Ignite Sweden at Almedalen 2022

The panel focused on what impact companies need to scale and make a real difference as well as diving into what is on companies’ ‘wish lists’ when it comes to impact. 

Joined by Filip Åström from Aros Kapital and Tobias Björk Andersson, a partner at Myrspoven, Stina highlighted Ignite’s work where we actively work to find customers for startups with a particular focus on impact startups to assist them in bringing their innovations to market. 

Here, the public sector has huge potential for impact as the sector procures services/products for an average of SEK 800 billion a year. By opening up this large market to impact startups, the resulting innovative partnerships can actually ensure that we approach the climate goals.

The panel also explored the need for greater understanding of the long-term returns of impact startups. It is difficult to think of quick financial gain with this type of startup. Instead, it is much more important to recognize the societal benefits of these investments rather than just the economic ones. 

Tobias Björk Andersson, from Myrspoven, a company that reduces energy consumption in buildings in the long-term using AI technology, believes that a key issue is ordinary people’s lack of understanding of the importance of working with sustainability in the long term and its impact on the climate issue. Here, he says Sweden needs to get better and act faster.

So far Ignite Sweden has worked with 12 municipalities throughout Sweden to help facilitate collaborations with impact startups, but if we are to achieve the Global Goals and find more innovative solutions to the current and future climate challenges, significantly more people need to be involved.

But what do impact companies need more than capital, time and customers? Filip Åström directed this back to Dagens industri and said that the media can also do something – give these startups more exposure in the press.