Showcasing Startup Collaboration at SWxSIR25

At Science Week & Sveriges Innovationsriksdag 2025, Ignite Sweden led the way in connecting some of Sweden’s most promising startups with leading corporations.

From curated meetings in a focused matchmaking session, to a workshop on measuring the broader value of innovation, and a panel on scaling from pilot to implementation, Ignite’s contributions helped shape a day filled with impactful conversations and new collaborations.

Curated Meetings That Spark Possibilities

The matchmaking session connected 34 startups with some of Sweden’s top corporates, including Ericsson, BAE Systems Hägglunds, Bofors, and Saab, for 40 curated one-to-one meetings.

The session focused on solutions within defense, heavy-duty e-mobility, and energy flexibility.

“The goal of this event is to spark meaningful conversations between startups and corporates. The matchmaking process is highly qualitative – from mapping corporate needs, to scouting the right startups, to ensuring the meetings have true business potential,” said Ignite Sweden’s Fredrika Germundsson, Project Manager for the Matchday.

Pioneering Technologies from Emerging Startups

For startups, the event offered a unique opportunity to present their solutions to key industry players. Among them was the Umeå-based company Algoryx Simulation, which provides interactive digital physics to the industry.

“I’ve had two really good meetings today with very interesting companies where I think we can make a huge difference for both of them,” said Urban Wikman, Business Director at Algoryx Simulation. “Ignite is really good at helping us find the right people and set up meetings that matter. Ignite helps not just us as a small company, but also larger businesses in Sweden discover other companies and find cooperation and solutions.”

First-time participant Silicon Witchery, which develops 5G-connected IoT modules and provides the infrastructure to deliver sensor data where it’s needed, also saw strong value in the format.

“For hardware companies like ours, it’s great to meet potential customers face-to-face. You just can’t show physical products over a screen or email,” said Raj Nakarja, CEO at Silicon Witchery. “We had two meetings. All of them ended with: ‘Let’s talk again soon.’ That was really nice.”

“This format of being pre-selected for matchmaking helps us get to the nitty-gritty details super fast. It’s a really good platform to figure out what each company wants and then go to the next step,” added his colleague Rohit Nareshkumar.

Uniquesec was another of the participating startups. The company develops advanced radar simulators for the automotive industry, where they already serve customers, and are now exploring opportunities in the defense sector.

“We’re just trying to make connections and expand. This matchmaking was a great opportunity to meet big corporations that can help us on that journey. I really like the event, and I think the format is quite good, actually. Twenty minutes is compact, but just enough time to explain who we are and what we’re looking for,” said Nikolaos Xenidis from Uniquesec.

Exploring Startup Potential from the Corporate Side

The matchmaking wasn’t only valuable for startups — it also provided corporate participants with the chance to explore new technologies and connect with innovators shaping the future of their industries.

“It’s my first time meeting startups through Ignite and it’s been an interesting experience so far. We’re interested in collaborating with startups because there is a huge demand for defense purposes, especially given what’s happening in the world right now,” said Claes Carpenfelt, Senior Strategist at BAE Systems Bofors.

Representatives from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) also joined the matchmaking to meet startups interested in expanding to Asia.

“EDB Singapore supports businesses in gaining a solid footing in Singapore. For a Swedish startup, Singapore is a gateway to Asia, and it offers a very good environment for core collaboration and innovation work. We have a critical mass of foreign and local companies all nestled within a very small island state. My role here is really to meet with promising Swedish companies to see how they can expand into Asia from Singapore,” said Andy Liu, Regional Director for the Nordics at EDB Singapore.

Measuring the True Value of Innovation

The day also featured a forward-thinking workshop co-hosted by Ignite Sweden and Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner (SKR), which explored how both public and private actors can measure the broader value of innovation — from environmental and social impact to long-term efficiency gains.

The session brought together stakeholders from municipalities, corporates, startups, incubators, and science parks to exchange experiences and methods for measuring innovation beyond traditional ROI.

Real-life examples showcased during the workshop included Klimatkollen, the Innovationspiloten för omställning project, and the collaboration between Mimbly and Uppsalahem.

Ignite Sweden’s VP Operations Linus Arnold also joined the panel discussion “From Startup to Scaleup”, co-organized with Ny Teknik’s 33-listan, exploring how startups can move from early-stage pilots to scalable collaborations with industry.

“Scaling innovation isn’t just about having the right product — it’s about internal prioritization, alignment, and having a clear process and strategy in place,” said Linus. “Sometimes we at Ignite match a startup with a solution to a problem a corporate didn’t even know they had. That’s where real opportunities for collaboration start.”