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Quality Award for KTH startup

Maria and Josefine sitting on a lawn holding their instruments.
Published Oct 27, 2022

Funki, a KTH startup that creates opportunities for everyone to play in a band, on their own terms is one of three winners of the Quality Innovation Award 2022.

With instruments designed for people with intellectual disabilities, Funki offers a completely new way of communicating and interacting through music. Josefine Hölling and Maria Svahn are the brains behind Funki. Maria Svahn is currently studying Media Technology at KTH, and Josefine Hölling has a degree in the same subject.

Three awardees

Funki is one of three awardees this year, together with Skanska and Demacut. The award committe's citation reads:

"Funki" is a fantastic example of how technology can help us humans do things that were previously difficult. This innovation encourages increased interaction, cooperation and communication between people with different intellectual functional variations and at the same time contributes to joyful integration by showing that despite different conditions, people can meet in music on equal terms.

- It feels great to receive this award. It’s a confirmation that we are on the right track. KTH Innovation has meant everything for us to dare to take our idea further, so that everyone can have the same opportunities to play music together!

Supported by KTH Innovation

Funki's instruments, white boxes with large yellow and red buttons, with tools on the wall behind.
Maria Svahn and Josefine Hölling develop their prototypes in KTH Innovation's makerspace at Teknikringen 1.

Funki is one of the teams in Batch 15 in the KTH Innovation pre-incubator program , where they get extra support, access to the makerspace where they built their prototypes and office space where they can focus on developing their idea.

Funki's business development coach Donnie Lygonis says:

- I am very proud of Josefine and Maria! Their innovation is a ground-breaking way of creating and connecting instruments so that anyone can create music, regardless of intellectual or physical ability. It is even more impressive when you consider that these two engineers from KTH share the podium with two established companies, Skanska and Demacut. I look forward to seeing what Funki will accomplish in the future!

Next stop: London

Next week, Funki travels to London in KTH Innovation's Brighter program , where they will have their first contact with an international market. Follow the journey on KTH Innovation's instagram @kthinnovation .

Text: Lisa Bäckman

About Quality Innovation Award

The Quality Innovation Award is an award that is given annually to businesses or individuals who have presented innovations with a clear connection to systematics in their work and with a starting point in a clearly identified customer need. Of decisive importance in receiving the award are novelty, usability, learning, customer orientation and efficiency.

The award is a joint arrangement between the quality institutes in several countries. The Quality Innovation Award is awarded in around 20 countries and gives innovations attention and the opportunity to compare themselves across country and industry boundaries. To win, the innovations must contribute to spreading knowledge, set good examples and inspire other innovators. The international ceremony will be held in Kazakhstan during the first quarter of 2023.

The award committee in Sweden consists of:

Lena Gustafsson – CEO and founder of Styrelsebalans
Jacob Hallencreutz – CEO at EPSI Rating Group
Jennie Björk – Associate Professor in Product Innovation - KTH
Mikael Rönnholm – VP Technology Business Development Koenigsegg Automotive AB
The referee committee was supported in its work by Mikael Lindström, SIQ.

About the Award

Have an idea?

Do you have an idea you want to develop? KTH Innovation would love to hear about it! 

Page responsible:innovation@kth.se
Belongs to: About KTH
Last changed: Oct 27, 2022