Ignite Sweden Becomes an Independent Entity and Appoints New CEO

Swedish Incubators & Science Parks (SISP) announces the establishment of a new subsidiary for Ignite Sweden, enabling the new organization to focus on its core mission: helping startups secure their first customers in both the private and public sectors. Sara Hamlin has been appointed as CEO of the newly formed entity.

Ignite Sweden was established in 2017 by several incubators and science parks with the goal of fostering, accelerating, and streamlining commercial collaborations between startups and established companies. Since then, Ignite has expanded its remit to include partnerships with public sector entities.

In 2020, Ignite Sweden was integrated into SISP, the national association for Sweden’s incubators and science parks.

The creation of a wholly owned subsidiary represents the next phase in Ignite Sweden’s development.

“Ignite Sweden’s mission remains unchanged, and we continue to see immense value in Ignite for many of our members. That’s why we intend to maintain ownership of Ignite while providing the organization with the opportunity to further develop and expand,” says Ulrika Malmqvist, Chair of the Board at SISP.

“It is a natural progression to establish the organization as a subsidiary with its own management and board, which will include representatives from startups, large corporations, the public sector, and members of incubators and science parks within SISP.”

Sara Hamlin Steps into CEO Position

After joining Ignite Sweden in 2020, where she has since been responsible for Corporate Partnerships, Sara Hamlin will now assume the role of CEO of the newly established organization.

With a distinguished career at companies such as E.ON, Sara brings extensive experience in corporate innovation, entrepreneurship, business development, and strategic leadership.

Sara is excited to lead Ignite through this next chapter: “It is an incredible honor to step into the role of CEO for Ignite Sweden, an organization that has made a profound and lasting impact on Sweden’s innovation landscape and its startups over the years. As an independent entity, we can sharpen our focus on facilitating partnerships between startups, established corporations, and public sector organizations, working closely with our partners in the innovation ecosystem.”

“Our goal is to continue creating business opportunities that drive sustainable growth, innovation, and competitiveness for Sweden’s startups and society at large,” she adds.

As part of the restructuring, Sasan Shaba, former COO of Ignite Sweden, will assume a new role at SISP, overseeing philanthropic investments and international partnerships.

“I am very proud of what we have built at Ignite over the past few years and am now gladly handing over to Sara, with whom I have had the privilege of working closely. We will, of course, continue collaborating with Ignite, as it remains our subsidiary. At the same time, I am very much looking forward to taking on new challenges within SISP,” says Sasan.

The restructuring will take effect on October 7, 2024.

For more information, please contact:
Sara Hamlin, CEO of Ignite Sweden: sara@ignitesweden.org
Stina Lantz, CEO of SISP: stina.lantz@sisp.se

About Ignite Sweden
Ignite Sweden is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to fostering business collaborations between startups, large corporations, and the public sector. The initiative was established in 2017 by the incubators LEAD, Sting and Things and has been a part of SISP since 2020. To date, Ignite Sweden has engaged over 1,700 startups and 400 established companies and public organizations, resulting in more than 600 collaborations and business opportunities.

About Swedish Incubators & Science Parks (SISP)
SISP är en nationell branschförening för Sveriges inkubatorer och science parks. With 63 member organizations, SISP strengthens the innovation ecosystem by promoting collaboration between startups, academia, and industry.