Experienced entrepreneurs and innovative researchers join forces
Introducing the Venture builders in the Pioneer program
When KTH put out a call for venture builders to join a new program addressing the gap between research-based innovations and the entrepreneurial resources needed to scale them up into global companies, the response was overwhelming. Over 200 experienced entrepreneurs, founders, and investors submitted their applications. Meet the Venture Builders in the Pioneer program!
"The response reflects both the growing interest in deeptech and the strength of the innovation environment at KTH", says Lisa Ericsson, head of KTH Innovation and CEO of KTH Ventures. "It shows just how many talented entrepreneurs are eager to work at the cutting edge of technology".
After a competitive selection process, a carefully chosen group of venture builders joined forces with researchers in the program this spring, combining technical breakthroughs with entrepreneurial expertise to build scalable, impactful companies.
"We selected seven men and four women with experience from vastly different sectors, and from all stages of venture building, from founding a startup to securing investment and going through IPOs, says Anna Norelius, Venture Developer and Analyst at KTH Ventures. We’re proud to introduce the Venture Builders that have joined the first season of the Pioneer program.
Meet our Venture Builders:
Per Aniansson
With over two decades of experience in venture capital and board roles, Per Aniansson has worked across life sciences, deep tech, renewable energy and scalable software ventures. He has held CEO roles at two medtech companies and served as CFO in both private and public firms. He is currently Investment Director at Karolinska Development.
Leo Groenewegen
Leo Groenewegen has over a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. He is the CEO of Nordic BioAnalysis AB, a leading provider of bioanalytical services for drug development, and an active investor in biotech & foodtech businesses, with a special interest in cultured meat and alternative protein.
Yasemin Heper Mårtensson
Yasemin Heper Mårtensson has 20+ years of international experience on both an operational and strategic level from the automotive, telecom and industrial industries, ranging from family-owned entrepreneurial companies to global high-tech corporations. Most recently she was interim CTO at CTEK, leading a 70-person engineering team.
Fredrik Härenstam
Fredrik Härenstam has a background in strategy consulting, working with investment evaluations, innovation management and commercialization across service and industrial sectors. He started out as a photojournalist, before studying Industrial Engineering. Currently, he is CBO at Elypta.
Carl Gandeborn
Carl Gandeborn brings 15+ years of experience in developing early-stage ventures in AI/Machine Learning, health-tech, renewable energy, and telecom. He is the founder of NewINSIKT, and was a core team member and investor in Crowdsoft Technologies AB’s IPO. Today, he is Managing Director of Resource Connexion Limited as well as an active mentor for deep-tech startups.
Sandra Jernström
Sandra Jernström has a background in cancer genetics and deeptech, with expertise in business development, fundraising, and how to maintain focus in early-stage ventures. She is co-founder of Okomera, a Paris-based company combining hardware, microfluidics, and software for cancer diagnostics and drug development.
Patric Karlsson
Patric Karlsson is a serial entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience from Silicon Valley. He is currently building Compley.ai, an AI-powered governance tool for real estate, and has previously co-founded Mestro, leading it from concept to IPO. He frequently advises startups on sales, funding, and scaling.
Lucas Otterling
Lucas Otterling has launched and scaled startups in Sweden, the US, UK, and beyond. Most recently, he was part of opening the US office for the automated tech-support platform Mavenoid. He is a tech-savvy generalist, passionate about ventures with positive societal impact, and thrives at the intersection of product and business.
Michael Akhras
With over 15 years of experience in the life sciences, Michael Akhras has worked closely with research groups and startups to bring deep-tech innovations to market. A former researcher, he now helps early-stage teams with funding strategy, team building, market intelligence, and business model development.
Two venture builders are in stealth mode and will not be listed here.
About the Pioneer program
The Pioneer program leverages nearly 20 years of expertise within deeptech innovation and strategic investment. The program addresses the specific needs of teams developing science-based innovations, focusing specifically on advanced technology, so-called deeptech.
The program aims to create the ideal conditions for bringing breakthrough technologies to the world. A core feature is bringing together ambitious research teams from KTH and experienced entrepreneurs, so called Venture Builders, creating a space where potential co-founders can meet, collaborate, and form teams organically.
Interested in joining the program as a researcher or venture builder? Read more about the Pioneer program!