On 15-16 October, the King participated in the annual Technology Tour of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), which for the first time is visiting Norrbotten County and Luleå. The purpose of the journey is to study parts of the world and Sweden that are at the forefront in technical expertise, and to see concrete examples of how innovations contribute to growth and new jobs. Metasphere, a member company of the Arctic Business Incubator in Luleå, was one of the companies on the programme. The CEO of Metasphere, Urban Rönnbäck, described about the research behind the idea and said that pilot production is now underway on a small scale. "We are now raising 25 MSEK through an issue of new shares in order to build the full-scale production line," says Urban Rönnbäck.
Market Access Silicon Valley is the name of a three-stage programme which US Market Access Center arranges together with Innovationsbron in Sweden. A total of 22 companies from all over Sweden were picked in a highly selective screening process, and three ABI member companies went through. They are Absilion, with its Internet monitoring service Netrounds; Bothnia Invent with its virtual service desk; and former ABI member Behaviosec with its unique IT security solution.
In stiff competition with around 50 other Swedish business incubators, Arctic Business Incubator, ABI, has received a 1.5 million SEK increase in operational funding, a 60% rise. In its evaluation, Innovationsbron has appraised the previous successes of the incubators in their mission, and the potential to develop companies. ABI is the only incubator in Sweden to have received a permanent funding increase.
Inland Innovation is a state venture capital company with a total of 2 billion SEK for investment in northern Sweden. They are now carrying out its first investments of total 8 million. One of the investment goes to the Arctic Business Incubators (ABI) member company Tannak AB. - We are pleased to see that Inlands Innovation now have started to invest and sees the potential of the companies in the incubator, says CEO Jan Wicén ABI.
Two students from Luleå University got the idea to simplify the purchase of pizza on the Internet and currently has plans for more than just the millions the founders now bring home at the annual sale of Online Pizza Scandinavia AB to the German Delivery Hero Group. The founders' part of the purchase price goes to the inventor company Netix AB, which was one of the first member companies of the Arctic Business Incubator.
For the fifth year NyTeknik and Affärsvärlden arranges 33-list that highlights the most promising young technology companies. The finale was held at Berns in Stockholm were the Luleå company Absilion was one of the 33 companies. The number of companies were nominated this year over 250 of which were 25% more than 2011th. The companies are spread across IT, energy, medical and other industries.