Opening Doors for Swedish Startups in Qatar

What began four years ago as an exploration of collaboration has now evolved into a long-term, business-driven partnership between the Swedish and Qatari innovation ecosystems.

“Through Ignite Sweden and SISP, we are connected to the entire Swedish innovation ecosystem, including more than 60 incubators and science parks across the country, and we need to find the right markets for their startups. That’s why collaborating with different countries is crucial,” said Maria Olofsson, VP Ecosystems at Ignite Sweden and one of the organizers of the delegation. “Qatar is particularly interesting, as it aligns with our priority areas and offers an excellent platform for collaboration.”

Qatar is today one of the fastest-growing innovation markets globally, with strong public investment and a clear ambition to become a gateway to the Gulf Cooperation Council and the wider MENA region. With a growing focus on AI, sustainability, energy, mobility and healthtech, the alignment with Sweden’s strengths is evident.

A Record Delegation Building Real Traction

From life science to transport, logistics, energy and AI, the breadth of the Swedish delegation reflected the maturity of the collaboration.

The 2026 delegation brought together nine cutting-edge Swedish startups and scaleups: Anocca, Elonroad, Flasheye, Flowity, Spritju, Tenfifty, Viscando, Viviotex, and XENSE Vision. The group was further strengthened by investor and corporate venture capital representatives from Bling Capital and Scania Group Ventures & New Business, as well as ecosystem representation from Science Park Gotland.

The delegation was co-organized by Maria Olofsson from Ignite Sweden and Sasan Shaba, VP Philanthropy and International Cooperation at SISP – Swedish Incubators & Science Parks.

H.E. Gautam S. Bhattacharyya, Ambassador of Sweden to the State of Qatar, underlined the progress made over the years:

“The traction we are seeing this year is unprecedented. If we compare it to the first year, we were still fairly new and trying to understand the system. I can see that the discussions this year are much more practical, down to earth and to the point, which is really encouraging.”

“It’s really important to show up every year,” Maria said in an interview with the Doha-based newspaper The Peninsula. “Relationships are built over time, and each year strengthens them. This year, we already have strong foundations, and that can lead to even more fruitful collaborations.”

Relationships First, Business Follows

Throughout the week, the delegation participated in a Corporate Innovation Summit, high-level meetings, roundtables with the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRDI), meetings with Qatari Diar, Qatar Investment Authority, Mowasalat and Qatar Foundation, as well as a dedicated Swedish Startup Pitch Session at the QRDI Pavilion during Web Summit.

Beyond the program itself, what made the strongest impression was the culture of doing business.

“What really stood out was the belief that to do things together, you first build relationships,” Maria reflected. “You sit down for coffee, look each other in the eye, take the time to listen. There is a true walk-in culture — you don’t always need a booked meeting to start a meaningful conversation.”

That relational approach resonated strongly with the startups. Karin Ebbinghaus, CEO of the sustainable transport scaleup Elonroad, shared a very positive impression of both the people and the country.“There is a clear vision here to not stagnate or remain dependent on oil and gas, but to build a more diversified innovation and technology ecosystem. It’s impressive to see,” she said. “The people have been incredibly generous in welcoming us and sharing their networks. The pace of work is different from what we are used to in Scandinavia — less stress, greater focus on relationships. Here, you do business with people you genuinely like.”

From Flowity, the experience was equally positive. Syed Sohail Abbass described Web Summit Qatar as “the perfect hub for meeting innovators and industry leaders,” emphasizing the hospitality, openness, and genuine friendliness encountered during the week.

From Presence to Practical Collaboration

Beyond networking, the delegation engaged in practical, sector-specific discussions around urban development, infrastructure, mobility, AI and health innovation, areas where Swedish expertise clearly matches Qatari priorities.

Maria emphasized the value of meeting decision-makers in person in Doha.

“In one room, with top executives from a very large organization, the match between their needs and the startups’ solutions was so clear that it was hard not to get excited. I truly believe — and hope — that several collaborations will come out of this.”

Martin Blaszczyk, Head of Sales & Partnerships at Flasheye, highlighted the structured support available for companies looking to establish locally.“We have seen how the country is really investing in innovation, with strong setups for startups that want to establish themselves, develop and carry out pilot projects. Hopefully we are back in a year with a completed pilot project together with a local partner and the next step in our expansion in the region.”

Key Takeaways From The Delegation

1. Relationships drive business in Qatar. Long-term presence and trust-building are essential. Showing up consistently matters.
2. Alignment in priority areas. Sustainability, mobility, AI, healthtech and research-driven innovation are shared focus areas.
3. Strong institutional backing. Qatar is building real structures —from QRDI funding to the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) Fund of Funds program— to attract and scale innovation.
4. Growing maturity in dialogue. Compared to previous years, discussions are now more concrete and operational.
5. Clear market relevance for Swedish deeptech. The solutions presented matched real needs among corporates and public organizations.
6. A gateway to the MENA region. Qatar offers not only a domestic market but a strategic entry point to the wider region.

Acknowledgements

This initiative would not have been possible without the support of H.E. Gautam S. Bhattacharyya and Mia Månsbacka from the Embassy of Sweden in Qatar, as well as the QRDI team, including Hind Zaki and Malik Habayeb.