while expanding its user base.
Customer-first integration
One of Nordnet’s greatest challenges — and strengths — lies in the breadth of its product offering. The platform spans everything from savings accounts and mutual funds to pensions, stocks, and ETFs. That breadth could easily overwhelm users.
Järborg explained how Nordnet makes it work:
“The key is to start with the customer, not the product. Our offering spans savings accounts, mutual funds, ETFs, pensions, and stocks which could easily overwhelm people. What makes it work is our approach: customer-centric design, progressive disclosure and tailoring views to match where the customer is in their journey.”
By focusing on user journeys and applying progressive disclosure — surfacing information and features only when needed — Nordnet manages to serve both beginners and advanced investors in a single, seamless platform.
The Red Dot signal
For Nordnet, the Red Dot Award is more than just recognition — it’s a branding asset with tangible business impact.
“The Red Dot Design Award is one of the most respected recognitions in product design, and winning it again proves we’ve built something special.
For the brand, it’s a clear signal: we’re building the most inspiring savings platform in the market. That helps us attract new customers not just in the Nordics, but as we prepare to enter Germany in 2026.”
This is a significant statement. Germany, with its large and still relatively traditional retail investment market, presents a massive growth opportunity for Nordnet. A proven track record of design excellence and user-centric innovation could give the company an edge as it seeks to compete in one of Europe’s most competitive financial markets.
Innovation on the horizon
Nordnet has no intention of resting on its laurels. According to Järborg, the next year will bring a strong pipeline of new features that build on the app’s existing strengths in usability and design.
“We’ve got a strong pipeline of new, customer-friendly features. Our AI-powered stock news summaries have been a hit and more AI-driven features are on the way. We’re also adding richer instrument data, some of them powered by our own investment community Shareville, which gives us a unique edge. On the investment side, look out for new trading venues and innovative new Nordnet-branded funds and possibly even ETFs. In short: new ways to save, new ways to engage and new ways to succeed with your savings and investments!”
AI features in particular could redefine how investors engage with the platform. With news summaries and insights tailored to individual portfolios, Nordnet is positioning itself at the forefront of intelligent, personalised investing.
Shareville: the social investing edge
Järborg’s mention of Shareville points to another Nordnet strength. The company’s social investment community allows users to share portfolios, follow other investors, and draw on collective insights. This element of community-powered investing differentiates Nordnet further from banks and brokerages that rely solely on proprietary research.
By integrating Shareville insights directly into the app, Nordnet is blending the efficiency of digital tools with the collaborative spirit of investing — a formula that resonates especially with younger, digitally savvy users.
Growth trajectory and outlook
Nordnet’s journey over the past decade has been marked by strong growth. Its customer base has more than doubled since 2019, fuelled by both a surge in retail investing during the pandemic and the company’s own strategic expansion. With nearly €100 billion in customer assets under management, Nordnet is now one of Europe’s largest independent digital investment platforms.
Looking ahead, the expansion into Germany in 2026 will mark a new phase in Nordnet’s evolution. If successful, it could cement the company’s reputation not just as a Nordic leader but as a pan-European fintech powerhouse.
Conclusion
Winning the Red Dot Design Award confirms what many of Nordnet’s customers already knew: this is a company where design is strategy. By putting simplicity, user experience, and trust at the heart of its platform, Nordnet has created not just a functional finance app, but an inspiring and empowering gateway to savings and investments.
As Rasmus Järborg emphasised, great design is what makes financial tools something people want to engage with. And with new AI-driven features, community-powered insights from Shareville, and ambitious expansion plans, Nordnet is not just keeping pace with Europe’s fintech revolution — it is helping to lead it.