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.
VentureChallenge - From Science to Society
Call for start-up capital and a start-up package for commercialization
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.
Which research areas can I apply for project funding in?
Life sciences/health
The call aims to support development and commercialisation of innovative research in:
- Medical technology
- Industrial biotechnology
- Diagnostic methods
AI and Data
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:
- Treatment of chronic diseases
- Combating climate change
- AI solutions in language models, for the Swedish language, and within the field of law
- Efficiency improvements in the public and private sectors
- Increased digital transformation for Swedish industry andi nfrastructure
Fossil-free energy
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.
Who is VentureChallenge for?
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.
Conditions for VentureChallenge
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 partner 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.
What is included in VentureChallenge?
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.
In addition to funding, you will receive support with:
- Development of a business strategy
- Assistance in negotiations with suppliers, prospective customers or stakeholders
- Assistance in finding grants and other funding
- Support in team building and finding external advisors
Applicants of VentureChallenge can apply for funding for the following:
- Salary for applicants, employees, or project consultants at all staffing levels
- Operating costs such as consumables, materials, expenses related to trials, etc.
- Equipment required for the project
- Communication efforts
- Conference participation
- Travel expenses
- Legal and intellectual property rights-related costs
In the event of a future company formation, a start-up package is also included, which includes the following:
• Basic agreements and documents
• Advisory services for company formation
• Recruitment of suitable board members
• Set-up of accounting and reporting
What criteria are applications evaluated based on?
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
When can you apply for VentureChallenge?
The application period opens on April 7th, 2025 and closes on May 9th, 2025.
In which languages can I apply?
Swedish and English.
How does the application process work?
Applications will be evaluated until May 9th. During the evaluation, you will be asked to present your project to UU Invest. Applicants will be notified of the decision on June 9th, 2025. The start date is September 1, 2025.
Do you have questions about VentureChallenge?
Contact Mateo Santurio at: mateo.santurio@invest.uu.se
Digital information meetings
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 15th at 12:00 and on April 29th at 13:00. Choose the occasion that suits you best. We look forward to meeting you there!
About UU Invest:
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.
Our offer includes several benefits that contribute to successful business
Start-up capital
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.
Competence
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.
Wide network
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.
Long-term commitment
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.
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.
Currently
Visa:
30 år av framgångsrika startups från universitetet. UU Invest är Uppsala universitets investeringsbolag med uppdrag att investera i forsk-
ningsbaserade bolag. Sedan starten 1995 har vi investerat i mer än 115 bolag – företag som idag återfinns inom olika branscher där de bidrar till samhällsnytta och tillväxt.
I år firar vi 30 år av aktivt ägande och konstaterar att många av våra portföljbolag utvecklats
till starka aktörer på nationella och internationella marknader.
Development is progressing rapidly at the new company Duck Technologies. If everything goes according to plan, the hope is that the company’s first product will be ready for the market within two years. What remains is to scale up and package a new opportunity to save energy by reducing heat intake through, among other things, windows in buildings and cars.
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.