Apply for up to 500,000 SEK for your research-based business idea. This is a call from Uppsala University Invest in collaboration with Uppsala University Innovation.
By applying for project funding, you have the opportunity to focus on your research area while we provide capital and expertise to develop the company.
The call aims to support development and commercialisation of innovative research in:
The call aims to support the development and commercialization of applications for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in technology and natural sciences, medicine and pharmacy, as well as humanities and social sciences. Particular emphasis is placed on applications where AI is used to address important societal challenges and enhance Swedish competitiveness. For example:
The call aims to support development and commercialisation of innovative research in:
• Develop products or services consisting of hardware, software, or business models that contribute to accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable systems, including energy conversion, storage, distribution, and production.
The project should consider the ongoing infrastructure investments in society, as well as the potential life cycles of the proposed products.
It is for those who have a clear idea and a solution that is better than those currently available in the specified research areas. Additionally, you should have conducted a “proof of principle” for your concept. Your solution does not need to be packaged as a prototype. Note that the funds go towards development and not research.
You need to be employed at Uppsala University and have the rights to commercialize your invention. You need to be able to allocate time to the project but do not necessarily need to become the CEO of a future company.
The project should be scalable and feasible for commercialization. Your project cannot be associated with an already established company. The project funds are intended for clear development steps towards commercialization. Therefore, the funds cannot be used for basic research or applied research without ambitions for commercialization.
As an applicant of the call, you should be willing to have UU Invest as a part- ner and co-founder in a future company. If the project leads to the formation of a company, UU Invest will become a minority shareholder in the company.
Funding is provided for a maximum of two years, up to 500,000 SEK. This can be combined with other sources of funding and grants. In addition to the initial ownership, UU Invest can provide additional capital upon company formation.
• Basic agreements and documents
• Advisory services for company formation
• Recruitment of suitable board members
• Set-up of accounting and reporting
Evaluation is conducted by the management of UU Invest with the assistance of experts in the specified research areas. The applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:
• Level of innovation and potential impact in the value chain
• Main applicant’s competencies, qualifications, and research background
• Co-applicants’ specialized skills and contributions to the project
• Commercial potential and scalability of the project
• Potential for protecting the idea, such as through patents
The application period opens on March 26th, 2024 and closes on May 19th, 2024.
Swedish and English.
Applications will be evaluated until May 19th. During the evaluation, you will be asked to present your project to UU Invest. Applicants will be notified of the decision on June 7th, 2024. The start date is September 1, 2024.
Contact Mateo Santurio at: mateo.santurio@invest.uu.se
Contact UU Innovation for tips and advice here:
• Life sciences/health: frida.johnson@uu.se
• AI and data: nhils.forslund@uu.se
• Fossil-free energy: ingrid.ajaxon@uu.se
We invite you to information meetings via Zoom where we will go through practical details about the projects and provide you with the opportunity to ask questions. The meetings will be held on April 9th at 12:00 and on April 15th at 13:00. Choose the occasion that suits you best. We look forward to meeting you there!
UU Invest assists research-based startups by providing capital and business development expertise. We help develop and prepare your company for raising additional financing. With us, you have the opportunity to make your research-based business idea global.
UU Innovation provides you with full support for idea development. Together, we broaden the scope of application for your research results and lay the foundation for new products, services, and methods. The support is tailored to your needs and may include mapping of valuable knowledge assets in your projects, as well as financing and strategies to protect, validate, and package your innovative ideas.
Capital at an early stage gives you an increased opportunity to test your idea, build the right business model, create a team and reconcile your idea with the market.
We have extensive experience of investing in early companies. With us as early investors, your opportunities for continued financing through our investor networks, private investors, VC funds and industrial investors also increase.
UU Invest AB is part of Uppsala’s innovation system. Here is competence that is critical at an early stage. These can be, for example, patent and IP issues, market research, business development and exchange of experience, and contact with senior people who, like you, have taken their research further.
UU Invest AB invests for the long-term. Once we have made an initial investment you can expect our commitment and support to continue for 5-15 years. Our long-term perspective gives you the opportunity to grow slowly and to develop the company towards making a profit in the future. It gives you peace of mind to build your business.
Through UU Innovation’s business and patent advisor, your research can undergo analyzes and verification surveys that point to opportunities and possible problems. It is a valuable collaboration for us that paves the way for future phases in the possible company formation.
Did you know that all our profits are reinvested in other research projects? In this way, your success contributes to more researchers being able to develop their ideas.
Visa:
Mesenkia Therapeutics, backed by UU Invest, is developing a groundbreaking treatment for glioblastoma, the most aggressive brain cancer. The startup is preparing clinical trials to create a drug aimed at extending patients’ lives.
SoundSim360, developed by Professor Ken Mattsson and Dr. Gustav Eriksson, is an advanced sound simulation tool for precise sound level predictions that handles complex acoustics, including low-frequency sounds for wind turbines, arenas, and home theater systems.
UU Invest hosts your project so that you can establish necessary agreements with collaborative partners, hire key personnel to investigate or develop the concept, and also assist ‘hands on’ in negotiations and strategic work.
Ida-Maria Sintorn, along with her colleagues in the SimSearch project, is developing new technology for image processing of microscopic images. The focus is to make it easier, faster, and safer for researchers to extract relevant information from large amounts of data while retaining control over their own data.
Oscar Verho and his research network are focused on creating more efficient ways to produce fuels from water. The path involves advanced interdisciplinary development and a sustainable, efficient electrode with the potential to make green hydrogen production more cost-effective.
PapersHive is one of UU Invest’s 55 portfolio companies. With an AI-based search technology, the company collects information from all medical databases in one place. This saves both time and money for pharmaceutical companies, CROs and medical technology companies.
Applications for VentureChallenge 2023 are now closed. A new call for applications will open again in the first quarter of 2024.
Up to 500,000 SEK for your research-based business idea. UU Invest, in collaboration with UU Innovation, is now conducting a call for start-up capital of up to 500,000 SEK for your research-based business idea.
Meet Gunilla Lundmark, CEO of UU Invest, and Malin Graffner Nordberg, Head of UU Innovation. With different roles and expertise, they work towards the same overall goal – to contribute to Uppsala University’s efforts to take research forward and utilise knowledge in society.
Ulf Landegren och hans forskningsgrupp ligger bakom banbrytande forskning som lett till nya innovationer som framgångsrikt förvaltats och utvecklats i en rad olika bolag. Rarity Bioscience med vd Linus Bosaeus är ett av de senaste i raden.