Startup Genome has received funding from Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency, which will lay the basis for a nationally coordinated ecosystem development strategy for startups. Startup Genome’s analytical excellence and global experience will utilize Vinnova’s reach and deep knowledge of the Swedish innovation ecosystem to engineer a world-class environment which empowers innovative high-growth firms to grow and solve society’s most pressing challenges.

Startup Genome is going to conduct its leading ecosystem analysis to determine regional stages of development, create benchmarks against relevant regions globally, and quantify the issues and gaps as well as strengths to be capitalized on.

This exercise is aiming to involve key stakeholders across the country, from founders to leaders of startup support organizations and programs, as well as key policymakers. The identified insights will be used to inspire important dialogues, consensus building and the development of a national strategy which all stakeholders can contribute to in a meaningful way.

Having worked with more than 100 organizations across six continents in 40+ countries to date, Startup Genome is the world-leading research and policy advisory organization for public and private agencies committed to accelerating the success of their startup ecosystem. As the government's expert authority in the area of ​​innovation policy, Vinnova's mission is to strengthen Sweden's ability to innovate in order to contribute to sustainable growth and the benefit of society. They are a government agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the national liaison authority for the EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation.

“We strive towards the vision that Sweden should have a dynamic Swedish ecosystem for innovative companies that thrive and enable the transition towards a globally sustainable society. We are reaching out and collaborating with a wider range of stakeholders in Sweden to reduce unnecessary fragmentation and ensure that the public support system is aligned with the needs of important target groups such as startups. Only then can local and regional strengths become national resources and create international impact. In this transition we see it as a must to learn from the best and ensure that decisions are based on data, which is why we collaborate with world-leading organizations such as Startup Genome”, says Daniel Rencrantz, Head of Ecosystems for innovative companies at Vinnova.

“While the Stockholm startup ecosystem has been punching above its weight for many years, producing scaleups and global category leaders at world-leading rates, there is incredible potential across the country waiting to be harnessed. We are truly excited to work with Vinnova and the broader national ecosystem to create knowledge and strategies that empower more Swedish innovators to become a driving force toward a sustainable future”, shares Marc Penzel, Founder and President of Startup Genome.