Startup popular with researchers
A new term brings another opportunity to apply to the KTH Innovation pre-incubator. The next 10 projects will be admitted to the popular program in March.
A record number of students and researchers applied to the KTH Innovation pre-incubator this autumn. More than 40 projects competed for 13 places, and 10 of them were researchers. (Find out more about the startups that were admitted) . Now these projects have moved into the premises with KTH Innovation and Donnie SC Lygonis, business development coach in charge of the group, says results so far are great.
– It's going well and is proving that the format with batches and regular educational meetings is working. The startups are triggering each other and the group members share a generous and helpful attitude towards each other, he says.
The KTH Innovation pre-incubator is supporting tech-based KTH projects with potential to become sustainable companies. And demand on the desirable places is great.
- I think idea owners are keen to join the community for a period of time with very clear goals, it kick-starts their projects. It is also plain to see that it has become more popular and accepted for engineers or researchers to view entrepreneurship as a compliment, or exciting alternative, to a traditional career, says Donnie SC Lygonis.
Entrepreneurship triggers researchers
Billy Fransson is one of the founders of Stockholm Dynamics . Together with the rest of the team, Andreas Archenti and Tomas Österlind, he was admitted with the autumn batch and finds the support positive and very engaging.
– The pre-incubator has a culture that says everyone should progress, and I like that. The open and direct coaching is really appreciated and the network that KTH Innovation opens up to all participants is very valuable, says Billy Fransson.
Last year the KTH Innovation pre-incubator opened up to research based startups and not just student driven projects. The Stockholm Dynamics innovation is built on substantial technology development and research stretching more than 10 years into the past. Last year it was time to develop the idea further. The startup had already had contact with KTH Innovation and business coach Tom Magnergård, so the next step was obvious - an application to the pre-incubator.
– I have been a consultant with Stockholm Dynamics for nearly two years, but during the spring of 2016 the team agreed that I should run the startup as an entrepreneur instead, says Billy Fransson.
The company, now ready to conduct its first pilot with potential customers, says they have already had a lot of help and direct input into their idea from potential investors, among others.
– After just two weeks in the pre-incubator we got to pitch our business idea to more than 40 private investors which taught us a great deal! concludes Billy Fransson.