Ignite Has Surpassed 6000 Matchmaking Meetings

“The accomplishment of 6000 meetings marks a significant milestone for us, representing our unyielding efforts in connecting Swedish startups with potential customer opportunities,” says Ignite Sweden’s COO & Director Partners and Engagement, Sara Hamlin.

Sara emphasizes that Ignite has not only facilitated more meetings in the past year but also enhanced their outcomes for startups. Over 450 commercial collaborations between these innovative companies and established companies and public sector organizations have resulted from these meetings.

“We have achieved a remarkable follow-up rate of 55%, indicating that more than half of the meetings we have facilitated have led to further discussions about potential collaborations. Moreover, we have observed a significant growth in the number of participating startups, reflecting our commitment to supporting more startups in the commercialization of their ideas with superior quality services,” she adds.

New Incubator Partnerships Lead to More Startups Participating

The milestone was reached during the third edition of Sweden Innovation Days, Ignite’s largest international matchmaking event of the year, where the initiative facilitated connections between more than 215 Swedish and international startups and 58 corporates from countries including Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, and the USA. This resulted in a remarkable 350 meetings held across six matchmaking sessions.

“It is remarkable that this milestone was achieved during Sweden Innovation Days. These meetings serve as a catalyst for forging tangible and sustainable business collaborations between Swedish startups and world-leading corporations, fostering Sweden’s global expansion and, most importantly, facilitating collaborations that can lead to solutions to significant global challenges,” says Ignite Sweden’s COO and Director of International Cooperation, Sasan Shaba.

The Importance of the Swedish Innovation Ecosystem Support

Sasan acknowledges that this significant milestone would not have been possible without the participation of numerous corporations, SMEs, public sector organizations, and startups that Ignite has connected with over the years, as well as the support from our lead organization SISP, our national and international partners, and our co-funders Vinnova – Sweden’s innovation agency and the Swedish Energy Agency.

He further highlights the importance of the incubators and science parks in Ignite’s mission to support Swedish startups in the commercialization of their innovations.

“Incubators and science parks play a crucial role in this mission by bringing startups into the program, while also activating municipalities and counties to collaborate with startups to identify and implement innovative solutions to their challenges. Ignite is a grassroots organization, and it is thanks to this cooperation that we can reach out to the innovation ecosystems locally, regionally, and nationally, and we have grown into what I call a strong machine for creating business opportunities for startups,” he concludes.

Ignite Sweden’s in Numbers

Commercial collaborations: 453+
Matchmaking meetings: 6066
Follow-up rate: 55%
Matchmaking events: 88
Startups matched: 1362
Corporates participating: 289
Public organizations: 42
Participating countries: 10
Incubator and Science Parks Partnerships: 20