Interview with Insight Partners’ Managing Director, Rachel Geller. By Nick Hegreberg, VP of Communications at Kabal.

In the world of high-growth software, conviction is a valuable currency. Global software investor Insight Partners – a preeminent private equity and venture capital firm – aims to leave no stone, and no location, unturned in the pursuit of world-class innovation. For the Insight team, that pursuit led to a historic waterfront building here in Stavanger, Norway.

As a leader who has evaluated hundreds of investments and guided over fifty portfolio companies through global scaling, Insight’s Rachel Geller is moved by data, ambition, and the power of software that solves real‑world problems. Since joining the board as Chair following Insight’s majority acquisition, she has helped steer Kabal through a period of aggressive global expansion. 

I sat down with Rachel to discuss the origins of Insight’s interest in Kabal, the network effect of energy logistics, and why she believes the best is yet to come for our company.

Q: Thank you so much for joining us, Rachel. Can you tell us how you first came across Kabal, and what was it about us that made Insight say, “We have to invest in this company”?

Rachel: Of course! As you know, Insight looks at software companies all over the world. We talk to thousands of companies every single year, but we only invest in a select few of them. We first came across Kabal while doing our own market research on energy logistics. One of our analysts had actually spoken to Kabal a few years earlier, when it was a bit smaller. Even back then, it was clear that Kabal could be a leader, though the timing for a partnership wasn’t yet right.

Cut to a few years later: we started calling Kabal CEO Jan Inge Pedersen. After he successfully avoided our calls for some time (I learned later he wanted to make sure we were serious), he finally agreed to meet us in Stavanger. My colleague Michael Shepard flew over to visit your office and came back with conviction that Kabal was a special company with potential. That kicked off a deeper dialogue with both founders, Fredrik Larsen and Jan Inge, plus the broader team. That’s when we really built conviction in Kabal’s market leadership – a process that ended with us acquiring a majority stake in the company in 2023. Today, we’re just incredibly grateful to be on this journey with all of you.

Q: As you said, those early discussions ended with Insight becoming our prime owner. In your view, what exactly makes the energy logistics space so exciting?

Rachel: One of the first things investors tend to focus on is the size and growth of the market. Energy logistics is an enormous market, with hundreds of billions of dollars flowing through the space. What’s also notable is that it’s still in the early stages of digital transformation. The industry still relies heavily on manual processes, with a lot of communication being very analog and fragmented.

When you combine rising global demand for energy with the immense pressure to reduce emissions, you get a special opportunity for software. Kabal sits in the middle of those needs, driving cost savings and connecting operators and suppliers on a single platform. In fact, this network effect got us especially excited: when an operator adopts Kabal, their supply chain is brought on board.

With the industry now sitting at the intersection of traditional logistics and a digital‑first future, Kabal’s position is an attractive opportunity.

Q: We’re talking together in February 2026. In May, it will be three years since you joined the board as Chair. Has your view on Kabal changed since then?

Rachel: Well, my fundamental view remains the same – it’s just been reinforced by the growth and product momentum we’ve seen over the past few years. When I was lucky enough to join the board, Kabal was already a leader in offshore logistics software. What’s been remarkable for me is watching the team reaffirm that position by growing the customer base, entering new geographies, and expanding the platform through acquisitions. They’ve done all this while maintaining a disciplined, efficient, and successful business — and a truly great culture.

Rachel Geller, Chair of the Kabal Board.

Q: You have been meeting with tech companies longer than Kabal has existed and have met hundreds of ambitious tech teams over the years. How do we stand out?

Rachel: Firstly, the people and the culture – I love visiting your HQ in Stavanger. The team is so engaged, diverse, and fun! I find everyone so deeply committed to building the best software for customers. In Jan Inge, you have a CEO with enormous passion. That energy is evident across the entire management team and translates directly into product quality and customer loyalty. The fact that the global team genuinely cares about digitizing the industry and reducing emissions is reflected in your market position. That combination of genuine care and focused innovation is very special.

Q: In recent years, Kabal has grown its market position by acquiring Trackit and IronSight. How is this changing the game?

Rachel: Both of these acquisitions have been very exciting. While Kabal’s roots are in offshore operations, these moves allow the team to broaden the platform into onshore operations and personnel logistics. These are two vital pieces of the puzzle for a complete energy logistics solution. It is great to see the fruits of that strategy as we scale our personnel and onshore products across the globe.From a geographic standpoint, IronSight — with its Canadian roots — strengthens Kabal’s North American footprint alongside the Houston office. But it’s more than just a regional play. We are so impressed by IronSight’s innovation and how their team matches Kabal’s energy. By integrating these specialized products, we’ve created a powerful growth engine that helps us serve the entire energy value chain wherever our customers operate.

Q: Through your involvement across the tech industry, and given the massive shifts we are seeing in AI, do you see any specific trends that are particularly relevant for Kabal right now?

Rachel: It’s hard to have any conversation in tech today without talking about AI, and for good reason. What is notable about Kabal is that the company has a comprehensive dataset in energy logistics, built over 15 years of working with the industry’s leading operators. That history provides a solid foundation for AI‑driven insights.Building on this, Kabal is continuously innovating to offer customers intelligent solutions that further automate complex processes, drive down operational costs, and maximize ROI for users. The combination of domain expertise and the sheer depth and range of data puts the company in a position to deliver a premier, AI‑led customer experience. This is something the team is very focused on.

Q: For a company relying on Kabal today, how can they trust that our solution is the choice of the future?

Rachel: If I were looking for a digital logistics platform, I’d be focused on four key pillars: speed of innovation, depth of resources, domain expertise, and proven value.Because a high number of major energy players in the world have relied on Kabal for years, the company’s roadmap is built on the real‑world demands of some of the industry’s most sophisticated operators. This track record is reflected in our near‑zero customer churn. When companies choose Kabal, they tend to stay.Kabal isn’t just a static tool – it’s a platform that grows with the market. By combining deep industry knowledge with meaningful support, it can ensure that customers stay ahead of where the industry is going.As an investor, Insight’s role is to provide the strategic backing and scaling expertise to support Kabal onwards toward its full potential as a world‑class, generational company.

Q: Finally, why is now the most exciting time to be part of the Kabal journey?

Rachel: It may be a cliché, but I genuinely feel that for Kabal the best is yet to come. The culture and leadership truly stand out. When you look at the next waves of digital transformation, the pressure to reduce emissions, and the global demand for energy, those needs continue to grow. Kabal is well‑positioned to serve them. Whether you’re a customer or an employee, this is truly a promising moment to be part of the journey.

The road ahead

Speaking with our Chair serves as a powerful reminder that, despite the strategic investment and rapid growth, the core of Kabal remains deeply human. Our story is rooted in creativity, grit, and dedication from a team of winners, and a relentless focus on solving our customers’ toughest problems.For all of us at Kabal, Rachel’s insights reinforce why we do what we do. Her conviction is a motivator for the work ahead — to ensure that, as Rachel says, the best is truly yet to come.

Thank you for your time and perspectives, Rachel.